Demo or else

Post » Sat May 12, 2012 8:55 am

Dear Mr dishonourable,

Demos huh, what ever happened to those?

I don't buy a lot of video games. I think World of Goo was the last one. And it was awesome. (Oooh, and Dear Esther - but that's not a game exactly)

But I very nearly brought a couple of interesting looking games since. But then didn't. DX:HR, for example, was a game I didn't buy.

Thing is, my PC is a laptop, and it's a couple of years old too. A whole 2 years old in fact. It's quite a good laptop, but it is a laptop. It doesn't have purple strip lighting inside, alloy wheels or a spoiler or skirts or whatever it is the kids these days do to their beige boxes.

It might manage to run Dishonoured, or it might not. Which is what the old age tradition of the PC game demo is for. To give you [me] a chance to see if you [me] will like it or if it will even run on what ever hardware you [me] happen to have.

In short. No demo, no buy'o.

This isn't supposed to be a nerd rage rant. Just that your game looks interesting, it'd be nice to see interesting games do well and I (and I'm sure a few other people with normal PCs) might well be inclined to give it a whirl if I was sort of confident that I could make it sort of go.

Thank you.
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Add Meeh
 
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Post » Fri May 11, 2012 8:26 pm

It has to work on consoles. If it has to work on consoles, you'll be able to run it just fine (probably on low-medium to medium settings) on your laptop.
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Adam
 
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Post » Fri May 11, 2012 8:13 pm

My wife's five year old, middle tier, Dell laptop runs Skyrim. The actor fade out is a bit closer in than she's like, but it otherwise looks great and runs great. Dishonored isn't Skyrim and we have no idea what the system specs will be, but unless your computer lacks a video card I wouldn't be quick to discount a game just because you can't try a demo first. At the very least keep an eye out for the system specs to be releases so you can compare them to your system.
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Charlotte Buckley
 
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Post » Sat May 12, 2012 12:12 am

Thanks for the replies.

At the very least keep an eye out for the system specs to be releases so you can compare them to your system.

That's another thing...

System specs don't actually mean that much to me. I had a look at the system requirements for DX:IW for example, and it told me that I needed at least an 8800 video flux capacitor. I know I don't have an 8800, but I also know that I have no idea how the thing I do have compares to an 8800. Truth be told, I don't really know what an 8800 is.

If you're a hard-core gamer and video card nerd then probably it makes some sort of sense. But if you're more of a casual sort and not (and I'm not) then it's just gibberish. And gibberish is a barrier to purchasing. And it's not just stupid people like me. If I was say a parent or an uncle or a granny (and therefore a stupid person like me) and I wanted to buy a video game for an offspring then telling me I need an 8800 really isn't helpful.

'tother thing, which is a little awkward, is that my laptop is one of the sorts with two video flux capacitors - one for making it go whizz and one for making the battery last, which makes drivers an issue as the standard ones tend not to work. And that's not something that tends to get communicated in system requirements.

Long story short, demos are a really good idea on several counts I reckon, and the fashion for not making them may not be good for people who want to make and sell PC games, or people who want to buy them.
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Ricky Rayner
 
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Post » Sat May 12, 2012 10:24 am

I doubt we're getting a demo, so... :shrug: Sorry for you.
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Carlos Vazquez
 
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Post » Fri May 11, 2012 11:24 pm

I believe there are sites out there that will scan your computer's hardware and will then let you know if it meets the requirements for a game. However I can't provide a specific URL and I can understand not wanting to use one of these sites without a specific recommendation - I wouldn't.

However when the system specs are released you could post your http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1122570-how-to-dxdiag/, which will give people information on your hardware and drivers. I personally can't get much out of this, but there are others on the forums who can review these and let you know if it should run or not.
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Kirsty Wood
 
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Post » Sat May 12, 2012 12:02 pm

Honestly, if you want to know for sure if a given game is going to work on your machine, you should probably start saving up for a console. Weird little issues just kind of come with the territory on the PC, and the days of every game having a demo before launch ended about 10 years ago.

I know that's not the answer you wanted to hear, but that's the reality of where we're at.
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Haley Merkley
 
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Post » Sat May 12, 2012 11:25 am

I believe there are sites out there that will scan your computer's hardware and will then let you know if it meets the requirements for a game. However I can't provide a specific URL and I can understand not wanting to use one of these sites without a specific recommendation - I wouldn't.

