Demo as pre-order bonus for the game you're pre-ordering

[Maklershed]

This is a growing trend that I just don't understand. Maybe I'm the weird one here but I just don't see the point of playing/wanting a demo of a game that a person has already committed to buying. There's only one possible outcome of any value that could happen with this practice and that's a consumer trying the demo and realizing they don't want to buy the game. If it turns out that he/she likes the demo its not like they're gonna say "oh man, I'm gonna buy this game even harder now!" :lol:.

What are your thoughts? Are you ok with this new trend? Do you think it's a good idea? Am I just being crotchety for no reason? Discuss ...

[guyver2077]

i think its kind of a waste.. especially since i will be able to dl the demo from a pc the day it comes out and play it anyways

[UjnHunter]

It's very silly. Yes.

[joeyd07]

Stupid, stupid idea. Most people are only interested in buying games right after they come out. By limiting who gets to play the demos, your ristricting the amount of people who gets to try it and limiting new customers who discover the game via demo.

Just stupid.

[GuardianE]

It's completely counterintuitive.

[Javery]

It's sort of like when they show scenes from next week on TV. I've just watched episode 15 of Lost - do they really think I'm not tuning in next week? Is this the thought process?

[Stryffe2004]

It's completely counterintuitive.

This.

I am on the fence about a game and the demo might convice me to buy it. Instead, I pass. The guy that is already going to get the game, tries it out earlier. He may realize that he does not like it and cancel the pre-order. There is only downside to this maethod.

[Jimbo Slice]

Agreed. Take Infamous, for example. I'm definitely interested, and if I could try the demo, I might purchase it.

However, since I cannot try the demo because I won't blindly commit to purchasing it, they are not going to get my money.

[lokizz]

i hate it. i always assumed that would be the big part of having psn/xbox live was to be able to put up game demos for upcoming titles to aid sales. its odd and annoying that some demos come out way after the games been released or they dont come out at all. this whole trend of "selling" demos sucks.

im also annoyed with the whole preorder and get extra stuff shit. its bad enough they pull this collectors edition crap but now they say hey heres something you can only get by preordering the game.


theyre basically taking something that could have been all kinds of positive and using it to nickle and dime people.im already worried about what the next gen of gaming wil be reduced to. im not even sure if ill be gaming afer this set of consoles reaches its final run.

[Scorch]

So what's stopping someone from preordering a game to get the demo, not liking it, then pulling the money off of it?

nothing?

oh, okay.

In all seriousness, I don't see the evilness in preorders. Preorders are used to tell the buyer of the company how many copies of a game that specific store needs. If you PO it, then decide not to get it.. whatever. It doesn't lock you to that purchase, you can get your money back or switch it to something else. I think everyone's making a big deal out of nothing, but whatever.

[Magus8472]

It is rather stupid, yes.

Especially in the case of Infamous, as the demo is supposed to be rather good.

[RelentlessRolento]

Agreed. Take Infamous, for example. I'm definitely interested, and if I could try the demo, I might purchase it.

However, since I cannot try the demo because I won't blindly commit to purchasing it, they are not going to get my money.


Same feelings here.

The only argument I can say that would be against what most of us think is that statistically it might be smarter. Businesses see that they get more pre-orders or sales when doing this than not... I wonder if any sites have info on this.

[Darknyss]

Eh, these demos are no different than any other pre-order bonus. They exist to entice people to buy games from a particular retailer. GS/BBY/GC will cut a deal with Sony/MS to offer access to a demo and in exchange they market the hell out of it, which in effect increases sales for the game and the store.

I think Sony and MS are smart enough to realize they will attract more people at the retailer level than on the PSN/XBL. They get face-to-face offers, online advertising, and store signage - not to mention other TIV promotions. That's going to be a lot more effective than just posting a demo online.

I see the point everyone is making about wanting to try it out to make a decision, but I don't think that will outweigh advertising and other benefits at the retail level.

[FriskyTanuki]

The only real bright side is that a foreign PSN store usually puts up the Sony demos the same day or before they are released for those that preorder to get the demo, though Infamous is the only recent one that has bucked that trend at the moment.

