Are Game Demos Still a Thing in 2022?
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Publishers used to sneak demo disks of games into game magazines to create awareness about upcoming games.
Developers stopped giving out demo disks. There are four types of people who play demo games. A player who plans to buy an upcoming game regardless of the demo version. Another player is disappointed by the game and doesn't plan to purchase it. . The third type is someone who doesn’t plan on buying the video game.
Some companies no longer publish game demos as they are not effective marketing tools. Demos cost money and they don't represent a game's performance 100%. Demo versions can be disappointing and sometimes they lack crucial features. They can also hurt sales. Some companies still give out demos to convince existing fans or to create more awareness about their upcoming titles. They are confident in their product and don’t worry about the negative reviews. It makes more sense to launch a new game without demos and deal with PR afterwards. In 2022, companies dont want to spend millions of dollars on a freebie.
Some developers still release demo games. Examples include Doom, Slime Rancher, Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Just Cause 2.
Demos are good for creating awareness about a game and giving people reasons to buy it. They are also good because they let you transfer progress from the demo mode to the main version. The developers take care of the problem by allowing you to transfer your progress. When you play a demo from a top publisher, you're probably to like it, too. It's not the type of free versions that used to push away players from games.
Developers are afraid that demo games hurt sales.
