[Henke]

This is starting to get really frustrating. Why don't the developers make a playable demo of their games anymore? Are they afraid that people will learn how bad their game really is so they won't buy it, or what? I always want to try a game before I buy it fullprice.

Sid Meiers' Pirates and Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines (talk about a goofy name) seems to have potentials of being great games but I can't know for sure that I like them if I can't try them. The trailer for Pirates is great and the trailer for Vampire is crap but how can you judge a game by just looking at a trailer?

[Huz]

And when they do release playable demos, they apparently "don't represent the quality of the finished product". That's great then - how am I supposed to make a worthwhile purchasing decision based on that?

It's a pretty funny message though. The developers might as well slap a splash screen reading "yeah, we know this is crap, but honestly the full game is completely awesome" on there.

[nordic_guy]

^But it's often true, though. I've played plenty of demos I didn't like, but because of various reasons (reviews etc.), I end up playing the full version and love it.
That's why I'm a bit skeptical about demos. They mostly end up not doing the full game justice (of course, there's the exceptions where the full game is just as crappy as the demo).

[Henke]

Originally Posted by nordic_guy

^But it's often true, though. I've played plenty of demos I didn't like, but because of various reasons (reviews etc.), I end up playing the full version and love it.
That's why I'm a bit skeptical about demos. They mostly end up not doing the full game justice (of course, there's the exceptions where the full game is just as crappy as the demo).

I don't really agree. Sure, the part you played in the demo might be crap while the rest of the game is much better but you can at least judge much better if the game is something for you and worth to invest your money in based on a playable demo then by reading a review, look at the games' cover in the store or watch screenshots and trailers.

The fact that they often write "don't represent the quality of the finished product" in the demos (like Huz said) is often because they have time to adjust small things in the final product (often some graphical stuff). But nothing big so the game is still more or less as you see it in the demo (although you only see a small part of it of course).

BTW, I needed this thread to express my frustration over the fact that there is no demos for Pirates and Vampire The Masquerade. But have anyone here played those games?

[jjacob]

Yeah it's too bad that demos are becoming more rare, so I guess you'll have to rely more and more on reviews and previews. If you want my short opinion on both games though - Pirates! had great potential, but is ultimately a very dull and repetitive game (I'm at rough 20% of the game now, but I think I'm going to just put it out of its misery and uninstall it), for which I certainly don't have the patience. Simply put, you buy/conquer ships and repair/upgrade them, pick up crew in port, sell you captured booty (at varying rates depending on the location) and take on ever more powerful foes, it's like a grand version of chapter three of CMI, only then in a neverending, uncaptivating manner, and without Insult Swordfighting, I might add Perhaps it's not my type of game, but I think the game fails to fulfill its promise.

Vampire: the Masquerade Bloodlines on the other hand is a true gem. But for that I recommend you read a couple of good reviews, because I don't have many reference material, well, Deus Ex 1 & 2 could qualify, but I didn't even play the original Vampire game. I truly loved playing it though, it has a story with events that suck you right in, even moreso than the HL2's narrative.

[Funktion]

Originally Posted by Henke

This is starting to get really frustrating. Why don't the developers make a playable demo of their games anymore? Are they afraid that people will learn how bad their game really is so they won't buy it, or what? I always want to try a game before I buy it fullprice.

Sid Meiers' Pirates and Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines (talk about a goofy name) seems to have potentials of being great games but I can't know for sure that I like them if I can't try them. The trailer for Pirates is great and the trailer for Vampire is crap but how can you judge a game by just looking at a trailer?

A demo for VTM: Bloodlines would be kind of hard, since it would be huge in filesize. Since the game has 4 "main" areas where it takes place (from there you get to the other points, like buildings, ...) and not the usual small maps, you couldn't simply chop it up. It's the same reason the 3D GTA games don't have demos, the maps are too big for a demo.

Anyway, the game is wonderful. Easily my favourite game of the year and one of my favourite games ever. The few reviews that have been mediocre are because those people expected a First Player Shooter, not a RPG that happens to have guns in it.

By the way, regarding the "goofy" name, it has an explanation. Vampire: The Masquerade relates to the licence that the game is based on, and Bloodlines is the actual name of the game. That's why the name is so "big".

