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Which games sell best? Games that are advertised for months on end, or those that just appear in the shops without a word to anyone? Obviously it could depend greatly on the game, but the fact is, advertising works, and Sony just happen to be masters at this art.
Third party developers (companies producing games themselves, and offering them to large companies like Sony or Nintendo for their machine) have to make sure that they are equally competent at making sure everybody knows about their upcoming releases. Television adverts, magazine and newspaper articles, and even poster campaigns can all help, but the final touch now seems to be video demonstrations of what the game can do.
If you visit a magazine store, or a computer game shop, you`ll notice that many PS2 magazines on the shelves are sold with a DVD demo. In the cases of magazines such as PSM2 and PSW, these demos are rolling demos (you can only watch footage of the games, rather than actually play the games). Whilst this may not give you a good feel for the gameplay, it can certainly be used as a powerful tool to impress potential buyers. Another form of demo is the playable demo, found only on the official PS2 magazine. A greater insight into gameplay can be found with these demos, and it also gives you a chance to see the parts of the game the developers might have hoped you wouldn`t.
Two good examples of games that utilise demos effectively are Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid. With the Final Fantasy series, those people that played the game were often split into two groups. There were those that went from beginning to end in the game, and those that stopped before an hour was up - simply never allowing themselves to get involved in the story properly. To use a playable demo with Final Fantasy could potentially put people off, as the game relies on a couple of hours play to completely immerse you in its powerful storyline. This is why most demos of these games are rolling demos, showing beautiful computer generated scenes. Beauty sells Final Fantasy, whilst the story keeps you playing.
However, the use of rolling demos only was slightly abused earlier this year with the release of "The Bouncer". The game looked fantastic, and appeared to packed full of action, plot and pace. However, when finished code was finally released to the reviewers, it turned out that the gameplay really didn`t have the depth or pace to make it a must buy title.
The second example, Metal Gear Solid, is a game that seems more suited to playable demos only. This is because the gameplay is the kind where you need to be the one in control, rather than being a mere spectator. The playable demo that came with Zone of the Enders is like no demo before it. It was like a whole game as it could last hours if you wanted it to, even if it was completeable in twenty minutes. However, Hideo Kojima seems to understand exactly how to make a trailer, and I never fail to be impressed every time I see a new clip of Metal Gear Solid 2. He finds just the right balance of fast action, plot previewing, and graphical showing-off. This is then mixed with a superb sound track that makes the trailer a huge reason to buy the finished game.
Clearly demos, either rolling or playable, are a great tool to show people how good a game looks, and with the ability to play DVDs on a PS2, more and more developers are investing time in video demonstrations of their product. Rather than occasional showings at E3 or Tokyo, developers must now be prepared to hand out demos to magazines around the world. To do this, the demos must be exciting, graphically superb, and mixed with an impressive sound track.
A quick word of warning though - demos are a great help to us when we are looking for good games, but they must be used wisely. They should not be your only source of information. It is important to read about the game in articles as well, and learn about all areas of a game. I think that many people who bought the Bouncer will understand exactly what I mean.
Third party developers (companies producing games themselves, and offering them to large companies like Sony or Nintendo for their machine) have to make sure that they are equally competent at making sure everybody knows about their upcoming releases. Television adverts, magazine and newspaper articles, and even poster campaigns can all help, but the final touch now seems to be video demonstrations of what the game can do.
If you visit a magazine store, or a computer game shop, you`ll notice that many PS2 magazines on the shelves are sold with a DVD demo. In the cases of magazines such as PSM2 and PSW, these demos are rolling demos (you can only watch footage of the games, rather than actually play the games). Whilst this may not give you a good feel for the gameplay, it can certainly be used as a powerful tool to impress potential buyers. Another form of demo is the playable demo, found only on the official PS2 magazine. A greater insight into gameplay can be found with these demos, and it also gives you a chance to see the parts of the game the developers might have hoped you wouldn`t.
Two good examples of games that utilise demos effectively are Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid. With the Final Fantasy series, those people that played the game were often split into two groups. There were those that went from beginning to end in the game, and those that stopped before an hour was up - simply never allowing themselves to get involved in the story properly. To use a playable demo with Final Fantasy could potentially put people off, as the game relies on a couple of hours play to completely immerse you in its powerful storyline. This is why most demos of these games are rolling demos, showing beautiful computer generated scenes. Beauty sells Final Fantasy, whilst the story keeps you playing.
