When/why did pre release demos become a rarity and not the "norm"?

Gimpymoo · 9 Sep 2011 at 12:58

Back in the day, a dev would assign a group to "demo duty" part way through development with the Demo being a very important marketing tool.

Is the decline partly owing to the internet giving all the coverage/hype a game needs nowadays without the need for a demo on a magazine cover cd (or, if Your Sinclair, a tape

)

As consumers, should we expect a demo for a new releases or are we demanding too much?

Gimpymoo · 9 Sep 2011 at 13:10

gord said:
Demo's do still exist. They are called betas. They make you feel exclusive and special. They also come with the caveat that it's an unfinished build, so gamers can believe the game will magically transform into everything they ever desired on release.

Commercial betas are one of the biggest heap of **** I think we have saw this generation.

Gimpymoo · 9 Sep 2011 at 13:14

ak22 said:
Yea betas are fail we want demos i.e closer to the finished product, not half ass beta codes

That is the point though, these commercial betas ARE 99% finished code. People have not caught onto that yet and expect a total rewrite in 2 weeks and cry when the final release is exactly the same.

Gimpymoo · 9 Sep 2011 at 13:15

Mr Krugga said:
From my experience betas are usually a better representation of the final product than demos.

Indeed.

My understanding is that most demos are wrapped up and signed off waaay before a game goes gold.

You also have those publishers/devs who release a demo AFTER the initial release when sales are starting to drop after the first few weeks.

Gimpymoo · 9 Sep 2011 at 13:34

orderoftheflame said:
..............

I agree.

As you say, if a game was a true "Beta" it would have to be limited with proper reporting in place, not just open to everyone who hands over their cash a few months early.

You are right regarding Minecraft, that is one commercial beta which is actually legitimate.

Obviously, the demo is a marketing tool so is it just the AAA publishers gain bigger rewards from spending their marketing budgets elsewhere nowadays? Although saying that, internal demos would exist and I would not think polishing them would cost a great deal maybe?