Regarding Pirates!, while it would be nice to have a demo I ordered it blindly, mainly because the Collector's Edition includes the "original" Pirates! (actually, it's Pirates! Gold...), and my old copy was stolen years ago.
If you decide to pick the game try to get the limited Collector's Edition (it's supposed to be the same price in the USA, and a little more expensive here in Europe), because the game comes in a dvd-rom with the "old game" I mentioned + some bonus content for the game and a "making of" with the production team.

[Henke]

Originally Posted by Funktion

A demo for VTM: Bloodlines would be kind of hard, since it would be huge in filesize. Since the game has 4 "main" areas where it takes place (from there you get to the other points, like buildings, ...) and not the usual small maps, you couldn't simply chop it up. It's the same reason the 3D GTA games don't have demos, the maps are too big for a demo.

Anyway, the game is wonderful. Easily my favourite game of the year and one of my favourite games ever. The few reviews that have been mediocre are because those people expected a First Player Shooter, not a RPG that happens to have guns in it.

By the way, regarding the "goofy" name, it has an explanation. Vampire: The Masquerade relates to the licence that the game is based on, and Bloodlines is the actual name of the game. That's why the name is so "big".

Regarding Pirates!, while it would be nice to have a demo I ordered it blindly, mainly because the Collector's Edition includes the "original" Pirates! (actually, it's Pirates! Gold...), and my old copy was stolen years ago.
If you decide to pick the game try to get the limited Collector's Edition (it's supposed to be the same price in the USA, and a little more expensive here in Europe), because the game comes in a dvd-rom with the "old game" I mentioned + some bonus content for the game and a "making of" with the production team.

It's far from impossible to make a demo of a game because it features huge game worlds. Many games has managed that before. I have heard that Vampire: The Masquerade is suppose to have this great story and I guess this is true. But is the characters as worthless as they appear in the trailer? I have heard that Pirates is a big game with many possibilities but that it's easy to play and the gameplay is very varied. Is this true (I tried the original when I was a kid but iÍ don't really remember anything about it)?

[Funktion]

Originally Posted by Henke

It's far from impossible to make a demo of a game because it features huge game worlds. Many games has managed that before. I have heard that Vampire: The Masquerade is suppose to have this great story and I guess this is true. But is the characters as worthless as they appear in the trailer?

A demo of the game isn't impossible (they could release the "tutorial" as a demo, I guess), but I doubt they could really showcase the game in a small demo.
A game in which you can talk your way through situations (using skills like persuasion, seduction, ...), use stealth (kind of like the Thief series, although without the same amount of detail), kill (using melee weapons or ranged guns, in 1st or 3rd person perspective), ...
In my opinion the characters of VTM: Bloodlines are memorable. This game has some of the best voice-acting ever on a videogame (if your a Futurama fan you may like to know that the guy that voices Bender is in the game).

The only negative point I would mention regarding the game is that it has some bugs that should be fixed with the upcoming patch. It didn't bother me the slightest, since I was having a blast...

[Henke]

The more I hear about these games the more I want to try them. Chances are I like them, but you never know.

[Captain_Tuttle]

Just buy the game at your local store, if it sucks return it. No need for developers to waste time on a demo, when if you don't like the game you can always return it.

[Dale Baldwin]

That would be an adequate solution if stores weren't changing their returns policies so that they won't accept returns of PC games, which Game has done here in the UK.

[Henke]

Originally Posted by Captain_Tuttle

Just buy the game at your local store, if it sucks return it. No need for developers to waste time on a demo, when if you don't like the game you can always return it.

Where in the world can you do this? Sounds completely nuts. But it would be nice if it worked like this though, one can always dream.

[SKIPPER]

Originally Posted by Henke

This is starting to get really frustrating. Why don't the developers make a playable demo of their games anymore? Are they afraid that people will learn how bad their game really is so they won't buy it, or what? I always want to try a game before I buy it fullprice.

Sid Meiers' Pirates and Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines (talk about a goofy name) seems to have potentials of being great games but I can't know for sure that I like them if I can't try them. The trailer for Pirates is great and the trailer for Vampire is crap but how can you judge a game by just looking at a trailer?

I totally agree with you, I feel the same way.

[MDMaster]

Hmm, I agree with the lack of demos, although sometimes you can... how can I say... AVOID the problem altogether.
Anyway I'd really like to try a demo for Martin Mystere, it looks good and it's price is not bad at all (20€ here) but it's an italian game, from the makers of Druuna Morbus Gravis (Argh!), so I gotta try it before buying.