Gaming Industry Offers New Approach To Piracy
At the video gaming convention in Leipzig, Germany, a few industry executives revealed some comments about a new business method for MMO video games. Instead of selling MMO up front to the consumer, video gaming companies will offer the games for free with payed enhancement features. This so called “MMO-lite” video game is a new approach towards the effort to combat piracy of video games, especially in the Asian market, where copyright infringement is a big problem.
During the convention Ubisoft’s Chief Executive Yves Guillemot gave his insight into the new MMO business approach. “They all have the ability to get it, and if they want to progress you can sell (enhancements) to them,” he told Reuters.
Other companies have already pioneered the method with game titles such as Yulong and Legend of Mir II, created by the Chinese companies, CDC Corporation and Shanda Interactive Entertainment.
Electronic Arts has also taken the approach in the Asian market, which has an online gaming market of $3 billion. “We had many people playing but nobody paying. The online games drive the pirate out of the business,” said Gerhard Florin, Executive Vice President, General Manager, International Publishing of Electronic Arts.
This type of online gaming service allows the casual player to play for free, while more avid video gamers can experience more in depth play with the payed enhancement features. This attracts a wider audience into the MMO world, where many gamers spend severals hours playing while interacting with friends, socializing, and building online communities.
Read More: Source: Reuters
August 24, 2007 at 4:30 pm | Business & Law, MMORPG |
