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Doom 3 Gets Info On Demo, Linux, DVD, Xbox
Eeknay writes "Following up yesterday's announcement about Doom 3 going Gold, id software today went into specifics on a Doom 3 demo and a Linux version of the full game, saying: 'We will release the demo as soon as it's done, but this
probably won't happen until after the game has arrived on U.S. store shelves', and adding: 'Linux binaries will be
available very soon after the PC game hits store shelves. There are no plans for boxed Linux games.'." Eurogamer also has a handy round-up of other Doom 3 news, noting, via CNN Money, that "Doom will apparently ship exclusively on CD", quoting Todd Hollenshead as saying of the Xbox version: "We can't say, at this point, that it's going to come out this year", and relaying on game length: "the [PC Gamer paper-mag] reviewer claims it took 23 hours to complete."
I see your point. But with a game as hyped up as Doom 3, considering to be "revolutionary" and all that, you'd think they'd release a demo before hand to prove they've got a winner. By not releasing a demo, it seems to me as if they're hiding something. However, more and more companies are releasing late demos (or none at all), so there may not be any hidden intentions.
It depends on a lot of things.
Most people have already stated the obvious: a demo isn't really needed when a game has as much hype and fans as DOOM 3. They know they have those people locked into a sale.
But demos can hurt a game in many ways. For examples:
Deus Ex II: Invisible War - the demo showed everyone how sucky the game was. Poor performance, dummied-down concepts (hacking anyone), small maps, and weak relation to the original. It probably hurt sales, as some of those that were foaming at the mouth probably changed their minds or waited to get it as a gift for the holidays.
Ground Control II - they shot themselves in the foot with the demo. The demo is great! The game is great! One problem - the demo had so much content in it that nobody bought the friggin game. Hordes of people are still on the demo servers, as the only thing they are missing out on is a few maps. Only a small number of people are on the retail servers.
Between the time and funds that ned to go into fixing up a demo, it's more cost effective to get the interested early-birds to buy the games. You demo will do little to make them want it more.
The ones that will buy it later, let them hear about the polished game and then try the demo later.
I don't understand you people. Do you play for fifteen hours at a time? Maybe before a wife and a baby I could have done that, but not now. Many RPG claim "forty hours gameplay," but I've played for that duration spread over a single week and haven't passed more than their midpoints.
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I'd rather be flamed than ignored.
Handle the game. I was worried if my machine could handle UT2k4 since I only have a radeon 8500 but it handled the demo and then later the full version quite nicely. I hope doom3 is the same way since I dont have the cash right now to plunk down the money for a better video card. and I already got doom3 on preorder a friend of mine got it for me as a gift since im a huge doom fan.