“Offering a playable demo to motivate preorders speaks to our confidence in the appeal of a game such as Killzone 2. We take this approach when we are convinced that the experience will cement a consumer’s interest in purchasing. Retailers will then merchandise those demos within their stores and online to maximize their visibility. Through this process, consumers are often times able to reserve their copy of the final game, which provides an incentive to purchase and helps seal the deal. We also offer demos on the PSN, which we have done in the past with great success, and will continue to make that available. Killzone 2, for example, will have a downloadable demo launch in North America the week that the game is launching, for consumers who prefer that option.”
Killzone 2
Game » consists of 8 releases. Released Feb 27, 2009
Take the fight to the Helghast in this first person shooter from Guerrilla Games.
Killzone 2 Demo Situation Clarified
“Offering a playable demo to motivate preorders speaks to our confidence in the appeal of a game such as Killzone 2. We take this approach when we are convinced that the experience will cement a consumer’s interest in purchasing. Retailers will then merchandise those demos within their stores and online to maximize their visibility. Through this process, consumers are often times able to reserve their copy of the final game, which provides an incentive to purchase and helps seal the deal. We also offer demos on the PSN, which we have done in the past with great success, and will continue to make that available. Killzone 2, for example, will have a downloadable demo launch in North America the week that the game is launching, for consumers who prefer that option.”
you can also get Home Killzone 2 costumes if you pre order Killzone 2 on Amazon the #1 online retailer. i was in Home cold-mackin a chick and i saw a Helgast run by and i was all "wtf?"
seems like Sony is trying to make deep alliances with retailers for some reason. if Sony is doing it then there must be a reason. i think if you wanna understand this weird demo business you should ask yourself what kind of benefit it is to Sony to have retailers in their pockets.
There's been fuck all for proper Killzone 2 marketing anyway, so why should we expect proper treatment when it comes to a demo?
I don't understand why this is suddenly such a big deal... They did the exact same thing for Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction.
I completely agree with Jeff Sony really, Really needs to be promoting the living hell out of this game. Having the Killzone 2 demo being a pre-order exclusive is simply put the dumbest thing you can possibly do regardless of the store. In other words Sony should've planned the launch of this demo in the first week of Febuary, or at least a week before they launch the actual game.
And yes I also agree that no one should have to pre-order anything in order to play the demo of any game, after all that just defeats the propose of even having a demo(play a little bit of the game and then decide if you wish to buy it or not).
im pre-ordering. i can't wait to play it. if its good, it will be awesome to have something to keep me occupied until the full game is released.
If they're so confident in the game to release a demo....... why force people to pre-order?
I mean, non of my friends with ps3's (one) have even looked at Killzone 2, maybe if a demo gets released now and he stumbled onto it, it could generate a sale, maybe even a pre-order if their confidence is anything to brag about, but at the moment its not.
maybe this was some sort of sly way to save on marketing costs... letting gamestop do most of the work.. and in turn letting sony know how much initial hype has already been established?... i do agree its completely retarded wut they are doing... but to me it just seems like sony is trying to save a little cash... who knows maybe we see the "death ballet" trailer during the superbowl.. . . .hmm...
To be fair, Eidos' 360 & PC exclusive demo of Tomb Raider Underworld was miles dumber than this. Well, maybe it was a good move given TR's quality...
I think Jeff is on to something about this being a genius scheme. Everyone is upset or just confused as hell to why Sony would do this to a game they've been pushing at a lot of trade shows, but in a way, doing this keeps us talking about the game.
Steinberg's statement reaches the peak of its train wreck when he says, "Retailers will then merchandise those demos within their stores." Merchandising the demo? Jeff said that the minute a demo is monotized, we have all lost and we are fast approaching that defeat.
Also about Gamestop, Ryan Davis pretty summed up my thoughts about that, "You know what, I'm just going to stop bothering trying to buy games from retailers that only sell games...'cause those motherfuckers never have games when you want games.!! NEVER!!!"
""bob's game" will turn out to be killzone's marketing campaign"Dude, Bob's Game is a lot better marketed than Killzone 2 so far.
"Thrawn said:I haven't been following it, but have the mainstream press actually reported on it? If not, then they both probably have similar exposure to the hardcore. Although Killzone probably has a bit more mindshare at least.""bob's game" will turn out to be killzone's marketing campaign"Dude, Bob's Game is a lot better marketed than Killzone 2 so far."
