Demos, pt.2

2. Limited demos vs. "mini-games."

Most demos that are out there fall into the category of "limited demos." They're like the little samples they give out in the grocery stores - just a taste to get you interested. They'll have (perhaps) the first two levels or scenarios, but not multiplayer, or a single player and one multiplayer map - and always a big advertisement somewhere that you can "Get the full version for just $$$!" and "Defeat the evil Lord Snot and his Minions of Slime!" at the end. Is it effective? Sure. Is it fun? Well, sometimes.

Fun or not, they do serve a purpose - not only do you get to try a game out (brought to extremes by shareware, a "try before you buy" for smaller companies or individuals without big marketing budgets) but you see if it'll work on your system. Your system may meet the "minimum requirements," but still run the game very slowly, or you'll have to turn off all the fancy lights and effects to get it to run at all. Of course, the hardware companies love this - it's another nudge to upgrade, yet again....

3. Then there's "mini-games..."

This is a rarity... but always a great suprise. The most recent one of these I can think of is the Warcraft III demo version, which gives you the first two missions of the "real" game, and three set exclusively in the demo's world. It's rare, since it's more work, but it's always a treat to find one (if the game itself isn't lousy to begin with.) To me, this is even more of a hook if the game's any good at all.

Beta testing... is free gaming worth it? -->