Do You Think Virtual Tours Make Good Demos

[John David]

ORIGINAL: Sarge

Run with it David, I like the idea of it. I think you guys did a great job on the VT of HTTR. Sure it helps with the guys out there that have dial up to.

Yet another reason why the VT is such a great Idea, and it goes back to my earlier post about Flash being the delivery method for these tours.

One other thing is that Flash is also a interactive multi media tool, so some of the qualities of an actual demo can be incorporated in the VT.

JD

[David Heath]

Hi Guys

Remember what I said. The idea behind the Virtual Tour is to use it for gamers with slow internet connections and/or when a demo is not possible. Fact it guys sometimes a demo just does not cut it. We feel Uncommon Valor is a perfect example of a game that a demo will not be good for. When we can do a demo or both we will but when a demo is not possible we are considering making Virtual Tours.

David

[Bart_Breedyk]

David;

I understand completely what you're trying to do, but I would like to make a suggestion. If it's not practical to create a demo for a product, how about making the virtual tour more 'demo like'? Obviously I can't speak for everyone, but I would get more value out of a VT if you included a step by step example of how common game elements work. Taking Battlefields as an example (a game I eagerly await), do a simple advance to contact, or fortification assault and take time to explain why certain things work the way they do.

In my mind, that would be a very close runner up to a good demo.

B

[NefariousKoel]

I understand what you guys are trying to do Dave but..

First of all.. In the web walkthrough, the music is just uncooperative. I can't concentrate with it going on. The interactive just doesn't seem to represent anything but screenshots with music. (Sorry Matrix web guys) It just doesn't show gameplay at all.

Secondly.. I know many want a movie or demo... I'd say, give them a movie as compared to a demo. More on that in #3. This second point has to do with demos. Too many jackholes dwell on demos that will never be representative of the full version. I recall many demos I've played years ago that turned me off of the game - to only find that once I got the game cheap, it's a goldmine. Demos really suck a$$ in my opinion. It's the worst you can do unless it's a first person shooter. Those are pretty straightforward and unimaginitive.. with rare exceptions. As an example, I give .. Starfleet Command. I downright hated the demo.. it didn't have most of the options available.. plus, I got my a$$ kicked all the time. No manual, no definitive tutorial? Any complicated strat game will have problems in this realm. I even owned SFB (yeah, tabletop) which it was based on. It was a sad representation (the demo), but I bought it on an impulse later on, and it was pretty much one of the best real time strategy games I've ever owned. As for a strategy demo? Don't do it. Especially for deeply involved strategy games. People will not understand the intricacies and therefore be frustrated.

Thirdly... Movies. It's the way to go in my opinion. It gives the gist of the whole shebang, yet leaves you thirsty for more if made well. The prospective buyer gets to see the full game in all it's splendor and wants more. I know - the downfall is that many don't have the bandwidth to spare downloading one of these behemoths, but those that do... can spread the word. That is the big seller anyway.. word of mouth. I think this is your best option. Just don't make it brief and full of eye candy. Make it represent the actual gameplay and you can't go wrong.

EDIT: I think this has to be the longest post I've ever had on the Matrix boards. Amazing.

[ravinhood]

It's kind of funny, while a demo of Combat Mission Africa Korp has give me enough to piddle with game wise, it's kept me from really wanting to shell out the $35 for the full product. It's so simular to the others, I really hate paying for the same thing over again, even though I like this area of conflict, but, I have a mod for Combat Mission Beyond Overlord that does the desert warfare.

On the other hand a demo of Strategic Command was enough to sell me on the rest of the game, I still haven't bought it yet.

I haven't beat EYSA demo yet either, so before I want the full version I have to be able to beat the demo! lol

A demo can keep a person content with the game without having to have the full product, I have Doom origional demo that I found to be plenty of shootemup for me without purchasing the whole game. Same with Heretic and a couple of other shooter demos.

Demo or not though a game really has to be something majorly special and NEW, not just a copy or repeat of something that has been done to death like RTS games. I have Age of Empires full edition, but, have only DEMOS of the rest of the blurb that has been coming out over the years since AOE. heh

If anything the Virtual Tour of HTTR showed me it's complexity. It reminded me a lot of a russian front game I have from SSI. While I know a lot of grogs enjoy complex games, over the years I have fallen away from those and prefer more of a beer and pretzels afternoon of gaming, instead of a career of it. All those stats, right down to the last piece of ammo....headache! Whatever happened to good ole fashioned Atk/Def/Mv units of the old days? If I wanted to be a quarter master I would have joined the army. The game looks great, nice colorful maps, double type icons. Probably a grog who loves complexity dream game.