Demos have become uncommon due to shifting priorities and resource constraints.
Demos have become uncommon due to shifting priorities and resource constraints.
I am 41 now and have enjoyed games since the CVG comic (possibly limited to the UK). Initially I played on consoles, but after moving to computers I still enjoy gaming on PC and consoles. It isn’t as much as I wish, but that’s just life. I recall in my youth it was easy to get game demos, mainly on disks when the internet wasn’t available. Neither console nor PC developers now offer demos. Is there a specific cause? Could it be linked to piracy? I remember once purchasing a football game—my system had a Packard Bell Pentium 133MHz with 16MB RAM—which made it struggle. It was either FIFA or Pro Evo, but I can’t recall the exact title. Apparently the installer would check the disk, then load the game. There was one instance where I had to disk in and it wouldn’t work. Later I found out the disc itself wasn’t a game—it was just audio or music. It seems someone was fired for that! My point is that releasing demos might encourage piracy. With fast fiber connections today, downloading large games is easy, so why don’t developers share them anymore? I often played demos, liked them, and bought the full versions. People may not buy a game if the demo isn’t good, especially now when prices are high. I sometimes try pirated copies just to see if they work, but I prefer buying legitimate ones. I genuinely support companies that employ people responsibly. I suspect piracy plays a role—I remember downloading demos that were essentially full games, needing a crack to get a free copy. What other factors could be involved? I’m curious and would love to hear from anyone in the industry—developers, testers, or anyone else. Just wondering why this happens!
I believe development assets are becoming an issue nowadays, especially for larger projects. It's crucial to release the full game on schedule. Trimming a small demo isn't the main concern, and even a large download might still be significant. If a preview appears after the game's release, its usefulness will be reduced. Observing others play can give a feel for the experience. Reflecting on this, two titles that had demos were FF7R and Stranger of Paradise. They come from the same studio and are connected in the series. This suggests demos can indeed be scheduled and shared before launch to boost anticipation. Personally, I'd prefer more games offering a standalone benchmark, which could also feature in the demo. My interest isn't in the game itself, but in using Shadow of the Tomb Raider as a solid tech example.
Steam allows you to enjoy the game and get a refund if you're not satisfied within two hours. It acts like a trial version while also helping the company conserve time and resources in developing a demo. You can also check YouTube where creators will feature the game, letting you observe gameplay. It's not identical, but it works for now.
Yeah. I haven't encountered any problems when returning money for games, and I've processed several refunds already.
Fascinating. They really thought ahead. I purchased a PS5 some time ago and it featured a cyberpunk demo. I wouldn’t have been impressed since I had the PC version and didn’t be blown away. Still, if CP had been available, I might have bought it on both systems. The PC offers superior visuals, but the PS5 is quite decent too. Great options!
CyberPunk is expected to improve noticeably in the coming year. It could even match No Man's Sky in terms of a strong return.
I'm pretty sure someone at a company did the calculations and figured out that demos weren't worth the time and money. Watching people play on Twitch or YouTube usually gives a clearer picture of whether the game is good. From the demos I remember, they were often very short and made it tough to judge quality based on limited playtime. Honestly, what we have now closest to demos are open betas.