Close your eyes and try to imagine a board meeting of Sony executives discussing the marketing campagin for Killzone 2. 'The Secret of My Success' is now playing in your head.
I've read through the explanation twice now and it still makes no sense. I think Sony's PR has broken my mind.
In my opinion I think that Killzone 2 will turn out to be a good game but it will not sell as well as it should.
When Halo 3 was a month from being release Microsoft were marketing the hell out of it, they even made a diorama!!
Sony has made some regrettable decisions lately.
This is clarifying things how? o.o And that doesn't justify it, give pre-orderers something ingame, not a demo for a game their gunna have right after they get the demo anyway o.o
"Marketing
Your doing it wrong"
^.^ QFT
If a tree falls in the woods and there's no one around, does it make a sound?
I mean come on Sony, it's common sense that people can't buy what they do not know exists.
I've seen probably 3 or 4 MGS4 adverts on Australian foxtel in the many months before it's release, but then again its not like Australia matters all that much...
I just don't get it.
"Offering a playable demo to motivate preorders speaks to our confidence in the appeal of a game such as Killzone 2"
When I saw this deal it struck as a move based on lack of confidence in their game. Wouldn't the "confident" move be:
"Here everyone, check out this demo because we know once you have a taste, yer gonna want more"
"Offering a playable demo to motivate preorders speaks to our confidence in the appeal of a game such as Killzone 2."
Uh huh? You're so confident in the appeal of a game with a generic-sounding name that's the sequel to a mediocre PS2 game that most people haven't played and can't play on their PS3s, that you think people are going to blindly pre-order it? Do you not understand how stupid that sounds?
The use of the word confidence speaks volumes. You mentioned arrogance in the podcast about this subject, and this just solidifies that speculation. Sony thinks everyone knows about this game and every PS3 owner will buy one or two copies of the game on day one. This isn't Halo folks, and even Halo 3 had a huge marketing blitz regardless of the fact that MS knew a large percentage of 360 owners would buy the game based on preorders.
Sony seems to be preaching to the choir on this one and it looks like it may just end up biting them in the ass again. We should be seeing a Killzone ad on TV, buses, signs, and bags of Funyuns everywhere by now, instead the only place I see anything about it is on a game site. Sony really needs to get a new advertising firm at this point.
"I don't understand why this is suddenly such a big deal... They did the exact same thing for Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction."I'm not familiar with the R&C situation, but I don't see the big deal either. Maybe it is poor marketing assuming it's a great demo, but it's not as if being unable to play a game before its release is such terrible news. I doubt they were going to break day one records anyway, so releasing the demo a bit late shouldn't matter. If it's good, it will still help sell the game. If it's not, then it was smart of them to not release it publicly. They can at least say they made some money from GameStop on the deal.
I've never bought in to pre-order bonuses, though I do have an affinity for Collector's Editions. Despite that, even with an awesome pre-order bonus, I've been told that I cannot purchase a game from Gamestop (due to not having pre-ordered) so many times that NOTHING would encourage me to pre-order there.
But anyway, I guess I also don't understand the principle here either. Extras that encourage a person to pre-order should be a substantial supplement to the game, whether that be a nifty collectable, an art book, or a making of vid. This demo offer is just a stripped down version of the game that you are actually purchasing that you get to play a week before the retail version comes out. That doesn't sound worth the trouble.
Or maybe I'm just bitter and jaded and used to the mentality of waiting for the release date before I actually play the game.
Jeff, you say that you hate shopping at Gamestop because they don't stock enough copies at launch and then remind you that you should reserve? Sorry, but it sounds like you hate them because of your mistake. Gamestop's buyers allocate to over 5,000 stores based on reserves. If the get get 200 reserves for a game, they might, at best, get 100 more copies for walk-ins. If there are a low amount of reserves, then that # is much lower. If those sell out within the first 48 hours then all that's left, justifiably, are the reserves. So you get mad because you didn't resverve the game and they remind of this fact? Then you go to Best Buy? Well I have to ask 2 questions: If you know this will happen, why not just reserve the game with a measly $5 deposit? Or, why not just go to Best Buy first?
No offense, but the Gamestop hate is beyond irrational from all sides...They've been my #1 desitination for games since the PS2. The only practice I don't like, but completely understand, is their "buy low, sell high" practice of used games. In fact, you should be happy that the employees don't sell you the game, because the higher ups actually want them to dip into reserves because there is an average of a 60% pick-up rate on reserves. Ethical employees won't do this because it defeats the purpose of reserving. It's a benefitial service for those that use it and it's meant to be.
