Call of Duty Demo Open Letter

Though we don't really offer much in the way of downloads here, Blue's News is supporting the sentiments in the following open letter, which demonstrates to Activision (and hopefully the rest of the industry) what the undersigned sites feel are the general sentiments of the community about the downsides of exclusive demo releases. As a result, these sites will not be carrying the Call of Duty demo, even after its FilePlanet exclusivity (story) is over. Update: To be clear, this does not mean we will not carry news of when the demo is released, exclusive or not. Here's the letter:
After discussions with Activision, the following websites will not be carrying the Call of Duty playable demo, even after its exclusivity is over. This is due to Activision's decision to not accede to the reasonable request of making the demo freely available to all game enthusiasts at the same time.

3D Downloads
3D Gamers
AusGamers
Blue's News
EdgeFiles (Callofduty.org)
FileFront
FileShack
GameGossip
Gamer's Hell
Loadedinc
Tiscali Games
WorthPlaying

The above-listed websites hope to show Activision that the enthusiast industry is strongly opposed to the idea of exclusive demo releases.

Feedback from our users shows that gamers hate to be forced through a single point of congestion if they want a demo right away. While these websites are actually competitors, this competition provides the freedom of choice that enthusiasts want by offering the widest possible distribution of any demo (a sample intended to interest as many gamers as possible in the full product, after all) rather than the most restricted one.

Therefore, something this disrespectful of the industry as a whole has inspired all of these websites to stand together in this open letter.

Deals like this hurt the industry much more than they could possibly enhance a single relationship, and we ask for your support in sending out this message.
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411 Replies. 21 pages. Viewing page 17.
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91.
 
Re: Interesting
Aug 28, 2003, 19:42
91.
Re: Interesting Aug 28, 2003, 19:42
Aug 28, 2003, 19:42
 
fredy games are free.. its called irc. the games even come out days before they apprear on the shelfs
Im Soupkin.
I hope i dont have aids.
http://users.ign.com/collection/Serious_Soup)
s{Postal 2 sucks.
90.
 
Re: Interesting
Aug 28, 2003, 19:42
90.
Re: Interesting Aug 28, 2003, 19:42
Aug 28, 2003, 19:42
 
its pretty sick poo ass trollng the board sthis is for a rational discussiont

89.
 
Re: Interesting
Aug 28, 2003, 19:42
89.
Re: Interesting Aug 28, 2003, 19:42
Aug 28, 2003, 19:42
 
i think games shud be free

88.
 
Re: Interesting
Aug 28, 2003, 19:42
88.
Re: Interesting Aug 28, 2003, 19:42
Aug 28, 2003, 19:42
 
poo ass? wtf are you talking about
your a bigger jerk then blue
Im Soupkin.
I hope i dont have aids.
http://users.ign.com/collection/Serious_Soup)
s{Postal 2 sucks.
87.
 
Deja vu all over again :)
Aug 28, 2003, 19:41
87.
Deja vu all over again :) Aug 28, 2003, 19:41
Aug 28, 2003, 19:41
 
I remember when Ubi and FilePlanet had an exclusive demo for Raven Shield's multiplayer demo. When other sites began posting it (before FP even had it up), Ubi's legal department started sending out the following cease and desist order:

This is an official cease and desist notice. You are in direct violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

The demo file for Ubi Soft(r) Entertainment's Raven Shield is owned exclusively by Ubi Soft(r) Entertainment, and by distributing the demo file to the public you are jeopardizing an exclusive agreement between Ubi Soft(r) Entertainment and GameSpy Industries.

Ubi Soft(r) Entertainment orders you to immediately remove the file from your site, 3dGamers, as you are in violation of statutory digital copyright laws and liable for fines of up to $100,000, in addition to financial ramifications stemming from breach of contract commitments between Ubi Soft(r) Entertainment and GameSpy Industries.

This file will be exclusive to Ubi Soft(r) Entertainment and GameSpy Industries through November 21st, when you may again post the Raven Shield Demo.

Meanwhile, FilePlanet's demo download page had the following text, to prove what consummate professionals they are:

"FilePlanet's Got The US Exclusive for the RAINBOW SIX Raven Shield Demo! Other Game Sites Can Have it When They Take it From Our Cold Lifeless Fingers..."

After a firestorm of protest, the exclusive demo became non-exclusive just one day later.

It will be interesting to see what Activision does.

86.
 
POO ASS OPOINION
Aug 28, 2003, 19:41
86.
POO ASS OPOINION Aug 28, 2003, 19:41
Aug 28, 2003, 19:41
 
WHAT UP FALLOW GAMERS THis is POO ASS. I want to make MY OPINnon know to you.

I TIHINK that comapny who mke exclusve demos are POO ASS (bad kind) not good. let gamer play the game they want

i sport BLUE NEW alot hear.

the thinik scare me is if they make demo you have to pay for form nows on! magine if they put teh COPYS protection on demos this is frist step dont stand up now who know what happen then everyone will complain that it sucks when they never stood up

good blue i love you

poo ass represent game comuniy!

POO ASS OUT

85.
 
Re: Interesting
Aug 28, 2003, 19:41
85.
Re: Interesting Aug 28, 2003, 19:41
Aug 28, 2003, 19:41
 
Where is WMD?

84.
 
Re: Finally!
Aug 28, 2003, 19:40
84.
Re: Finally! Aug 28, 2003, 19:40
Aug 28, 2003, 19:40
 
you aint got no money fredy
Im Soupkin.
I hope i dont have aids.
http://users.ign.com/collection/Serious_Soup)
s{Postal 2 sucks.
83.
 