[vherub]

it's not only terrible, it makes me less likely to buy a game. I buy maybe 20-25% of all demos I play. If a game has a demo, I will almost always try that demo.
If I know a game has a demo, and yet I cannot get that demo, it is frustrating.
Perhaps there are some fans who can't wait to play, and the demo is like a chance to get an early crack at a game/hone skills, etc. But for me, once I decide I like the demo enough to buy the game, I want to play the full, final game. Not the other way around.

[LordKefka06]

Dumbass idea.

[Richlough]

I like when they say you can get it when you pick up your game .

The Gamestop employee told me that when he wanted me to preorder Viewtiful Joe 2 .

I said the purpose of a demo is to show people hot good the game is so they'll pre-order the game .
Also, I told him why would I need the demo if I have the whole game ?

I think I crashed his brain when I said that , because he didn't have any answer .

[munch]

You get demo mang for pre-ordering a game?

[steve_k]

Please excuse me if this reply is redundant from previous replies. I have not read them yet.

I agree with the original post. I remember reading about the free MotorStorm: Pacific Rift demo availble at Gamestop. Excited (and confused as per why it was not simply available on the Playstation network as a free downloadable demo), I drove to the nearest Gamestop for a free demo. I was told the demo was only for people who had pre-ordered the game. Actually, I remember this happening several times when I wanted a PS2 demo. The cool employees (guys 18-25 years old) who actually played games would just give me the free sample while the women (90% of which probably did not have the slightest genuine interest in video games) would never give me a free demo, stating it was only for people who already pre-ordered the game.

The sole purpose of a demo disk to to serve as a promotional tool to get people excited to buy the game. If someone has already decided to buy the game, the demo disc is unecessary! Why would I get excited enough to pay $50+ for a game, and then need to be convinced to buy the game? It's backwards, and the only reason why I could imagine Gamestop doing demo disc plan backwards is out of greed. They don't want to give anything away for free.

When you go to a grocery store, the sampler ladies don't first check your shopping cart to make sure you have already decided to buy the food before giving you a free sample, do they? No! They give you the free sample to entice you to buy the food. Gamestop doesn't seem to understand this. Either that, or I do not understand the concept of a demo disc.

[hhhdx4]

Agreed. Take Infamous, for example. I'm definitely interested, and if I could try the demo, I might purchase it.

However, since I cannot try the demo because I won't blindly commit to purchasing it, they are not going to get my money.


Uhh the Demos coming out this Thursday, with 5 days to decide if you want to buy it or not, so its not their fault if you dont want to buy it.

[Maklershed]

When you go to a grocery store, the sampler ladies don't first check your shopping cart to make sure you have already decided to buy the food before giving you a free sample, do they? No! They give you the free sample to entice you to buy the food. Gamestop doesn't seem to understand this. Either that, or I do not understand the concept of a demo disc.


:lol: :applause:

[lolwut?]

I agree with most everyone already in saying it's a dumb idea. Demos can make or break a purchase, so having you pay $5 just to get an idea if you want the game or not is completely retarded IMO. I honestly can't remember the last time I've reserved a game, and I'm even less likely to reserve a copy of a game I can't play beforehand.


I guess if your game is horrible and you want as few people to play it as possible, then you should make the demo a reserve-only type of deal, but I doubt any game developer wants to admit that, and utilize this "strategy" because of it.

[xycury]

Well, have to ask, but who is doing it? So far all I heard is GS thinking this is a good idea. Are there others?

And if it's GS, then maybe the demo when you pre-order it, is to make sure you play enough to really like it and stay commited to the pre-order.

How many here have canceled something or moved that $5 elsewhere?

It's probably annoying to them to get 30 pre-orders per store and all of them cancel and they are now stuck with 30 copies to sell.


I can't say I agree with it, but I think that's the only logical reason of why they are doing it.

Demo's should be free to the masses. I think it's really stupid enough to get a PC demo weeks/months after a game is released...