A certain website published an article recently with a similar heading for the round table discussion. Me personally I couldn’t be stuffed really to read the rest of the content- and instead used the heading to incite rage inside me that such a question would ever be asked.
But then I thought- do we really need them?
The simple argument for having demos is to understand what the game is like before making a purchase. In such- gives users a informed choice. Allowing them to better spend their money. But the flip side of the coin is more rough and tumble. With the points been around we shouldn’t be informed- and instead spend spend spend!
Okay maybe the flip side isn’t as cut and dry as that. Which is why it got me thinking a little more then usual.
Lets think for a moment, demos can not provide neither the truth or a lie. It’s obvious that if a publisher really wanted to sell “Super Baby Sitting: Guns of Slot Racing”. Then they could modify the demo to be essentially a different game- providing the impression that such a game could be enjoyable and the best move ever to drop your $100 on.
Which for a simple fact outside that it does take a little effort to produce a demo, that they are in fact more for the consumers rather then the publishers. Especially when uninformed customers are more likely to buy such a title like “Super Baby Sitting”.
With that in mind- what do demos really offer to us as a consumer? They give us a look at the game yes. They limit our purchases to ones we want, yes another tick. They inform us of if the game is enjoyable to us and only us, yes once again a tick. But these are all consumer demands- not business demands, businesses don’t need to really produce a demo for the consumers. It’s more of a good will thing. They offer this “service” to consumers with the principle that their out reach will give enlightenment to their company as well as making the customers blindly enjoy the title because other companies are not as nice.
So after reading this, will you be taking home a copy of “Super Baby Sitting: Guns of Slot Racing”. Probably not. But the question is- would of have bought it with or with out a demo? Me personally, if I had no media- I’d be more worried and hyped about how a game revolving around baby sitting can include some guns and a nice slot racing component.