VIDEO Oh, where have all the demos gone?

Once was a time, if memory serves, that new games would be on the horizon (or even already released, I reckon!) and I could hop on my ol' Xbox 360 and head on over to the Xbox Live Games tab/tile and behold all the pretty demos for all those aforementioned games! What a treat it was, to sample a game without having to commit to a $60 purchase (Red Box Rentals weren't around back then, I don't believe).

Nowadays, though, finding a plethora of new game demos on the Xbox Live marketplace is like finding ice in the Arctic circle that isn't melting (that is what's happening up there, right? Melty ice proving global warming right and all?).

To my dismay--nay--my complete and utter disappointment, all I now behold on those once rich and fertile tiles are but a measly Lego Hobbit demo (accompanied by Lego Avengers or some such silliness) and a few meager sports-type demos.

So, I ask, where have all the demos gone? No demo for Titanfall, even in this age of Free to Play models (and Titanfall being an overpriced multiplayer-only title). No demo for Watch Dogs. No demo for this or for that, no demos for games so good you'll stay on the couch and get fat.

 

Silly Ezio, if they let you play the demo that would clue you into the fact the game is actually a pile of crap.

 

Firstly, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes > LEGO The Hobbit. Making a game based on two-thirds of the novels is silly.

Secondly, demos do actually take up quite a bit of dev time. The thing is with a demo is that you can't just cut a slice off the game - that's not how it works. You've got to make sure that the demo only has access to certain parts of the game but that is able to access all the parts that are actually needed to make the game run.

Since that requires a good knowledge of pretty much every system in the game, the senior devs are usually required. Taking the senior devs away from the production of the actual game for any length of time is bad, as the less experienced devs need help putting stuff together. At least, that's how I understand it anyway.

Now that you've got access to written reviews, as well as 30-60 minute video reviews, and the option to look at any part of the entire game via YouTube, demos aren't as necessary IMO.

 

I've read that Microsoft required developers to make a demo of their games if they wanted their games on the Xbox Live arcade for the 360. The X1 has no such requirements and, imo, its online library sucks so much partially due to this.

 

I'm afraid your only hope it's Redbox or any other outlet that rents game. At least there you can try out a game with a minimal investment without having to plunk down $70 on a potential lemon. Hell, if you like it you might be able to finish it and still save yourself the better part of that money.

 

These days the trend is more like "give us X amount of $$$$$$$" and you can purchase this still in development "beta" version of the game, which will be updated on a semi-frequent basis.

Uh-huh, sure.

 

Killer Instinct works like that, but I found the pricing model to be fairly reasonable.

 

It seems like they are moving more towards a trial version of games (meaning you can play the entire game for a day or so without having bought it) and ditching demos. It makes sense since demos take extra time to develop while a trial version as I described doesn't.

 

Which games offer a trial version?

 

Demos cost sales for games. The time it takes to make the demo is definitely a factor, but mostly it's just because a lot of games will lose sales. For some games it's not a significant enough number, for others it could be pretty drastic. Why pay $50 for a game when the beta is replayable, or for some reason the beta can't accurately depict the entire gameplay experience of the game?

Not only are you getting the beta of the game and having a say on the direction that the game is going...but you get the actual finished game upon release. Not to mention many early access games give extra bonus content. Typically EA that you pay for is what's literally funding the game being created, because *usually* it's small indie companies that go that route. Big games like mmos and other such have free beta periods. For that reason. You're getting more for your money and you're supporting smaller companies that actually will listen to your suggestions on how to improve the game.

 

Killer Instinct is an obvious example of the above. With each update, Microsoft and the new developers tweak the game to rectify issues (like introducing a "jail" system for rage-quitters, wherein rage-quitters are forced to play only against other rage-quitters for a certain duration). The fall update will also include character"fixes" (depowering some allegedly too powerful characters and powering up some allegedly under-powered characters).

 

I think Etrian Odyssey handles demos pretty well - you get a maximum of 20 plays, leveling is capped at 10, and you only have access to the first 3-5 levels of the dungeon. In exchange, they give you total access to what you would have access to within those constraints. By the end of the demo you're pretty thoroughly invested in your party, since it takes about 5-10 hours to accomplish what the game gives you - and then they provide an importer in the game proper, so you get to keep all of that progress, your maps, etc. Of course, the games are in a position to do this precisely because of how long they are and the fact that they have such a devoted fanbase, but I have been able to get a few people into the series via telling them to try out the demo.

 

An obvious example of what? So-called early access or in-development games?

 

Of the developer listening to suggestions on how to improve the game.

 

Um, dude, that's what open beta tests are for...

 

Killer Instinct receives updates every couple months that tweak/improve the game...

 

I liked the demo for the original Starcraft - it was basically a prequel to the main game.

 

Forza Horizon 2 has a great demo. It shows off everything you need to know about the game and it looks awesome. For me, it's going to be a very hard game to beat.

 

If only I was halfway decent at racing games