When EA announced a few months ago that they planned on making demos on Xbox Live and Playstation Network a paid for experience, I was concerned. EA was the big, bad sequel machine for a long time, with the E standing for “Evil” and the A standing for something you wouldn’t say in front of your Gran. They had finally started to drop that image, and then they threaten to charge us for that which has been free for so long?

A silly idea, then, that Capcom released Dead Rising 2: Case Zero on Xbox Live Arcade for 400 Microsoft Points. Here they are, jumping the gun on EA’s plans of world domination. But what Capcom has done with this downloadable game is fufill two roles. It’s not a demo, and it’s not a “real” game. It’s both, and it’s great. It’s an interesting step forward for not only downloadable content but for the promotion of games. This pre-DLC is like the appetiser to the main meal, the prologue to the novel. The great thing about making a prequel game is that it can be undertaken after the main development of the full title. Also, on the enjoyment level, it removes none of the experience from the full game and adds extra goodies. I’m looking forward to having my 5 extra levels and PP being given to me straight away at the start of Dead Rising 2.

So, the question is, will other developers jump on board? In some cases it seems tricky; how would you make a pre-game to Super Street Fighter 4? When a game has a driving narrative, however, it seems like a solid idea. Developers get their extra income, we get a fresh and engaging experience that sets us up for a bigger adventure. It’s a win/win situation, without making us feel robbed for paying roughly £5 to play a single tutorial level over and over. In saying all that, I’d have paid £15 to run around with a baseball bat adorned with nails for 10 minutes, but that’s just me.
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