Nintendo Wii Fanboy

I buy $50 games without playing demos. It won't kill me to do it with $10 games, too.

Reply

Nha, what is needed is a in-game video. All the developers has to do it just record 30-60sec video, of them playing.

It is something that VC shop is missing.

Reply

I was a PC gamer for almost 10 years before coming back to consoles. I still feel uncomfortable plunking down $50 or more without a demo. Anybody but hardcore gamers (not the Wii's target audience by their own admission) would have the same reservations.

Yes, it adds to production costs, but I've chosen to buy many games I would otherwise not have considered just because I happened to play a demo and loved it. Demos = sales.

Nintendo is shortchanging their developers by not giving them an avenue to distribute and install demos easily. PSP / PS3 have it, why not Wii?

Reply

I used to think that demos were important, but I recently realised that I based the vast majority of my purchasing decisions on what I knew about a game from reading news/review sites. I know what kinds of games I like, and how to properly parse the hype and hypocrisy surrounding most game titles, so if the information available about a game appeals to me, then I know I'll enjoy it. The only times I've ever been disappointed with this method is when I've ignored my instincts and bought a game anyway.

Reply

Firstly, get them with full games before thinking about the others. That's where it's most important.

Secondly, on XBL they just let us play the first level or whatever. It requires barely any effort to make a demo, anyone who can't is so pathetic they don't deserve any money.

It's all these small things that stll make me question getting a Wii. It looks great, but why the hell can't they just do these basic, standard things in the gaming industry? Everyone else does it. There's no real excuse.

Reply

Demos aren't that important, but it'd be nice to have some demos. Nintendo shouldn't force it, but leave it up to developers. Though I'll get games without playing demos, I've found that if I play a demo, I'm much more likely to get the game. So it should be an option.

Reply

Demos aren't a selling factor, but I like to paly them to see if the game really does suit me. As someone was saying, demos can just be the first level of a game. No real production costs, and it does help sell a game to have ta demo to reinforce it. I guess we'll be able to get demos for DS game though our Wii's soon, so you never know. Time will tell.

Reply

I think due to current hardware and memory constraints that DS demos are all we will see this time round. 2010 new wii console will have game and wiiware suplort

Reply

well u will probly hold out forever the wii can only b upgrade so much without using up all the limited memory. 2010 wii/ds console possibly if not what else wud it b ps3 an 360 will b in there prime around 2010

Reply

Y'know, I've read a few topics on this and a few said that these demos have been costly. Since it takes time to cut out the unused portion, etc. for it to work.

But anyone who plays XBLA games knows that whenever they download the trial version of a game, they're actually downloading the complete game. However, certain restrictions are imposed. Options you could usually select would be blacked out, you can only do a certain amount of levels in succession, etc. Why not do something like this? That, and if you decide to purchase it, all the data is already there, so all that's really happening is that extra data is now accessible.

I don't from development firsthand, but I highly doubt doing something like that costs a whole lot. I can understand not making a seperate demo (which would involve cutting out the excess data of what isn't playable and then tying up the loose ends) but a trial should be fairly easy and relatively inexpensive to do. And Nintendo and their developers should focus on doing something like this. It's better than buying blind.

Reply

I don't really care for demos, and I think that is actually better not to have them. A huge percentage of Wii owners are casual gamers and I think that a lot of these casual gamers would be more than content with downloading and replaying the game demos over and over again as opposed to actually buying the game. I'm a "hardcore" gamer and even I would probably do that for some games, as I'm sure many people would.

Sure, by not having demos Nintendo may miss out on some sales, but I believe that they would miss out on even more if they did have demos.

With that said, I do think that they should do something more (like add videos, etc) so that people can really get a better understanding of what the game they are buying actually is about.
I think that the "Everybody's Nintendo Channel" will help solve that problem as from what I've hear, that channel allows people to view videos of titles and even rate them.

Reply

Also, as someone said above, people pay $50+ all the time for games that they have never played a demo for (and they do it without reservations) yet there is all this commotion about how "I'm never going to buy a $5 game without demos!!!1!!111!".

It just doesn't make sense...

Reply

Nintendo's comments just say that demos will not be mandatory. I'm not sure where this "there will be no demos" thing has come from. Uncritical repetition on the blogosphere, I guess.

