Why put out a demo before release?

[Pigskin11]

Wouldn't 2k be better off waiting till after release of the game to put out a demo? heres my thinking...

I would buy MLB 2k8 even if a demo never came out but if one did and sucked then I wouldn't buy it. And if its great then whatever I was gonna buy it anyway. And for people that need a demo to decide if they wanna buy it could download one after the game releases. Also if you release the demo later it could be of the final product and not a less quality "beta' demo. I guess if a company has confidence in there game they mind as well put it out early but really whats the point??

Also this isnt really just for 2k but for all companies.

[dmbfan1970]

Re: Why put out a demo before release?

Hence, last year the demo was out only 1 day before release. I hope they are not doing that again this year.

[Pigskin11]

Re: Why put out a demo before release?

Yeah I hope there is a demo but I dont see how it helps 2k.


ok I just thought of a reason. If The Show puts out a awesome demo before 2k does then people might just pick up the show on day 1 and never look back. But if I was 2k Id release a week or two before the show and then get my demo out after release but before The Show releases.

[a4reak]

Re: Why put out a demo before release?

hey it helps me the consumer out b/c it gives me an indication of what is coming, I know that im not buying madden 09 w/o a demo

[a4reak]

Re: Why put out a demo before release?

dbl post

[Pigskin11]

Re: Why put out a demo before release?

hey it helps me the consumer out b/c it gives me an indication of what is coming, I know that im not buying madden 09 w/o a demo

Well im not saying there wouldn't be demo, im just saying there would be one AFTER the game releases.

[a4reak]

Re: Why put out a demo before release?

Well im not saying there wouldn't be demo, im just saying there would be one AFTER the game releases.

well in this instance it helps 2K b/c many people may be gun shy of their totally new pitching system. They have said they want to get the demo out early so people can get a proper grasp on it and hopefully warm up to it. Releasing demo's before games builds up hype such as Bioshock, and NBA 2K8. I honestly have no clue how you say we would be better off waiting for a demo after release.

[Pigskin11]

Re: Why put out a demo before release?

well in this instance it helps 2K b/c many people may be gun shy of their totally new pitching system.

Again a demo after release will please this crowd.

They have said they want to get the demo out early so people can get a proper grasp on it and hopefully warm up to it. Releasing demo's before games builds up hype such as Bioshock, and NBA 2K8. I honestly have no clue how you say we would be better off waiting for a demo after release.

Im not talking about "Gamers", of course we want demos. Im talking about 2k. There have been a few games I was planning on buying day 1 but those companies put out lousy demos and I passed on their games entirely.

I do see your point about hype though...I guess if 2k has alot of confidence in their demo then it is a good move to put out a demo before release.

[budsticky]

Re: Why put out a demo before release?

It can go either way. If they put up a really good demo it will quell a lot of the fears people may have about the game based on last years buggy release. However, if they release a demo that is clearly still a major work in progress they will shoot themselves in the foot.

Most of the time when I download demos I am swayed neither for or against the game. However, I can think of three demo games that were released in the past 12 months which sucked me in to the point where I knew I had to get the game. Namely: Bioshock, NHL 08, and Burnout Paradise. So like I said, if they can release something impressive it can only help them.

[StriderNo9]

Re: Why put out a demo before release?

I love coming to this site in this time of the year. A lot of crazy people doing a lot of crazy things.

Marketing 101. Let the public get a taste of it before you sell it. It will always help and never hinder. The reason they arent releasing the demo is because it's not done. Putting the demo out after the game is released is counter-productive.

I would say from the 10 million people that own the XBox 360, around half or more have Xbox Live and half or less of those people download demos on a regular basis and do so before they buy a game.

[maverick3176]

Re: Why put out a demo before release?

Wouldn't 2k be better off waiting till after release of the game to put out a demo? heres my thinking...

I would buy MLB 2k8 even if a demo never came out but if one did and sucked then I wouldn't buy it. And if its great then whatever I was gonna buy it anyway. And for people that need a demo to decide if they wanna buy it could download one after the game releases. Also if you release the demo later it could be of the final product and not a less quality "beta' demo. I guess if a company has confidence in there game they mind as well put it out early but really whats the point??

Also this isnt really just for 2k but for all companies.

well here is the thing...if your game is good you put out a demo cuz people will like it and you play it and it creates interest. If you dont put out a demo just like you said if it sux nobody knows....the lack of a demo tells me that this game is going to suck big time.

