Feature creep Feature creep , creeping featurism or featuritis is the ongoing expansion or addition of new features in a product, such as in computer software . [ 1 ] Extra features go beyond the basic function of the product and so can result in over-complication rather than simple design. The most common cause of feature creep is the desire to provide the consumer with a more useful or desirable product, in order to increase sales or distribution. However, once the product reaches the point at which it does everything that it is designed to do, the manufacturer is left with the choice of adding unneeded functions, sometimes at the cost of efficiency, or sticking with the old version, at the cost of a perceived lack of improvement. Another major cause of feature creep might be a compromise from a committee which decides to implement multiple, different viewpoints in the same product. Then, as more features are added to support each viewpoint, it might be necessary to have cross-conversion features between the multiple viewpoints, further complicating the total features. At the introduction stage, a manufacturer (Sony) trail-blazes a new product (a portable cassette player with the trademark name "Walkman") with the most basic feature set (play, pause, stop, fast forward, rewind, eject) in order to engage the consumer and support use and acceptance; meanwhile, competitors "wait and see" if the product will create a market worth investing in. At the maturity stage, with competitive products occupying the space, new features