Demo (computer)

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A demo (short for demonstration ) is a usually free presentation of a computer game or a computer program in general .

With a demo, a product, a certain technique or a game principle is to be presented and potential buyers to be addressed. The demo is usually offered for download on the Internet or is on data carriers in computer and game magazines .

Computer games

Computer game demos often show the first few levels of a game so that the potential buyer can get a first impression of the game. So he can decide whether he likes the game principle and whether the game works properly on his device at all. It can also be considered whether, for example, stronger hardware is necessary to be able to play the game.

The full game version can be offered as an additional program, or bought directly via the demo version as a so-called in-game purchase or in-app purchase . This type of distribution is also known as trial software , whereas demo software often provides a time-limited insight into the game. The use of an independent demo or trial version is preferred, especially for more expensive games, in order to prevent attempts at manipulation, in which hackers try to outsmart the game and thus gain full access to the full version.

In addition, demos in computer games can sometimes only be started a limited number and do not offer all but only a few game modes.

Demos as advertising media

Purchase decisions are often made on the basis of a demo ; therefore, demos are often an important aspect of the marketing of game developers and publishers of computer games. At the DICE Summit 2013, Jesse Schell, the author of the book “The Art of Game Design”, presented data to analyze the relationship between the publication of game demos and the purchasing behavior of consumers. According to the information provided by EEDAR, games with a demo version and a trailer sold around half as often as games with a trailer without a demo version over a period of six months.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Trial version and demo version. Retrieved March 10, 2019 .
  2. ↑ a b c What is demo software? Retrieved March 10, 2019 (American English).
  3. ↑ Jesse Schell: The Art of Game Design, AK Peters / CRC Press, 2014, 2nd edition, ISBN = 978-1466598645
  4. ↑ http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/122056-Game-Dev-Claims-Demos-Hurt-Game-Sales