Veldor
Posts: 1531
Joined: 12/29/2002
From: King's Landing
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Hertston
quote:
ORIGINAL: Joram
That's common in the wargame industry unfortunately. And unfortunately I think shortsighted.
It's common because many take the view demos of such games, regardless of how good they are, just don't gain any sales overall - or at least enough of them to justify the time in making one. Any wargamers swayed the right way are likely to be outnumbered by newcomers put off by "this SUCKS" posts scattered about from kiddies trying the demo and expecting an RTS game and/or something to put their top-end GPUs to work. The other reason is, in all honesty, how many people ever put the time in to really understand, say, a complex TBS game in a demo, as in reading a 150 page manual? Demos only ever give a surface impression... and all of what really counts in this case is 'under the hood'.
Yeah but the negative posts work both way. For instance, thats the sole reason I've still not purchased EiA and a few other Matrix Titles. A demo would allow me to judge for myself how accurate the complaints are or are not. Tons of games here get loads of negative posts. If not here than elsewhere. Like any game you have to chuck the "this is the best game ever" fanboi posts as well. And that really doesn't leave much of a middle ground for evaluation.
The worst part is, unlike most any other purchase (Be it board wargame, PC game or even xbox game) if I don't like a Matrix Game.. I'm totally stuck with it.. Be it a $40 game or a $90 one.
I've said it before and I'll say it again... if a demo doesn't increase sales its either a poorly made demo or for a bad game to begin with...
Your 150 page manual reference doesnt work.. Plenty of very complicated games have had very well received demos. It all starts with an intuitive interface, ideally the ability for the game to teach you, and a way to build additional concepts on top of basic ones. Im not going to play any game where I have to read 150 pages right out of the gate. Good games addon rules as you go along. The basics should be enough to get you hooked... Not the nightime starshell rules you finally get to in scenario 97 that are detailed on page 149 of the rules booklet...
And, ironically enough, even the boardgame Lock 'n Load has a free downloadable demo game. How the heck can a board game version get a demo, but not the PC version ?!?!?
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