# No More Free Game Demos?



## Ares (Nov 23, 2009)

*Free Game Demos May Become a Thing of the Past*

*"The reality is that we might not see any free game demos in the long term," says Crytek CEO.*
By Steve Watts, 04/16/2010










Game demos have been around for years, but a few companies are starting to wonder if they'll continue to be viable. Develop reports that Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli thinks demos are becoming too expensive for many studios. "A free demo is a luxury we have in the game industry that we don't have in other industries such as film," he said. "Because we've had this free luxury for so long, now there are plans to change this people are complaining about it. The reality is that we might not see any free game demos in the future." EA recently hit controversy when it suggested packaging long game demos for $10-15 on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Store. Yerli thinks the problem wasn't so much with the idea as how it was presented. "Every time we see a publisher doing something to improve the industry, making things more commercially viable and actually increasing the market, people instantly think this is only some money-hungry ploy," he said. "Yes it is quite unpopular, but this is a messaging issue." He says he thinks "there is a genuine interest here to give gamers something more than a small demo released for free." 
According to Yerli, the question isn't between free demos or priced, larger demos. Instead, he thinks the free model is becoming unsustainable. "But whether we do have a [Crysis 2] demo or not, do I think companies need to release so many demos? I think that we'll see more and more games not carrying a demo in the future, because it becomes prohibitively expensive."

Source: 1up.com


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## Moonfly (Aug 1, 2008)

I'm not having it, simple as. I wont ever pay for a demo, so if they cant finance it then I dont want it.

This seems to me like some preping from the EA family, and a bit of an attempt at damage control from the initial statement.


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## Ares (Nov 23, 2009)

What I found funny is how the example of the "movie industry don't do it" yes they do it's called a trailer, so games need to offer demos to showcase their wares. They can't just offer game trailers and expect gamers are going to be content with that, gaming and movies are two different animals.


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## corock (Sep 7, 2009)

Demos are financially unsustainable? That makes no sense. Its called advertising; it's part of any business model. charging for them would be like making people pay for the trailers at the start of a movie, or car dealers charging you to take one of their vehicles for a spin. If free demos disappear it would have to be an agreement amongst the major players to do away with them, sorta like price fixing. ie. if none of us advertise this way then the consumer has to go without and we save a few bucks. If all car dealers agreed to not give free demo drives people wouldn't stop buying cars, they would have to pay the "demo fee" or buy the vehicle on blind faith and owner reviews. That is what the gaming industry is up to.


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## Moonfly (Aug 1, 2008)

I dont buy the financial argument anyway. Its game code that is cut, and modified slightly. Sure that costs, but the return from the free beta testing and market research feedback more than covers that cost.

The gaming industry is currently looking for way to use its position to make every penny possible from anywhere do to increasing production budget costs. All industries go through this, and it usually escalates till a lawsuit kicks in to make them all behave again. Even though costs go up, the user base has to they sell more. A few devs are struggling to turn a profit on some titles, but that happens with every industry, the best quality products will make money, the trash will burn.


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## Ares (Nov 23, 2009)

Here we go again gang the big boys of gaming are trying to nickle and dime us, I know if they stop offering free demos there's a great chance that I would not risk buying a title that I'm not familiar with.


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## Moonfly (Aug 1, 2008)

Me too, and I'll probably spend those nickels and dimes on a high end PC instead and return to my steam account. I dont have a problem with spending, just on how I spend it. I will not be ripped off :T


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## waldo563 (Apr 26, 2009)

Demos are an integral part of their marketing and free distribution is essential. Evaluation of the gaming experience requires interaction with the game itself...viewing a trailer just doesn't cut it. I know from personal experience that many times I have played a demo and decided not to buy the full version even though the hype and marketing would have made me think otherwise.
Many companies distribute free samples of a variety of items such as soap, cereal, and shaving cream just to mention a few and that does include the movie studios as Ares stated. How many of us would pay to see a movie trailer or have to rent a new car for the test drive?
About all this would accomplish would be to guarantee a revenue stream for companies that don't produce games good enough to convince the player to buy the full version after buying and playing the demo.
I think it's just another example of greed in the industry. I have to wonder how much of the DLC code is held back during the original development with the intent to be sold after the game release for additional revenue.


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## JerryLove (Dec 5, 2009)

There are some games I will buy weather I can play a demo or not. Though the inability to play Diablo III when offline (such as on my laptop when mobile) may stop me from getting it: the presence or lack of a demo will not. Ditto a few other games that I know are my interest; I may wait for reviews to assure me the thing is playable, but I don't really need to run through a demo.

On the other hand: I never would have baught Bastion without having played the demo first. I'm still considering Space Marine (I get motion sick, and this game is borderline); but without the demo I would have dismissed it as "I won't be able to play".

The marginal cost on demos seems very low. For a good game, I don't see the down side (for a bad game a demo lets you know it's bad). 

While I'm not interested in jumping on the "I'll never buy without a demo!!!" or "Game companies are evil!!!" bandwagons: I do think that demos are valuable in creating sales... at least demos of good games.


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