Interviews

Why did Legacy make the decision to sell Law & Order: The Vengeful Heartas a downloadable game?

We wanted to make it available to more people. The CD-ROM version was not broadly distributed at retail. Also, we really like the underlying business model of downloadable games, i.e., the consumer can sample the game to make sure it works properly on their computer and it is a game that they are interested in, before paying for the game.

Does this mean that we will never again be able to purchase a boxed, cd version of a new Legacy game?

Not at all. We are working on a new adventure game for next year that will be sold first as a CD-ROM title. Unfortunately it hasn’t been announced yet, so I can’t tell you anything more for a few months.

How many downloads determine if the game is successful as compared to unit sales for success at the retail level?

In the downloadable business, a game can be downloaded more than a million times, on portals such as Yahoo! and AOL. However, only 2 to 3% of the customers who download the game actually end up buying it. Hence, the downloadable market is still relatively small compared to the retail market, but it’s growing rapidly.

Do you find that it is easier or more difficult to develop a game for download as compared to a brick and mortar version of the game?

Most adventure games assume a lot of knowledge from the player in terms of interface conventions and gameplay conventions. For example, anyone who has played an adventure game before knows that if you see a key somewhere, you will want to collect it so since you will likely need it to unlock something later in the game. Many casual game players don't know these types of conventions, so a downloadable game has to be able to have ways to help a wide range of players. In some ways, that can be more difficult for developing the game, but it actually is a good thing to allow more people to enjoy your game.

Is there anything graphics-wise or gameplay-wise that you can’t include in a downloadable version of a game that would be in the retail version?

The download file size is an issue, while it is much less an issue for a game delivered on CD-ROM. There are graphics, sound and animations in the CD-ROM version of the game that were not included in the downloadable version in order to keep the download file size from being too large. The assets that were removed were not necessary to the gameplay, and were essentially "bells and whistles."

Do you foresee a time when all pc games will be available only via an internet download?

Yes. As customers get faster and faster internet connections, it will make sense to distribute all games digitally.

What kind of response are you expecting for this type of game delivery, and what has the reaction from gamers been so far?

People love being able to play for free for a certain trial period (usually 60 minutes) before committing to buy the game. And in the PC world, where too often there are compatibility issues, it’s great because you can see if the game works properly on your computer sooner rather than later. We’ve had about 400,000 downloads of the first episode of the Law & Order: Criminal Intent game so far.

We add extensive hints and help screens to each episode when we release them as a download, because we assume that the casual gamer needs extra assistance. Unlike the more experienced adventure gamer on Just Adventure, these “newbies” have less frustration tolerance. They are quick to quit a game if they are confused about anything.

The original CD-ROM version of Criminal Intent (still available through the Legacy Games web site) had several different episodes, including the Vengeful Heart. Will each of the other stories become installments, and what time frame are we looking at for that to happen?

Yes, we are currently planning to release the second episode sometime early November and the third episode in March. All of the episodes come together in the last episode (the fourth one), which we plan to make available as a free download to customers who have purchased a previous episode.

Do you think that marketing adventure games in the same venues as casual games will increase their exposure to the masses in a positive way? Is there any potential for this to hurt their image, causing them to be seen as frivolous?

I think that the 60 minute trial feature in downloadable games is a great marketing tool, for any type of game. Games with great gameplay have a chance to find their audience. This potential for increased exposure is a good thing, and I don't think that can hurt a genre's image at all. However, developers need to keep in mind that the first few minutes of gameplay are very important. A lot of time and effort must go into making sure the customer is “hooked” right away and not confused or frustrated by the game. Additionally, in a story-based game where the cliff hanger happens near the end of the trial period, the publisher should be rewarded with more sales.

You’re beginning by offering games that feature well-known, well loved characters and concepts from television. Do you see a download market for original adventure concepts as well?

Yes. In fact, we think that in the "try before you buy" market, licenses become less important. If you have a well-known license, someone might be more inclined to download your game and give it a try, but their subsequent purchase will be exclusively tied to how good the game is.

What can we look forward to next from Legacy?

We will be releasing two additional episodes for Law & Order: Criminal Intent. The next one (Dark Obsession) will be out in November, 2006. All of the murders are related, but you won’t know how until you’ve played the last episode. We are also releasing another of our popular Animal Doctor games this Fall. And, we are working on a very exciting CD-ROM/downloadable game with a large publisher due out next Summer.

Any final thoughts about the game itself or how it’s being delivered?

I was blown away by the recent success of a Nancy Drew adventure game on the Big Fish Games portal. There is clearly a market for well developed adventure games, even with large files. Given how rapidly Americans are switching to broadband, we clearly think the digital market for all games is going to expand.