As for the reserving for the demo...It's a very easy thing to just cancel the reserve if you don't like the demo and this is far from the first time a company has done it.
"Jeff, you say that you hate shopping at Gamestop because they don't stock enough copies at launch and then remind you that you should reserve? Sorry, but it sounds like you hate them because of your mistake. Gamestop's buyers allocate to over 5,000 stores based on reserves. If the get get 200 reserves for a game, they might, at best, get 100 more copies for walk-ins. If there are a low amount of reserves, then that # is much lower. If those sell out within the first 48 hours then all that's left, justifiably, are the reserves. So you get mad because you didn't resverve the game and they remind of this fact? Then you go to Best Buy? Well I have to ask 2 questions: If you know this will happen, why not just reserve the game with a measly $5 deposit? Or, why not just go to Best Buy first?Dude, watch Zero Originality. Gamestop are scum and they do not get any of my patronage.
No offense, but the Gamestop hate is beyond irrational from all sides...They've been my #1 desitination for games since the PS2. The only practice I don't like, but completely understand, is their "buy low, sell high" practice of used games. In fact, you should be happy that the employees don't sell you the game, because the higher ups actually want them to dip into reserves because there is an average of a 60% pick-up rate on reserves. Ethical employees won't do this because it defeats the purpose of reserving. It's a benefitial service for those that use it and it's meant to be.
As for the reserving for the demo...It's a very easy thing to just cancel the reserve if you don't like the demo and this is far from the first time a company has done it."
"I don't understand why this is suddenly such a big deal... They did the exact same thing for Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction."cause people are trying to attack killzone 2 i think...
"LiquidPrince said:Attacking Killzone 2? No. We're criticizing Sony for screwing over Killzone 2. The game deserves better than this."I don't understand why this is suddenly such a big deal... They did the exact same thing for Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction."cause people are trying to attack killzone 2 i think..."
You know what happened to Tools of Destruction? It bombed at retail. The same could end up happening to Killzone 2.
I'm not familiar with the R&C situation, but I don't see the big deal either. Maybe it is poor marketing assuming it's a great demo...I think that's the big deal right there, you said it yourself, "poor marketing" - this game should not be poorly marketed!
I think we'd all consider ourselves "in the know" when it comes to videogaming so we're fine and this has little effect on us. People who don't spend all day on videogame sites and forums may not be so aware of this game and what it promises and that's where the marketing comes in.
Seems a lot of people who are "deeply into" videogaming tend to trivialize the power of a good marketing campaign and the added success it often leads to.
I don't think Sony has been doing a good enough job marketing this game for sure...but nonetheless; it makes me want to own a PS3 :(
"Kamasama said:I'd rather not get too off-topic with their overall marketing, which does seem too minimal although the game doesn't come out for over a month anyway. What I meant is that the marketing a game gets shouldn't be a big deal to us; that's Sony's problem. I said "maybe" because I'm no marketing genius, but this doesn't need to have negative consequences. Do these people you're talking about really care when the demo comes out? I don't see the reasoning in thinking it will sell less because of when the demo is released. If anything, it'll sell less on day one, but so what. I can even at least see the possibility for this promoting more pre-orders if people want the demo badly enough, since pre-orders can be cancelled rather easily if they don't like it. However, I will concede that if the game does not turn out to be great then word-of-mouth might dissuade people who may have otherwise bought it at launch.I'm not familiar with the R&C situation, but I don't see the big deal either. Maybe it is poor marketing assuming it's a great demo...I think that's the big deal right there, you said it yourself, "poor marketing" - this game should not be poorly marketed!
I think we'd all consider ourselves "in the know" when it comes to videogaming so we're fine and this has little effect on us. People who don't spend all day on videogame sites and forums may not be so aware of this game and what it promises and that's where the marketing comes in.
Seems a lot of people who are "deeply into" videogaming tend to trivialize the power of a good marketing campaign and the added success it often leads to."
Its not hard - all he is saying is - Gamestop gave sony a bit of money for some exclusive deal and this makes the profile of the game high since Gamestop will be considering this release a priority due to the money put into it. Then the exclusivity gap is extinguished other people will be happy.
Its a clever tactic
"Offering a playable demo to motivate preorders speaks to our confidence in the appeal of a game such as Killzone 2."
