Game Demos Kill Sales?

Thinking on this...I can't remember the last game I bought or didn't buy because I played the demo.

I only buy games on reviews and word of mouth. I don't have time to play a dozen or so demos until I find something I like.
 
GoldenTiger said:
Uh-huh. I actually just outlined two scenarios off the top of my head... you misinterpretted the post then. Again, you might want ease up on the trolling: no one gives a crap :) about your conceited fake-snobbery. Stop mini-modding and go fly a kite or something useful, kiddo.
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Let me guess, you're the top sniper in the US armed forces and have over 300 confirmed kills? You're going to tell me that I better prepare for the storm next I bet ;)
 
I think a demo most benefits a game with some substantially new IP or game play style ... existing franchises (for good or bad) will generally trade on their name and brand ... you don't need a demo of Civilization to know it is Civilization ... same with CoD, MoH, and others ... for most of these genres you are already a fan or not and demos are unlikely to suddenly win you over ... same thing with open world games, they are impossible to adequately demo so you either read lots of previews or you wait for magazine and user reviews before you buy

But if it is something new, something that mixes genres, or something with exotic new mechanics, then it might be impossible for people to fully understand it without trying ... so games must use the same approach as the food industry ... give people free samples ... if they like it they may come back for more, and if they don't then you are probably no worse off than if folks buy and return your game or avoid it completely, or trash it on the web because they can't do the other two

I think one thing that has minimized the need for demos (for folks that can wait) is the Steam sale ... when a game gets down to under $10 (especially when it is under $5) then I am much more likely to try something that is marginal or that I have no experience with or knowledge about :)
 
Outamyhead said:
I refuse to pay for an incomplete game, and then pay some more for the DLC to have the full story.
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Yea... Calling Skyrim incomplete just because there's DLC out there is ludicrous. They offer you more stories to take part in and you call that making the original game incomplete :confused:

Skyrim offers more content and hours of enjoyment in the base product than many games do with all their DLC included. That and both the base game and the DLC have gone on sale for half price more than a few times on Steam. With the millions of people playing it for more than a year now, all the reviews, and all the gameplay videos to show what's to be had, how can you honestly write it off for having no demo? There's really no question as to what's offered or as to the quality of the game. If you don't like it that kind of game, fine. There's valid reasons for not playing it. But just to say "No demo, no play" for one of the most visible and talked about games in the past year-ish is a bit silly.
 
Pyroja said:
just to say "No demo, no play" for one of the most visible and talked about games in the past year-ish is a bit silly.
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That's the thing, All games are easily visible and talked about in this day. That's why the whole argument about needing a demo is just an excuse for pirates to be pirates.
 
GoldenTiger said:
Uh-huh. I actually just outlined two scenarios off the top of my head... you misinterpretted the post then. Again, you might want ease up on the trolling: no one gives a crap :) about your conceited fake-snobbery. Stop mini-modding and go fly a kite or something useful, kiddo.
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I also misinterpreted your post. It seemed like you were saying that demos are always bad. I found LeninGHOLA's challenge of this assertion to be most appropriate. I gave it two craps.
 
Yantelope said:
That's the thing, All games are easily visible and talked about in this day. That's why the whole argument about needing a demo is just an excuse for pirates to be pirates.
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Way to generalize... because everyone who won't buy a game without a demo is obviously at home pirating it.... right?
 
GaryJohnson said:
I also misinterpreted your post. It seemed like you were saying that demos are always bad. I found LeninGHOLA's challenge of this assertion to be most appropriate. I gave it two craps.
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LOL, you people seriously are reading too deeply into a 20-second written comment reply on a news article :p.
 
Every single kick-ass game demo I have ever played, I subsequently purchase said game shortly there after. If your game rocks, a demo wont hurt sales at all.
 
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