Study Claims Demos Are Bad for Game Sales

[Demon_Skeith]

Demos may be the best way to find out if you like a game, but releasing one might not be in a publisher’s best financial interest, according to a study discussed at last week’s MI6 video game marketing conference.

This is the same study, presented by Gregory Short and Geoffery Zatkin, heads of the Electronic Entertainment Design and Research Group (EEDAR), which recommended marketing teams should work with developers to come up with an Xbox 360 game’s Achievements.

While demos may be effective at producing word-of-mouth, the EEDAR found that the highest selling games on both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 produced buzz via Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network with trailers alone.

There are some other interesting bits extrapolate, so let’s look at how the sales break down…

Though demos have become commonplace a few weeks ahead of a game’s release, the EEDAR found that trailers are more effective than hands-on time with the product. Short and Zatkin actually recommended publishers start producing demos only after release to avoid interference with the final weeks of polish.

more here

 

[Seaofclouds]

Demos probably cost them more than they are worth.

I mean, if someone plays the demo and doesn't like it, obviously they won't buy the game. If the developers make a lot of changes between releasing the demo and the game, then the demo is pointless anyway.

Though, I like it when Sony sends me demos for my PSP.

 

[Midnight Sky]

Sometimes demos can be a good thing or a bad thing. Like a new company makes there first game and releases a demo pretty early in the games life, some people won't like it then they will tell there friends and then after the company makes tons of changes on it to make it better and when the game launches, no one buys it, Game company might go out of business if people don't reconize the game and good it is, end of story. but on the other hand if you release it when your pretty much done with the game, then you will get some good feedback then everyone will like it. So in the end, it matter when you release the demo disk, early or late. Plus the game has to be good of course

 

[froggyboy604]

I think renting is worse for game sales since some people won't buy the game if they rent and complete the game.

 

[Max]

Renting is one of the chief ways game companys make money. Rental companies buy thousands if not millions of certain games that are highly anticipated. Then people pay 5 or six dollers to play in for a couple days, and if they like it they buy it, if not, the game is already purchased and will act as a demo for another person.

 

[Demon_Skeith]

QUOTE (Max @ May 01, 2008 12:19 pm) Renting is one of the chief ways game companys make money. Rental companies buy thousands if not millions of certain games that are highly anticipated. Then people pay 5 or six dollers to play in for a couple days, and if they like it they buy it, if not, the game is already purchased and will act as a demo for another person.
at our renting place you have to pay 10$ for game