Why did Demo's for PC games die?

[JimKiler]

Is it solely because of download costs? The last demo i remember getting was for Dungeon Siege 2 and it was almost 2 GB in size. But that game is old. And when i started playing PC games 16 years ago you could get lots of demo's. Today not so much, what gives?

 

[PhatoseAlpha]

Steam has 73 pages of free demos. They're not exactly dead.

 

[pontifex]

too many companies realized that a demo can show how crappy their game is and keep people from buying it.

 

[Maximilian]

too many companies realized that a demo can show how crappy their game is and keep people from buying it.

Thats a decent bet.

 

[Homerboy]

Hell I remember Quake demo CDs that you'd pick up at the store!
And probably even before that.

 

[TheELF]

Steam has 73 pages of free demos. They're not exactly dead.

For games you never heard about...

On the other hand anyone can play battlefield 4 totally for free for 7 days,online and all.
Origin also has some traditional demos available.
But yes I agree that it's a shame that the game demos all but disappeared.

 

[maniacalpha1-1]

They became early access!

 

[master_shake_]

demos are crapware deterrent.

 

[TheUnk]

Because we decided to pay for them.

 

[smackababy]

Because we decided to pay for them.

This and that they discovered the cost of not producing a free demon did not deter sales enough to outweigh the savings.

 

[HeXen]

I think I still have a few old PC Gamer CD Demo's from back in the day. I have another that has 4 game demo's, one of which is Outcast. I also still have all the demo CD's that used to come with Playstation 1 systems.

 

[MarkLuvsCS]

They became early access!

quoted for truth.

or as newly released EA games?

 

[frozentundra123456]

Yea, I really miss demos. I think I probably still have a stack of old Demo CDs from PC gamer sitting around somewhere.

And I think games have become so complex and complicated that it is too much work to make a demo into a playable state to release before the actual game. Hell, most games now are barely playable upon release.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

too many companies realized that a demo can show how crappy their game is and keep people from buying it.

^^^this!

 

[BSim500]

too many companies realized that a demo can show how crappy their game is and keep people from buying it.

^ Pretty much this. Good games still sold well without demo's through word of mouth. Bad games however, were revealed in all their "glory". :biggrin:

 

[Midwayman]

too many companies realized that a demo can show how crappy their game is and keep people from buying it.

Mostly. If you were going to buy it anyways a demo can only be harmful. If you wouldn't buy it without a demo you'll probably only change their mind if its a really great game. So most likely you lose sales on demos and they cost money and especially dev team time to make.

 

[Stuka87]

Many games now offer a trial period, which is the same as a demo.

Also, back then the only way you could ever see a game was to play it, or have a friend with it. Now you can watch lets-play videos, watch video reviews, etc. It is WAY easier to see what all is in a game and how it plays without actually playing it.

Personally, if the game doesnt have a trial period, and its not some game I have been waiting for (Like the Witcher 3 for instance), I go and watch lets play videos (via YouTube or Twitch). There are some really good people out there that do a great job at making them.

So in short, there just isnt a need for most big games to have them.

 

[bystander36]

Demos have always been a way for unknowns to get their product in front of people, and it still is that way now. Back in the early days, unknowns could produce AAA quality games, such as Doom, so you used to take notice of demos, because they had a chance to be good. Now demos are of mostly lower quality games.

Nothing really changed, other than the fact that the quality between AAA and start up is larger.

 

[werepossum]

Hell I remember Quake demo CDs that you'd pick up at the store!
And probably even before that.

Pontifex is correct though, I bought many a demo CD and thought "Holy crap, sure glad I didn't buy this turkey."

 

[werepossum]

Many games now offer a trial period, which is the same as a demo.

Also, back then the only way you could ever see a game was to play it, or have a friend with it. Now you can watch lets-play videos, watch video reviews, etc. It is WAY easier to see what all is in a game and how it plays without actually playing it.

Personally, if the game doesnt have a trial period, and its not some game I have been waiting for (Like the Witcher 3 for instance), I go and watch lets play videos (via YouTube or Twitch). There are some really good people out there that do a great job at making them.

So in short, there just isnt a need for most big games to have them.

Good points.

 

[Stringjam]

YouTube.

I generally watch gameplay before buying a game, and I imagine a good bit of others do as well. What that doesn't give you, however, is how a game runs, controls and FEELS. That's why I wish there were more demos available.

 

[xantub]

YouTube.

I generally watch gameplay before buying a game, and I imagine a good bit of others do as well. What that doesn't give you, however, is how a game runs, controls and FEELS. That's why I wish there were more demos available.

Was going to say this too. With Youtube and Twitch.tv you can see the game in action without having to download and install the game. Although watching a game is usually enough for me to know if I want the game or not, I don't need to 'feel' it (maybe depends on the type of game).

 

[master_shake_]

YouTube.

I generally watch gameplay before buying a game, and I imagine a good bit of others do as well. What that doesn't give you, however, is how a game runs, controls and FEELS. That's why I wish there were more demos available.

doesn't work if the review nda is after game launch...

looking at you ubisoft.

 

[motsm]

doesn't work if the review nda is after game launch...

looking at you ubisoft.

Sure, it's an underhanded policy, but if someone can't wait a few extras days, they deserve whatever garbage they end up with.

 

[renz20003]

Some games have open beta, personally I played a ton of bf3 beta. When I preordered Starcraft 2 for $5 it gave me a beta code as well.