I use http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/cyri/ to see if I can play certain games. It's not the say-all in if you can or not, but it gives you a good idea. It uses a special Java plugin that you have to download.
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Destinyscharm
 
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Post » Sat May 12, 2012 9:29 am

Dishonored wont have a demo im sure, but here is the thing- you wont need one!
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Eilidh Brian
 
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Post » Sat May 12, 2012 3:41 am

Thanks for the replies.



That's another thing...

System specs don't actually mean that much to me. I had a look at the system requirements for DX:IW for example, and it told me that I needed at least an 8800 video flux capacitor. I know I don't have an 8800, but I also know that I have no idea how the thing I do have compares to an 8800. Truth be told, I don't really know what an 8800 is.

If you're a hard-core gamer and video card nerd then probably it makes some sort of sense. But if you're more of a casual sort and not (and I'm not) then it's just gibberish. And gibberish is a barrier to purchasing. And it's not just stupid people like me. If I was say a parent or an uncle or a granny (and therefore a stupid person like me) and I wanted to buy a video game for an offspring then telling me I need an 8800 really isn't helpful.

'tother thing, which is a little awkward, is that my laptop is one of the sorts with two video flux capacitors - one for making it go whizz and one for making the battery last, which makes drivers an issue as the standard ones tend not to work. And that's not something that tends to get communicated in system requirements.

Long story short, demos are a really good idea on several counts I reckon, and the fashion for not making them may not be good for people who want to make and sell PC games, or people who want to buy them.
As has been said, check the required sytem specs. If you don't understand something, then just Google it. You are not stupid, at most just less computer-literate. If your computer can run other current games, than it can almost definately run Dishonored. If you don't want to buy another current game to test it, then try a demo of a current game. And please, don't call it a flux capacitor
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lisa nuttall
 
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Post » Sat May 12, 2012 8:56 am

Honestly, if you want to know for sure if a given game is going to work on your machine, you should probably start saving up for a console. Weird little issues just kind of come with the territory on the PC, and the days of every game having a demo before launch ended about 10 years ago.

I know that's not the answer you wanted to hear, but that's the reality of where we're at.

Other than the fact that I have no intention of saving up for and buying a console (I may get momentarily enthusiastic about a particularly interesting looking game, but I'm not a video game enthusiast per se and I'm not going to apologise for not being so), that's very much exactly my point. It is precisely because the PCs that people have at home come in different shapes and sizes and configurations that I think the PC demo was a valuable and worthwhile thing. Both for people who want to make and sell games, and people who might want to buy them.

I doubt we're getting a demo, so... :shrug: Sorry for you.

Don't be sad, I can play World of Goo forever and be quite happy. The boys and girls making Dishonoured might not sell quite as many copies of their game though.
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e.Double
 
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Post » Sat May 12, 2012 3:20 am

Other than the fact that I have no intention of saving up for and buying a console (I may get momentarily enthusiastic about a particularly interesting looking game, but I'm not a video game enthusiast per se and I'm not going to apologise for not being so), that's very much exactly my point. It is precisely because the PCs that people have at home come in different shapes and sizes and configurations that I think the PC demo was a valuable and worthwhile thing. Both for people who want to make and sell games, and people who might want to buy them.

That may have been the case before consoles took over, but it's not anymore. Anything that can run on a console can run on a three-year-old laptop. You may have to keep the graphics at console level but otherwise it'll run fine.

Don't be sad, I can play World of Goo forever and be quite happy. The boys and girls making Dishonoured might not sell quite as many copies of their game though.

That argument doesn't work. (Neither does the if-you-didn't-Steam-lock-it-you-could-sell-more-copies argument. :tongue:) Game companies are quite contrary creatures. :smile:
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Karl harris
 
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Post » Sat May 12, 2012 8:38 am

A game lasts for at least ten movie tickets and if half of it is good it's still relatively cheap.

If you still hesitate you can try the game at a friend's or watch a review. No need for a demo says I.
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Donatus Uwasomba
 
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Post » Sat May 12, 2012 4:16 am

If you still hesitate you can try the game at a friend's or watch a review. No need for a demo says I.