I am a perfect example of why they should have marketed things better and should have put out the demo. I only had a 360 but love baseball gaming. Now the Show put out alot more media and had more buzz. the 2k buzz was weak and made me realize they didnt do anything to really change the game. Now that being said...if the demo was out and i played it I might have said...looks promising and I would have NEVER have bought a PS3 and tried the Show 07. Now with me....the demo is the ONLY thing that would make me buy it on release, but with no demo I will buy the SHow and be satisfied....so even if gamers give it good reviews I will probably not waste the time in getting it unles the gamer review and all the gaming sites give it exceptionally high ratings.

With me before they just had to show me that they had a decent game...Now they have to prove that they are good enough for me to have to it along with the Show. Whoever is doing the marketing for 2K should be fired....they have lost countless people. Furthermore...i was just talking to a guy in Gamestop who just go a ps3. He asked me which he should get I told him not to get the 2K. Now if there was a demo, the guy would have played the demo and would have had some info to compete with my word of mouth.

Yes sometimes a demo could hurt...for some reason I didnt buy Bioshock becase of the demo...but sometimes it can help...i am eventually goig to buy Timeshift despite poor reviews because I enjoyed the demo.

Hell remember its a demo...demos are like first dates...you can hide your flaws...if the hitting is bad you could just ahve a demo of the pitching tutorial to get interest in the game. To be honest that is what they should have done. I might even get the game if i pitch and have fun in a demo...as long as I am not reminded of how bad the hitting is

[Woodweaver]

Re: Why put out a demo before release?

well here is the thing...if your game is good you put out a demo cuz people will like it and you play it and it creates interest. If you dont put out a demo just like you said if it sux nobody knows....the lack of a demo tells me that this game is going to suck big time.

Not trying to stir things up here...but

By that logic, The Show will suck too. No demo yet, right?

[maverick3176]

Re: Why put out a demo before release?

Not trying to stir things up here...but

By that logic, The Show will suck too. No demo yet, right?

good point...the difference is that there is already positive buzz behind the SHow and they have put out alot more media. Plus they never promised a demo as far as I know. In a way 07 is demo...its so good with so few probs that it sells the next game. 2K7 had enough probs that it is not a good advertisement for the next game it actually hurts the next game.

they should put out the demo it totally kill 2K sales on the PS...but its kinda like they are the champ and you have to prove you are better than the champ...the champ has nothing to prove

[A.M. Son]

Re: Why put out a demo before release?

One thing we have to remember is that the "buzz" (weather positive or negative) here on the forums is different from the "buzz" in the general game buying public. What I mean is that we here in the forums dissect any and all information we can get our hands around, whereas the general gaming public just know what they know from reading the back of the boxes and seeing articles in magazines. Therefore, a demo can be of great significance to the prospects of game sales, as it reminds people of the game and shows them some of the "newness" of the game.
Most people who buy sports games are generally going to purchase the game on a yearly basis no matter what. Why? Because they don't know that much about the game and they don't sit here day after day thinking about, talking about, arguing about, and dissecting the games finer points and assumptions.
Having said all that, I think overall that game demos help garner interest in certain games that people are unaware of. Where it can be harmful (IMO) is for games that a large percentage of people are aware of already. These games may ultimately lose because the hype supersedes the actual game demo- therefore turning people off of the game altogether.
Personally, I don't like demos for sports games. The time that most sports games hold my interest nowadays is so short that the demo actually cuts into that interest a bit. A demo for a sports game can sometimes be all that I need to satiate my appetite for that particular game. For "normal" games however, the same phenomenon can sometimes occur, but it's those unknown games where a demo really places that game on my radar.
And after all that, I will admit that there have been games I've really wanted to buy, only to play the demo and be completely turned off from the game... haha.

So, there's my 2 dollars worth.

[A.M. Son]

Re: Why put out a demo before release?

There's also the fact that some demos are so utterly restrictive and unpolished to the point where they really don't represent the actual game. Many sports games fall into this category due to the already limited development time.
I'd prefer to just wait until 2K8 comes out to see what the deal is. I want them to focus entirely on the actual game. I heard Cliffy B (of GoW fame) speak to this topic before Gears dropped, basically saying that demos are so restrictive and incomplete that they're pointless in terms of trying to represent what the consumer will be buying...