Comments on: Day of Defeat: Source ‘Free Weekend’ http://steamreview.org/posts/day-of-defeat-source-free-weekend/ Comment and discussion on Valve Software's digital communications platform. Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:25:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: The Steam Review » Blog Archive » Do Free Weekends work? http://steamreview.org/posts/day-of-defeat-source-free-weekend/#comment-2242 The Steam Review » Blog Archive » Do Free Weekends work? Mon, 04 Dec 2006 10:29:21 +0000 http://www.steamreview.org/?p=41#comment-2242 [...] Do Free Weekends work? Steam-only promotions probed :: December 4th, 2006 :: Events :: No Responses Zeh Fernando’s Online Gaming Zeitgeist is hosting a partial analysis of Valve’s Free Week/Weekend promotions, using DOD: Source’s player-count statistics as a sample. Results indicate that they are making sizeable impressions—but as Zeh cautions, the extent to which increased popularity has translated into increased sales (as opposed to existing customers returning) isn’t known to anyone but Valve. [...] [...] Do Free Weekends work? Steam-only promotions probed :: December 4th, 2006 :: Events :: No Responses Zeh Fernando’s Online Gaming Zeitgeist is hosting a partial analysis of Valve’s Free Week/Weekend promotions, using DOD: Source’s player-count statistics as a sample. Results indicate that they are making sizeable impressions—but as Zeh cautions, the extent to which increased popularity has translated into increased sales (as opposed to existing customers returning) isn’t known to anyone but Valve. [...]

]]> By: The Steam Review » Blog Archive » Game Informer Online interviews Valve http://steamreview.org/posts/day-of-defeat-source-free-weekend/#comment-1424 The Steam Review » Blog Archive » Game Informer Online interviews Valve Tue, 12 Sep 2006 12:36:31 +0000 http://www.steamreview.org/?p=41#comment-1424 [...] The Day of Defeat: Source Free Weekend led to more online sales in its immediate aftermath - but twice as many retail sales, even though the download was complete and the customers all had internet access. More Newell: The result of letting people play for a free weekend is we sold a bunch of content, we did the billing of that content online for a whole bunch of people, but twice as many people who had never played Day Of Defeat before until that weekend went to the store and bought a copy and then used that to authenticate. They already had the bits on their machine. They just didn’t have the checkmark that said, “Yes, you can play this.” So we weren’t even fulfilling the product. They happened to have those bits on those discs, and [the purchase] really was just the ticket that said, “Yes, you can keep playing.” [...] [...] The Day of Defeat: Source Free Weekend led to more online sales in its immediate aftermath - but twice as many retail sales, even though the download was complete and the customers all had internet access. More Newell: The result of letting people play for a free weekend is we sold a bunch of content, we did the billing of that content online for a whole bunch of people, but twice as many people who had never played Day Of Defeat before until that weekend went to the store and bought a copy and then used that to authenticate. They already had the bits on their machine. They just didn’t have the checkmark that said, “Yes, you can play this.” So we weren’t even fulfilling the product. They happened to have those bits on those discs, and [the purchase] really was just the ticket that said, “Yes, you can keep playing.” [...]

]]> By: RP http://steamreview.org/posts/day-of-defeat-source-free-weekend/#comment-153 RP Sat, 11 Feb 2006 12:13:25 +0000 http://www.steamreview.org/?p=41#comment-153 Actually Tom, because there are so many new players that are playing DoD:S right now, the chances of playing Vs another new player is much higher than from an every other day where most players are already fimiliar with the game. Actually Tom, because there are so many new players that are playing DoD:S right now, the chances of playing Vs another new player is much higher than from an every other day where most players are already fimiliar with the game.

]]> By: Tom Edwards http://steamreview.org/posts/day-of-defeat-source-free-weekend/#comment-149 Tom Edwards Sat, 11 Feb 2006 08:38:25 +0000 http://www.steamreview.org/?p=41#comment-149 Oh, I'm not trying to suggest it won't be a success. There's several thousand extra people online right now. It's just no fun to throw yourself against the brick wall that is a mechanically-practiced clanner. Oh, I’m not trying to suggest it won’t be a success. There’s several thousand extra people online right now. It’s just no fun to throw yourself against the brick wall that is a mechanically-practiced clanner.

]]> By: Garry http://steamreview.org/posts/day-of-defeat-source-free-weekend/#comment-147 Garry Fri, 10 Feb 2006 19:09:22 +0000 http://www.steamreview.org/?p=41#comment-147 I don't think the Free DoD:S trial could do any harm to the sales of DoD/HL2/CS:S. I'm sure they'll get enough new customers to cover the cost of the bandwidth anyway - which is the bottom line. As for the would be customers getting smashed.. the servers will be full of would be customers. Besides - someone always has to lose. If losing put people off the game their players would halve every game :) I don’t think the Free DoD:S trial could do any harm to the sales of DoD/HL2/CS:S. I’m sure they’ll get enough new customers to cover the cost of the bandwidth anyway - which is the bottom line.

As for the would be customers getting smashed.. the servers will be full of would be customers. Besides - someone always has to lose. If losing put people off the game their players would halve every game :)

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