Re: Finally!
Aug 28, 2003, 19:40
83.
Re: Finally! Aug 28, 2003, 19:40
Aug 28, 2003, 19:40
 
this is unbeliveable to steal my money

82.
 
Re: i applaud blue
Aug 28, 2003, 19:39
82.
Re: i applaud blue Aug 28, 2003, 19:39
Aug 28, 2003, 19:39
 
If it's only a week, then why do they do it in the first place? That door swings both ways, you know


81.
 
Re: Some of you are missing the point
Aug 28, 2003, 19:39
81.
Re: Some of you are missing the point Aug 28, 2003, 19:39
Aug 28, 2003, 19:39
 
Why is it okay for FilePlanet to grab an exclusive deal that hurts their competitors but it's not okay for their competitors to not offer the demo?

Mmm... Because they paid for it? $s awfully powerful, whether you like it or not.

m19

Avatar 11406
80.
 
Re: #71
Aug 28, 2003, 19:39
80.
Re: #71 Aug 28, 2003, 19:39
Aug 28, 2003, 19:39
 
I think it was....about a week ago? Actually, I cannot say for sure; things with my mother tend to make everything else a blur.

However, one day Stephen made a comment along the lines of "...thanking Bagpuss for fixing some things." and I think taht is when it was done.

Deferring to Stephen,
Ray

---------------------------------------------------------
It is never wrong to care for somebody.
http://users.ign.com/collection/RayMarden
Wazzat?
Everything is awesome!!!
http://www.kindafunny.com/
I love you, mom.
Avatar 2647
79.
 
Re: Finally!
Aug 28, 2003, 19:38
Quboid
 
79.
Re: Finally! Aug 28, 2003, 19:38
Aug 28, 2003, 19:38
 Quboid
 
That whole ISP argument annoys me! I'm sure the company who gets hit with a large bandwidth bill feelings great to know an ISP somewhere is getting a nice bit of cash. Also, do you have an ISP to get demos? I'm sure I'm not alone in that demos is about 0.001% of the reason I have a net connection. £0.0023 a month isn't going to pay for much bandwidth even if the host did see it.

Sorry, pet hate.


BTW Blue - respect for still carrying the news articles. When I first read this I wondered why you mentioned the story the other day if you are against it until I read your post and realised that it's because you respect that other people might not be against it and that you're job is to bring people gaming news, not to bring people gaming news you like.

Cheers,
Quboid
Avatar 10439
78.
 
Some of you are missing the point
Aug 28, 2003, 19:38
Nox
78.
Some of you are missing the point Aug 28, 2003, 19:38
Aug 28, 2003, 19:38
Nox
 
What's up with those of you knocking this protest?

Why is it okay for FilePlanet to grab an exclusive deal that hurts their competitors but it's not okay for their competitors to not offer the demo?

Can you say hypocrites??

These other download sites have a good but delicate symbiosis with the game companies as is. The game companies get a free way to have their demo distributed and the sites get traffic driven to them. I can guarantee you that the profit margins for Activision are A LOT higher than the profit margins for the download sites. So what does Activision do? It spits in the faces of those sites that have supported it by offering an exculsive deal with FilePlanet, which only hurts the other sites and in the long term will stifle the consumer's choices if those other sites go under.

77.
 
Re: editing
Aug 28, 2003, 19:38
77.
Re: editing Aug 28, 2003, 19:38
Aug 28, 2003, 19:38
 
Look at the post after yours in this thread, and thank me that it can't be editied back to life

Well, fred is a whole 'nother story...

m19

Avatar 11406
76.
 
Re: Interesting
Aug 28, 2003, 19:38
76.
Re: Interesting Aug 28, 2003, 19:38
Aug 28, 2003, 19:38
 
Several people have already said it: "what's the big deal?"

Well, if it isn't a big deal, then why does FilePlanet have the exclusive? Apparently it IS a big deal.

Alex
-----------
Spatial Fear
Director/Creative Designer
http://www.planetunreal.com/le/sf/
75.
 
Gah
Aug 28, 2003, 19:37
75.
Gah Aug 28, 2003, 19:37
Aug 28, 2003, 19:37
 
Debating on the internet sucks. You get nowhere, cuz people dont want to take the time to read all the previous posts (understandable). As a result all the new arguments are the same as the old arguments that were already refuted. It would be alot more interesting if people refuted those refutations and so on...

74.
 
#71
Aug 28, 2003, 19:37
74.
#71 Aug 28, 2003, 19:37
Aug 28, 2003, 19:37
 
No kidding? (Not to go off-topic, but...) When did that happen? So is it across the board, not just this one? I must've missed the excitement that made that happen.

m19

Avatar 11406
73.
 
Re: Interesting
Aug 28, 2003, 19:37
73.
Re: Interesting Aug 28, 2003, 19:37
Aug 28, 2003, 19:37
 
hey why is my post removed

72.
 
Re: Interesting
Aug 28, 2003, 19:37
72.
Re: Interesting Aug 28, 2003, 19:37
Aug 28, 2003, 19:37
 
Interesting... Why has editing been disabled? Blue, if you did that on purpose, isn't it slightly ironic? You want free release of demos, but people can't be free to change what they say?

Ironic in that hardcore Alanis sort of a way.

Look at the post after yours in this thread, and thank me that it can't be edited back to life


Stephen "Blue" Heaslip
Blue's News Publisher, Editor-in-Chief, El Presidente for Life s{ (Now this, on the other hand, is ironic....)
This comment was edited on Aug 28, 19:39.
Stephen "Blue" Heaslip
Blue's News Publisher, Editor-in-Chief, El Presidente for Life
Avatar 2
411 Replies. 21 pages. Viewing page 17.
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