However, the use of rolling demos only was slightly abused earlier this year with the release of "The Bouncer". The game looked fantastic, and appeared to packed full of action, plot and pace. However, when finished code was finally released to the reviewers, it turned out that the gameplay really didn`t have the depth or pace to make it a must buy title.
The second example, Metal Gear Solid, is a game that seems more suited to playable demos only. This is because the gameplay is the kind where you need to be the one in control, rather than being a mere spectator. The playable demo that came with Zone of the Enders is like no demo before it. It was like a whole game as it could last hours if you wanted it to, even if it was completeable in twenty minutes. However, Hideo Kojima seems to understand exactly how to make a trailer, and I never fail to be impressed every time I see a new clip of Metal Gear Solid 2. He finds just the right balance of fast action, plot previewing, and graphical showing-off. This is then mixed with a superb sound track that makes the trailer a huge reason to buy the finished game.
Clearly demos, either rolling or playable, are a great tool to show people how good a game looks, and with the ability to play DVDs on a PS2, more and more developers are investing time in video demonstrations of their product. Rather than occasional showings at E3 or Tokyo, developers must now be prepared to hand out demos to magazines around the world. To do this, the demos must be exciting, graphically superb, and mixed with an impressive sound track.
A quick word of warning though - demos are a great help to us when we are looking for good games, but they must be used wisely. They should not be your only source of information. It is important to read about the game in articles as well, and learn about all areas of a game. I think that many people who bought the Bouncer will understand exactly what I mean.
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That was a great post. Its true that demos really help us gamers decide what game is worth their hard-earned cash and what one is not. But in my opinion companies should bring out game demos not a month before the release but with a few months in hand.
This would give them a chance to sort things out and listen to the customer feedback before improving the game. This is what Evolution Studies done with World Rally CHampionship. After E3, they gathered that the gamers didnt really like the handling so they went back and improved the game. The handling in the demo we played in OPSM2 may still have some dodgy handling but its still an improved code. And thats where the main point is. The developers should get about 50 gamers to come to the studios and play the early code and receive their feedback so they can make the game better
This would give them a chance to sort things out and listen to the customer feedback before improving the game. This is what Evolution Studies done with World Rally CHampionship. After E3, they gathered that the gamers didnt really like the handling so they went back and improved the game. The handling in the demo we played in OPSM2 may still have some dodgy handling but its still an improved code. And thats where the main point is. The developers should get about 50 gamers to come to the studios and play the early code and receive their feedback so they can make the game better
Great post....and a good subject...hmmm didn't i post something like this.....hang on
that was a brilliant post and i think that you need to play on the demo or rent it but it's better if theres a demo that comes with a magazine because you can really feel the game see how good it is i mean i heard that Devil May Cry was going to be good but when i played on the demo i decided that i would buy it. I think they make a big difference in whever you buy the game or not
great post, Alot of companies make tiny demos offering little for free but they should really use it as a form of advertising, If a demo is poor offering very little people won't be interested in buying the full game, but if the player is pleased by the demo they'll eventually buy the game.
Which games sell best? Games that are advertised for months on end, or those that just appear in the shops without a word to anyone? Obviously it could depend greatly on the game, but the fact is, advertising works, and Sony just happen to be masters at this art.
Third party developers (companies producing games themselves, and offering them to large companies like Sony or Nintendo for their machine) have to make sure that they are equally competent at making sure everybody knows about their upcoming releases. Television adverts, magazine and newspaper articles, and even poster campaigns can all help, but the final touch now seems to be video demonstrations of what the game can do.
If you visit a magazine store, or a computer game shop, you`ll notice that many PS2 magazines on the shelves are sold with a DVD demo. In the cases of magazines such as PSM2 and PSW, these demos are rolling demos (you can only watch footage of the games, rather than actually play the games). Whilst this may not give you a good feel for the gameplay, it can certainly be used as a powerful tool to impress potential buyers. Another form of demo is the playable demo, found only on the official PS2 magazine. A greater insight into gameplay can be found with these demos, and it also gives you a chance to see the parts of the game the developers might have hoped you wouldn`t.
Two good examples of games that utilise demos effectively are Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid. With the Final Fantasy series, those people that played the game were often split into two groups. There were those that went from beginning to end in the game, and those that stopped before an hour was up - simply never allowing themselves to get involved in the story properly. To use a playable demo with Final Fantasy could potentially put people off, as the game relies on a couple of hours play to completely immerse you in its powerful storyline. This is why most demos of these games are rolling demos, showing beautiful computer generated scenes. Beauty sells Final Fantasy, whilst the story keeps you playing.
