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Should Games Be Delayed To Release Playable Demos?

Posted by simoniker on from the well-duh dept.

Thanks to GameSpot for its 'GameSpotting' editorial discussing how important it is to release a playable demo of your games before the game debuts. Although he points out: "If your demo does not go over well with the public, it may end up being detrimental to the retail product", the writer notes: "My observations have consistently indicated that a demo's impact can be far more significant if it is released before, rather than after, a game. Look at Doom and Quake. Look at Return to Castle Wolfenstein and Battlefield 1942. The demos made these games." He even suggests games deserve delaying to get a representative demo released: "Given that resources are limited, should a game be delayed just so a demo can be released? ...I'm going to say the answer is yes."

4 of 79 comments (clear)

  1. Gotta do it by 77Punker · · Score: 4, Informative

    These demos often expose horrid bugs so that they can get squashed before the games hit the shelves, since they have a much larger playing base than just the beta test group.

  2. Day One by jmlyle · · Score: 4, Informative

    Yup

    GameSpot recently received a preview version of Half-Life: Day One, an OEM version of Half-Life that contains the first few hours of the game. It will be available this month in bundles with the Diamond Monster Sound MX300, Guillemot Maxi Gamer Voodoo Banshee video card, and Thrustmaster Frag Master joystick. Now that GameSpot has finished playing Day One, we give you our impressions of Half-Life and update our preview with what we've learned....

    --
    I have misplaced my pants.
  3. UT2004 demo was a good move by catphile · · Score: 4, Informative

    After UT2003 got mixed reviews (okay - bad reviews, but I liked it) the release last week of the 2004 demo has probably guarunteed they'll have a hit when the retail game hits stores. I've rarely, if ever, seen any demo get better reviews, and in this case, I think it will pay off well for Epic. They have used this tight demo to win back a fan base.

  4. Re:I don't buy it by Goldberg's+Pants · · Score: 5, Informative

    Doom was shareware. You got episode 1 for free, and episode 2 and 3 you got when you paid. Just dig out an old copy and run it, it'll say about registering when you quit or finish the game.

    Demos in general are pointless in my experience. I've played demos which sucked for games that ultimately rocked. I've played demos that rocked for games that ultimately sucked.

    About the only use for demos in my experience is to see how the game will run on your machine.