Xbox Magazine to charge for demo and video downloads via Xbox Live

Joe Moore · 07-31-2007, 12:53 PM

http://www.firingsquad.com/news/news...searchid=16738

Basically they are going to charge you 200 points to download demos and game videos as well as a few themes and gamer pics. Here's the real kicker, the digital downloads will not contain everything that you can get on the discs with the magazine.

Draven · 07-31-2007, 01:06 PM

Well they can fuck off then, can't they.

Joe Moore · 07-31-2007, 01:10 PM

They try to spin it positively. "You can get that fancy new exclusive demo." You know what else you get, a whole bunch of crap. Know what you don't get, a magazine you can look at on the crapper.

I've actually bought a few issues of the XBox magazine. I have never once popped the disc into my player. I usually just throw them out.

Gigatron_2005 · 07-31-2007, 01:15 PM

"Why give advertising away for free when we can make them PAY for it?!"

Streck · 07-31-2007, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Moore

I've actually bought a few issues of the XBox magazine. I have never once popped the disc into my player. I usually just throw them out.

As with so many other things, Penny Arcade said it best.

Smasher · 07-31-2007, 01:34 PM

[SARCASM]
Only 200 MS Points?
When can I start paying them?
[/SARCASM]

I foresee this idea fizzling out very quickly.
The whole idea of a demo is to generate interest in product.
If a developer takes the time to make a slice of their code available, they want to make that code available to as many people as possible.

Microsoft designed the Marketplace to facilitate that process.
So, if I am a developer do I put my demo on the Marketplace where anyone can see it and get exposure to my product, or do I put it on OXM Digital where a best case scenario is that a limited number of people can see it?

Do they really think that I would ever pay for a demo?

You know, if they had said that OXM Digital was going to be the exact same thing as the print magazine, I might have thought it was a good idea. It would just be a more progressive way of delivering the content.

But, that whole confusing diatribe of "you might get this with the magazine or you might get that with the digital or you might get them on both" just put me off and came across as "we are trying to figure out how to get you suckers to pay for both".

I have a renewal notice for the magazine in an envelope at home.
I just decided to let it expire.