Seconded. More than half of the games I play, I play at friends'. And video reviewers such as Total Biscuit are good at helping you size up a game's pros and cons before you make the purchase.
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Marlo Stanfield
 
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Post » Sat May 12, 2012 1:09 am

Are you all quite mad?

Question: If (just supposing) Arkane and gamesas announce a demo, what would your reaction be?

Seconded. More than half of the games I play, I play at friends'
Hint: Not everybody includes being a game enthusiast as a hobby, though it's obviously awesome that those that do are being well catered for. This thread isn't about those people. My argument is not that everybody must demand a demo, it's that some would find it helpful. It seems to me to be that publishers and makers are doing things to exclude potential customers who might take an occasional, casual interest in games by doing things like making assumptions about hardware, not making it easy to try before you buy and by relying on technical gobbledegook.

Push comes to shove, making a game like Dishonoured is probably quite risky. If you want more games that take interesting risks like Dishonoured - even if you don't care about casual gamers yourself - it's probably a bad idea to limit the potential audience unnecessarily.

Unless I'm missing something and someone's got a really good argument as to why a demo would be an actual bad idea.
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Sxc-Mary
 
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Post » Sat May 12, 2012 4:20 am

Dear Mr dishonourable,

Demos huh, what ever happened to those?

I don't buy a lot of video games. I think World of Goo was the last one. And it was awesome. (Oooh, and Dear Esther - but that's not a game exactly)

But I very nearly brought a couple of interesting looking games since. But then didn't. DX:HR, for example, was a game I didn't buy.

Thing is, my PC is a laptop, and it's a couple of years old too. A whole 2 years old in fact. It's quite a good laptop, but it is a laptop. It doesn't have purple strip lighting inside, alloy wheels or a spoiler or skirts or whatever it is the kids these days do to their beige boxes.

It might manage to run Dishonoured, or it might not. Which is what the old age tradition of the PC game demo is for. To give you [me] a chance to see if you [me] will like it or if it will even run on what ever hardware you [me] happen to have.

In short. No demo, no buy'o.

This isn't supposed to be a nerd rage rant. Just that your game looks interesting, it'd be nice to see interesting games do well and I (and I'm sure a few other people with normal PCs) might well be inclined to give it a whirl if I was sort of confident that I could make it sort of go.

Thank you.
I believe there are sites out there that will scan your computer's hardware and will then let you know if it meets the requirements for a game. However I can't provide a specific URL and I can understand not wanting to use one of these sites without a specific recommendation - I wouldn't.

However when the system specs are released you could post your http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1122570-how-to-dxdiag/, which will give people information on your hardware and drivers. I personally can't get much out of this, but there are others on the forums who can review these and let you know if it should run or not.
http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/cyri/intro.aspx

When the game comes out, use this site and it will tell you if your pc can run it or not. It told me that I couldn't run Skyrim on my laptop because of my video card and that's why I bought it for PS3.
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lexy
 
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Post » Sat May 12, 2012 11:40 am

Are you all quite mad?

Question: If (just supposing) Arkane and gamesas announce a demo, what would your reaction be?

I probably wouldn't play it.

Hint: Not everybody includes being a game enthusiast as a hobby, though it's obviously awesome that those that do are being well catered for. This thread isn't about those people.

You don't have to be a gaming enthusiast to have friends with a gaming system and/or PC who buys Dishonored.

My argument is not that everybody must demand a demo, it's that some would find it helpful. It seems to me to be that publishers and makers are doing things to exclude potential customers who might take an occasional, casual interest in games by doing things like making assumptions about hardware, not making it easy to try before you buy and by relying on technical gobbledegook.
...
Unless I'm missing something and someone's got a really good argument as to why a demo would be an actual bad idea.

Yes, well, I feel the same way about Steam, and creating a thread about that wouldn't make a difference either. :smile: It's not that we're arguing against the idea of a demo: it's just very unlikely to happen, and writing about it in their forums isn't likely to make a difference, because the publisher decides whether a demo is released, and Bethesda has showed an insistence on doing things a certain way "just because". :shrug:

Addendum: since it appears you want to talk about the general problem of the gaming industry not releasing demos, instead of the problem that Arkane Studios (probably) won't be making a demo version, I'd suggest you head over to the http://www.gamesas.com/forum/18-community-discussion/ section and create "Why no demo versions?" topic there.
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Dean Brown
 
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