Molyneux: Demos ruin games, should let you play 45 mins of full game

[Zeus]

Peter Molyneux is a real hater of demos indicating that they can actually ruin the experience of a gamer. Rather what developers should do is allow fans to have a 45 minute sample of the respective title. What do you think about that?

<blockquote>Now, I hate demos. I think demos are the death knell of experiences. Over the years I’ve done demos and they’ve either completely ruined the game, given too much to the player, or they’ve confused people, so I said that we should give away the very first 45 minutes of the game, completely free... - Peter Molyneux</blockquote>

News Source: <A href="http://gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=98695" target="_blank">GoNintendo</a>

[maxRus]

The Problem with demos is that people think the finished Product will come out like that. some times it does. I think demos are good, the next thing is rentals. If anything rentals put a dent in sales too. Back in the early days of the NES you could rent some games from video stores, You would just end up buying a game cause of the Box art. Reviews were not online yet and only people that had nintendo Power could see reviews. Now everything is on the Net and everyone has an opinion. Back then you bought a game and you were stuck with if it sucked!

[grapeape]

I do know demos have steered me from buying many titles...but also have encouraged me to buy titles that I wouldnt have otherwise picked up, so I think it balances out.

Peter Molyneux has been rapidly climbing my list of developers who are better seen than heard. What a coincidence that he thinks they should give away the "first 45 minutes" on the day that Fable 2 is released in episodic form...so they can again get $60 for the game from ignorant suckers when it can be found for $30 on the shelf. Episodic content has its place...not that I have ever purchased any, but slicing up a regular title is not it. I have been temped to pickup Sam and Max and the Penny Arcade adventures...but havent yet become that desperate for something to play to buy games in nibbles. For what its worth I havent bothered with a single MMO either...guess im a dying breed but I just dont get paying full price for a disk that is useless unless I agree to pay more every single month.


Back then you bought a game and you were stuck with if it sucked!

Thats the biggest issue...the gaming industry would love to find a way to get you stuck with whatever crap you buy again...unfortunately the net and rentals have made sneaking one by on the customer quite challenging.

[spook727]

Demos don't really affect me sales-wise. Before I play a demo, I usually have a good idea of whether I wanted to buy the game anyway.

I actually end up trying NOT to play too much of the demo because I don't want to have to play through the same stage again when I actually get the game. The idea of the first 45 minutes isn't bad... IF they let you save the game and continue from that point on when you actually get the game.

[Dreadnort]

Sounds like he wants a return to the old days, of ID Software, Apogee etc. Back when the 1st episode of a game was free and you could then pay for the rest of it later. Pretty much exactly what he's done with Fable 2 episodes that will be appearing on xbox live soon.

I can see the appeal, all too often these days, demos can be horribly short and don't give the player a true representation of a finished product.

[kcvfr400]

Demos don't really affect me sales-wise. Before I play a demo, I usually have a good idea of whether I wanted to buy the game anyway.

I actually end up trying NOT to play too much of the demo because I don't want to have to play through the same stage again when I actually get the game. The idea of the first 45 minutes isn't bad... IF they let you save the game and continue from that point on when you actually get the game.

I think you have hit the nail on the head there with what can be negative about demo's and a good solution to solve that negativitiy.

But given who Molyneux is and where he works I do wonder if he is looking to take things episodic and so we endup worse off with price.

His comments even in the Amiga days have always been strange at times and I don't know anyone who respects his opinions then and now.

[faceless]

demos affect me all the time. a demo on a game i wasn't sure about (red faction, infamous) can sell me on a game i was unsure of, and a demo on a game i was looking forward to can stop me from buying it if it's just not what i wanted or thought it would be after all.

i can only assume that some devs would love to have no demo on their crappy game so they can trick people into spending $60 on it.

[beterweter]

Demos don't really affect me sales-wise. Before I play a demo, I usually have a good idea of whether I wanted to buy the game anyway.

I actually end up trying NOT to play too much of the demo because I don't want to have to play through the same stage again when I actually get the game. The idea of the first 45 minutes isn't bad... IF they let you save the game and continue from that point on when you actually get the game.

same here,saves need to be added,simple as that.
and demos or either a 45 minute play needs to be added for every game.

you, me and some others pretty much know wich game they want to buy,but thats not the case with alot of people and theirs alot of garbage out there.
so if a developer doesnt want to bring out a demo,its kind of fishy to me.

when you have a good game,your game will sell.

if you plan to make games like tornado breakout or night at the museum then you shouldnt even bother bringing a demo or even the game to the market...
looking at the pictures says enough about it,they have failed before they hit the shelf,and they will be half price within a month and a 10er in the bin within 2 months.
what bothers me the most about these sort of games is that by making the games look and feel so cheap they probably spend very little money on devlopment costs and still made profit on those crap games that give console gaming a bad name.

[sliggo]

After FABLE II im a real hater of this bloke.