Sony's “Degrading” Games

Sony has patented a new kind of video game demos. According to SCEA, initially this game has full functionality, but gradually reduces the possibilities, until the full version is purchased or the demo period expires. The software is equipped with certain limiters that are triggered after a certain number of launches or elapsed time.



The diagrams attached to the patent demonstrate how this might look in practice. In one case, this may be a reduction in the available for race tracks, and in the case of a “combat” game, a decrease in the choice and effectiveness of the weapon used. All this, as already mentioned, occurs over time using the game. The advantages for players are that they are given the opportunity to evaluate the full version of the game right away and it’s better to understand whether this application is interesting to them or not. For the manufacturer, the benefit is different: you do not need to develop a “simplified” version of the game - only one version and the “unlock” program are produced. There are other ways to "downgrade" the game: deterioration of brightness or contrast, as well as a change (not for the better) sound effects. The advantage of a single version is the possibility of releasing a demo version on a physical medium - the player will only need an unlock key.
via mobilereview