However, the use of rolling demos only was slightly abused earlier this year with the release of "The Bouncer". The game looked fantastic, and appeared to packed full of action, plot and pace. However, when finished code was finally released to the reviewers, it turned out that the gameplay really didn`t have the depth or pace to make it a must buy title.
The second example, Metal Gear Solid, is a game that seems more suited to playable demos only. This is because the gameplay is the kind where you need to be the one in control, rather than being a mere spectator. The playable demo that came with Zone of the Enders is like no demo before it. It was like a whole game as it could last hours if you wanted it to, even if it was completeable in twenty minutes. However, Hideo Kojima seems to understand exactly how to make a trailer, and I never fail to be impressed every time I see a new clip of Metal Gear Solid 2. He finds just the right balance of fast action, plot previewing, and graphical showing-off. This is then mixed with a superb sound track that makes the trailer a huge reason to buy the finished game.
Clearly demos, either rolling or playable, are a great tool to show people how good a game looks, and with the ability to play DVDs on a PS2, more and more developers are investing time in video demonstrations of their product. Rather than occasional showings at E3 or Tokyo, developers must now be prepared to hand out demos to magazines around the world. To do this, the demos must be exciting, graphically superb, and mixed with an impressive sound track.
A quick word of warning though - demos are a great help to us when we are looking for good games, but they must be used wisely. They should not be your only source of information. It is important to read about the game in articles as well, and learn about all areas of a game. I think that many people who bought the Bouncer will understand exactly what I mean.
Third party developers (companies producing games themselves, and offering them to large companies like Sony or Nintendo for their machine) have to make sure that they are equally competent at making sure everybody knows about their upcoming releases. Television adverts, magazine and newspaper articles, and even poster campaigns can all help, but the final touch now seems to be video demonstrations of what the game can do.
If you visit a magazine store, or a computer game shop, you`ll notice that many PS2 magazines on the shelves are sold with a DVD demo. In the cases of magazines such as PSM2 and PSW, these demos are rolling demos (you can only watch footage of the games, rather than actually play the games). Whilst this may not give you a good feel for the gameplay, it can certainly be used as a powerful tool to impress potential buyers. Another form of demo is the playable demo, found only on the official PS2 magazine. A greater insight into gameplay can be found with these demos, and it also gives you a chance to see the parts of the game the developers might have hoped you wouldn`t.
Two good examples of games that utilise demos effectively are Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid. With the Final Fantasy series, those people that played the game were often split into two groups. There were those that went from beginning to end in the game, and those that stopped before an hour was up - simply never allowing themselves to get involved in the story properly. To use a playable demo with Final Fantasy could potentially put people off, as the game relies on a couple of hours play to completely immerse you in its powerful storyline. This is why most demos of these games are rolling demos, showing beautiful computer generated scenes. Beauty sells Final Fantasy, whilst the story keeps you playing.
However, the use of rolling demos only was slightly abused earlier this year with the release of "The Bouncer". The game looked fantastic, and appeared to packed full of action, plot and pace. However, when finished code was finally released to the reviewers, it turned out that the gameplay really didn`t have the depth or pace to make it a must buy title.
The second example, Metal Gear Solid, is a game that seems more suited to playable demos only. This is because the gameplay is the kind where you need to be the one in control, rather than being a mere spectator. The playable demo that came with Zone of the Enders is like no demo before it. It was like a whole game as it could last hours if you wanted it to, even if it was completeable in twenty minutes. However, Hideo Kojima seems to understand exactly how to make a trailer, and I never fail to be impressed every time I see a new clip of Metal Gear Solid 2. He finds just the right balance of fast action, plot previewing, and graphical showing-off. This is then mixed with a superb sound track that makes the trailer a huge reason to buy the finished game.
Clearly demos, either rolling or playable, are a great tool to show people how good a game looks, and with the ability to play DVDs on a PS2, more and more developers are investing time in video demonstrations of their product. Rather than occasional showings at E3 or Tokyo, developers must now be prepared to hand out demos to magazines around the world. To do this, the demos must be exciting, graphically superb, and mixed with an impressive sound track.
A quick word of warning though - demos are a great help to us when we are looking for good games, but they must be used wisely. They should not be your only source of information. It is important to read about the game in articles as well, and learn about all areas of a game. I think that many people who bought the Bouncer will understand exactly what I mean.
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