Sony doesn't understand how to advertise a game. There are plenty of people that have seen Killzone 2 and own a PS3 and still think it looks mediocre. A widely available demo as early as possible would greatly benefit sales. I mean this isn't a Metal Gear, it doesn't have a long history and definatly not as big of a fan base. You can't just say "We have confidence that this will sell." I'm sure Microsoft had "confidence" that Halo 3 and Gears of War 2 would sell but they still advertised the hell out of those games. Might not have been with a demo but at least with TV ads, soft drink deals, SOMETHING. I think this game looks awesome, I'm gonna get it on launch day but I'm also on a gaming website and keep up with video game news. People that don't visit gaming websites, don't really stay up to date with the latest things going on and own a PS3 would have probably just heard the name "Killzone" but have no idea what it is.
"LiquidPrince said:I'm not familiar with the R&C situation, but I don't see the big deal either. Maybe it is poor marketing assuming it's a great demo...I think that's the big deal right there, you said it yourself, "poor marketing" - this game should not be poorly marketed!
I think we'd all consider ourselves "in the know" when it comes to videogaming so we're fine and this has little effect on us. People who don't spend all day on videogame sites and forums may not be so aware of this game and what it promises and that's where the marketing comes in.
Seems a lot of people who are "deeply into" videogaming tend to trivialize the power of a good marketing campaign and the added success it often leads to.
"
You mis-quoted. I never said that... It was Kamasama.
For those that have never studied business or marketing here is a post from someone on Kotaku who essentially explained (better) what I (and I'd assume others) can't be arsed to type:
And I quote:
Here's how it works:
1. A person who is planning on buying it reserves the game.
2. Time passes, and the marketers want to keep them, so they focus on ways to reward them in order to keep their interest alive.
3. The person who had reserved the game receives the demo, and feels special because they have access to a game before ANYONE else. Customer = locked in.
4. Outside people who are interested, and have not reserved will start to look into it because they want to try the demo out too.
5. Those people end up going through step 3.
6. Time passes, and it gets close to the release date. The marketers want ONE LAST PUSH to get the game out. THIS is when they release a public demo, and therefore lock in whoever had liked it at that time.
To make it short, it's all a timing thing. If you release a demo to everyone, everyone will undoubtedly try it. The ones who had preordered will, of course, buy it, but the ones that who only wanted to try it will end up forgetting about it. If you release the demo to everyone shortly before the game releases, everyone will remember the game and stay interested for when the game actually hits the shelves.
So now you know! No more moaning please.It's irritating seeing kids on here talk down the strategies of people who have studied business and marketing for years. Stop assuming you know better when you don't understand. I'll be the first to agree that some of Sony's marketing has been horrendous. I don't believe this is an example of that.
No, it's still idiotic. Instead of benefiting their console and the game in any way, they'd rather pocket the Gamestop money.
It's like KZ2 and PS3 aren't high up on their priority list saleswise. Get2sammy, I like discussing shit with you, but to even attempt to defend this is asinine.
It's a terrible, terrible move which most people won't care about and which will just raise the ire of us looking forward to it.
I shouldn't care at all, since I live in Europe, but it sets a pretty terrible precedent and we should all nip this in the bud before it escalates into more idiocy.
as stupid as it sounds to us, some impatient folks that just cant wait to play Killzone 2 are gonna preorder it just for the demo. its just a fact that Sony and Gamestop is banking on. how stupid does buying virtual clothes sound but how much money has Sony made on it? buying paint jobs with real money in Need for Speed or paying real money to unlock easily unlockable stuff in Soul Calibur 4 are tests to see how crazy people are. all this stuff is optional and it must be making money.
the fact that they're releasing the demo to everyone anyway just proves that Sony wants ta squeeze whatever extra money they can out before the open demo is released. why not?
if you ignore all the Killzone 2 demo evil money schematics its actually awesome for those who preordered. its almost like Sony is sayin "oh you preorded? thats cool dude, thanks. hey here i'll let you exclusively play around with it while you wait for the release"
I agree with Jeff on this.
I was really excited for this game but the fact that they are pulling this confusing bullshit in marketing really dampens my enthusiasm.
Left for Dead did this on Steam and then took away the demo after the game released so that is what i am afraid Sony is going to do. By the way I did not buy and WILL NEVER buy Left for Dead. No demo, no purchase. I am not going to give my hard earned money to people who get some kind out perverse kick out of pulling this bullshit.
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