360 Gets Exlusive Tomb Raider DLC And An Exclusive… Demo?

I completely understand the current obsession with getting exclusive DLC for multi-platform games. You not only get to deprive the people who chose to have the other console from the full game experience, but you can also charge the people who chose your console even more money for what should probably already be in the game. It also helps bolster the numbers of 14 year olds in your defence forces and give them some meaningful ammo.

Microsoft have announced today that they will have exclusive rights to the new Tomb Raider game’s DLC. The DLC is the form of two expansions, adding “up to six hours of new gameplay and content”. But, more interestingly, they have also said that they will have exclusive rights to the accompanying demo. In my opinion, that’s kind of a dickish thing to do. Here’s why.

A demo is designed and produced to allow people to judge a game for themselves. To work out if it’s a worthy cause for them to spend their money on. If somebody only has an Xbox 360, they will get the free demo as usual. The fact there isn’t a demo on the other systems the game is coming out for makes no difference to them, and sales will probably be as expected.

For the people who have several systems (like me), even if there was a demo on all systems, chances are they would only play one. Especially if the game coming out at the same time for all. Perhaps there will be a few of these people who will be more likely to play the game on the 360 than, for example, the PS3 because of the demo, but not enough people to match the amount of money MS likely paid for the rights to the demo.

The third group of people effected are the gamers who don’t own a 360. They have no chance to get a demo, and so they are less likely to be able to value it, and thus less likely to buy the game.

Microsoft effectively paid money so that other competitors, such as Sony, make less. Microsoft paid to take something away from people who don’t have an Xbox 360.

George Peckham, general manager of Microsoft’s global third party publishing branch, added;

We’re thrilled that Xbox owners will be able to extend their Lara Croft adventures with exclusive Tomb Raider: Underworld episodes.

We look forward to continue working closely with our great publishing partners to deliver the most robust gaming experiences, only on Xbox 360.

I wouldn’t want to call this man a twat bad names based on what the company he works for has done, or point out the stupidity of having the words “Xbox 360″ and “robust” in the same sentence. That would be petty.

But I will continue to repeat that this kind of behaviour, of not bettering yourself, but pushing down the competitor instead, is damaging to gaming, and harmful to gamers. But then, you probably don’t give a shit. Go spend some more money on PR to make it all go away.