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Sony's John Hight talks PlayStation Network

Posted on February 19th, 2008 at 05:27 EDT

Sony’s Director of Product Development for its Santa Monica Studios, John Hight, recently spoke to MTV on a number of issues regarding the company’s popular online download and multiplayer service, the PlayStation Network.

Hight described how the company has remained carefully selective when deciding on content for the PSN, delivering a unique experience in titles such as Everyday Shooter and Flow; as opposed to simply bombarding it’s users with dozens of titles, which may only enjoy limited appeal. 

“We’re very careful about the stuff we add to our catalog”, said Hight, during a phone interview with MTV's Multiplayer blog.

“Early on as a company we decided it’s not going to be about giant numbers and ‘Hey, come to PlayStation Network and you’ll have 5000 games, maybe three of which you actually want. Go ahead and find that needle in the haystack.’ It’s more about each one of these experiences is something special.”

High also offered some insight as to why the company hasn’t adopted Microsoft’s offer of a free demo for every full release, ala Xbox Live Arcade, adding, “That’s a hotly debated thing. We did a demo on ‘Blast Factor‘ and I’ve got 600,000 people playing that demo but I haven’t translated that into 600,000 people buying the game.”

“… I think the demo kind of hurt it in a way and people got satiated. They made a presumption that, ‘oh, ok, the whole game is going to be like this.’ It wasn’t true. The game actually has a lot of depth in each one of the levels.”

“We didn’t actually do a demo for ‘flOw.’ We did a movie. And it was a very conscious decision. Because we were kind of spooked with what we saw with ‘Blast Factor.’ We thought, wow, we don’t want people to just give up on it.”

“So if I artificially put a clock on it, is that time period right experience for you? Or for the average person? I don’t know. So we felt, nah, let’s not do it. Let’s try to tell people that this is a different experience and show them really great graphics and great music and hopefully we’ll just win them over on execution and if they buy the game then they’ll be satisfied with the experience itself. Because it’s really a subtle experience and I’m not sure a few minutes with a demo would do it justice.”

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What are your thoughts?
posted 5:32am EST - February 19th, 2008
1

I would like every demo ;P. Not just picked out =o. I also want a search thing-y

posted 5:33am EST - February 19th, 2008
2

I say bombard us dammit! Give us all you got! A cataloguing thingy would work fine. That way the 'needle' will be found.

posted 6:02am EST - February 19th, 2008
3

Loving everyday shooter... its so addictive! 

posted 6:05am EST - February 19th, 2008
4

I actually think the PSN doesn't have so much stuff... I NEED MORE GAMES!!! ANYTHING!!   pleeeese Sony, I'm so F bored.

But luckely I do have my DMC4 :P

posted 6:50am EST - February 19th, 2008
5
cool i guess
posted 8:21am EST - February 19th, 2008
6

PSN needs more games. Not just new games like everyday shooter and such but old ps1 and ps2 games too.......id pay good money for metal gear solid

posted 8:38am EST - February 19th, 2008
7
they should get downloadable ps2 games
posted 8:45am EST - February 19th, 2008
8
still doesn't explain y europes store gets all the sh;t and y america gets the stuff early wen it's on the internet!!
posted 9:08am EST - February 19th, 2008
9

i dont ever play demos myself. in ways most demos are never as good as the real game.

posted 10:39am EST - February 19th, 2008
10

What they need to do is release at least most of the psx games first then little by little start doing ps2 games untill both systems are fully on psn. Then have a catalog search thing to find games. I say do it do it just do it

posted 10:44am EST - February 19th, 2008
11

Demos are good, if you try it and like it you are (certainly in my case) more than likely going to buy it. I think the " Let’s try to tell people that this is a different experience and show them really great graphics and great music and hopefully we’ll just win them over on execution and if they buy the game then they’ll be satisfied with the experience itself". is not really fair or true, I have in fact not bought games because i was unsure as to how they play etc so if developers are confident that they have a good game they shouldnt worry about putting out a demo..........if its good people are gonna want MORE!

posted 10:45am EST - February 19th, 2008
12

We need Parappa the rapper as a ps1 title!!!

posted 11:00am EST - February 19th, 2008
13

I'm so glad Sony isn't going the way of the Wii.  QC is a thing lacking right now in Nintendo's camp.

posted 11:02am EST - February 19th, 2008
14

I agree 100% with him. Maybe not with the full title demos from third parties, but I can deal with first/second party stuff not having demos now and again. But they should really just release any third party demo possible.

posted 11:52am EST - February 19th, 2008
15

That mentality of not wanting to "spook" the customer out of buying the game is horrible.  A demo isn't just to keep people busy until the full game comes out.   A demo is supposed to help us decide if the game is worth buying.  If 600,000 demo downloads didn't equate to 600,000 sales maybe the game just isn't good. (Blast factor certainly isn't IMO) To me this is just an attempt to trick the consumer into buying a sub par game using flashy videos.

posted 12:01pm EST - February 19th, 2008
16

if people are passing after playing a demo... THE GAMES ARENT GOOD ENOUGH

posted 12:04pm EST - February 19th, 2008
17

Pretty interesting how he put things into perspective

posted 1:29pm EST - February 19th, 2008
18
they need 2 sort out the EU store
posted 1:40pm EST - February 19th, 2008
19

psn id: gingo.... there are certain games that would benefit from a demo and some which would not and it is up to sony to decide the right games to give demos for

posted 3:06pm EST - February 19th, 2008
20

they should have more demos....i think a timed demo would be a smart idea

posted 4:18pm EST - February 19th, 2008
21

The only reason so many people downloaded blast factor was cause when it was put on the PS store there were so few things to download  that we downloaded anything including cheesy movie trailers and demo we may not really be interested in.  Just cause they didnt convert to sales doesnt mean people were tuned off by the demo. 

posted 6:10pm EST - February 19th, 2008
22

I made a similar post about this in another PSU article but the premise is the same which is why so few games become demo's first because the feedback that is given maybe unsubstantiated and more so too narrow in view to the actual game itself.

posted 7:36pm EST - February 19th, 2008
23
It's fine to be selective but I disagree about the demo situation. IMO "There needs to be a demo for every PSN game". People know that there's more to a game than a demo unless there really isn't anything more. In which case they'll find out on the net from someone else. I think people are tired of taking chances on games hoping they'll like them. Just put good games up & different types along with a demo. Let us buy the ones we like & delete the demos we don't. If I like the game I'll buy it.
posted 8:55pm EST - February 19th, 2008
24

Thats BULL.

Demos help me to understand what a game is really about and whether or not I wan't to purchase it. If a dev is to dumb to know how to properly demo a game, giving them to much or to little its there fault. Its not that hard.

I actually own 18 games, 4 which where free on my 360, with a couple more I'm considering (I can't believe I don't own Castlevania yet). Excluding the fee games, I did not purchase even one of them without first playing the demo.

Its true that there are some really bad games, but there are still a lot of good ones. "Including the classics."

Sony should open up the flood gates. (If there is anything really behined them that is)

posted 10:42pm EST - February 19th, 2008
25
i want the blast factor game but i only got the demo and i cant buy the game cause i dont got a credit card... seriously need a PSN card soon...
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