That said, I've got it on good authority that a demo would have to be treated as a seperate, free "game" on the system, requiring that players delete the freebie and then seek out and download the full version in order to get it. Not particularly elegant, and will probably rule out demos in practice.

Reply

This is yet another reason why I've moved away from the Wii and onto my 360. Sure I don't get cool nintendo titles, but they continue to put nails in the coffin for using my Wii, which hasn't been on since I played Super Mario Galaxy.

It's just not cool, there's so much potential that Nintendo has sitting there, they could completely wipe out the hold that XBLA has, but they must be in such a comfortable position that they just don't care.

I have never bought an XBLA game without playing a demo, and a demo of a full game (like Burnout Paradise, etc) is something that I appreciate and respect.

The fact that the big N has basically said "We don't care what the users want, we're big, we're taking over, and that's all that matters"

It's the same reason they keep producing titles like Mario Party, without fixing the problems that everyone is frustrated with time and time again.

It's sad, I got the wii the first few months it was released, I was amazed and in love - then I finished Zelda and there was nothing to keep me going forward. Metroid Prime 3 came out and I was sort of happy again, but then it was over. A few other games came and went, but nothing held my attention. However on the 360, I cannot count the number of games that I play over and over again. The replay factor due to achievements is insane. I've played Mass Effect 4 times over now, and not just because it's a great game. I'm on my second playthrough of Gears and I've never felt this way about video games before in my over 20 years playing them.

Nintendo really should step up its game - but I guess people like me are in the minority.

*shrug*

Reply

Demos make a big difference in my purchase decisions. I don't see why they can't have demos not only of Wii Ware but of Virtual Console games as well. All you would have to do is implement a time lock, say 30 minutes till you have to buy the game. Why is that so hard?

Reply

Any complaints about Mario Party should likely go to Hudson, since they're the developer for that series.

It seems strange to me that everybody's screaming for demos all of a sudden. They'd be nice to have, but I've never relied on playable demos for console games.

In the Wii's case, it seems impractical due to the already low amount of storage available - at least for downloadable demos. If they started including demo discs with Nintendo Power, however, like the Official Playstation mag used to, that might be a selling point for even the casual Wii gamer to maintain a subscription.

Reply

Any complaints about Mario Party should likely go to Hudson, since they're the developer for that series.

It seems strange to me that everybody's screaming for demos all of a sudden. They'd be nice to have, but I've never relied on playable demos for console games.

In the Wii's case, it seems impractical due to the already low amount of storage available - at least for downloadable demos. If they started including demo discs with Nintendo Power, however, like the Official Playstation mag used to, that might be a selling point for even the casual Wii gamer to maintain a subscription.

Reply

Ugh. Sorry for the double post.

Reply

There is an easy way around this. Just look at Smash Bros. That game includes demos of many VC titles on disc.

Companies could just start including demos on discs of other games they produce (similar to how DVD's contain trailers for other movies being released).

According to this article on the "Wii Menu" GDC Discussion [http://www.cubed3.com/news/9557], it will be possible to enable in-game purchasing of content for disc-based games. Companies could start including demos and even allow players to buy the full version directly from the disc.

Reply

Honestly, I don't care. They should have them, simply to further satisfy the consumer base, but it doesn't affect me either way, for two reasons

1: With Wii memory in the state its in, i only buy the games that i absolutely want anyway, so there's no risk there

2: I have a very good track record for making semi-blind purchases, I've only bought one game that I ever disliked enough to merit its resale (Crystal Chronicles, and that was only because i misunderstood how central multiplayer was to the experience), so demos aren't needed in my personal case

They should probably put them in, but it won't bother me

Reply

Hudson may be the publisher of the game, but Nintendo has a huge hand in it. If there was a problem with Super Smash Bros, I would refer to it the same way. These are *Nintendo* franchises. I'm not going to complain to Nintendo about Need for Speed or something completely off THEIR path.

It's just another step in the wrong direction. You can't rent VC or WiiWare games, can you? I can nip down to the store, grab whatever PS3, PS2, Xbox360, Wii game I want, try it out for a fraction of the cost to buy it.

The 360 from my experience has the best option and they generally include demos for many of their games to download and play.

Yes the Wii has limited storage capabilities - but that's yet another question mark in to why they didn't allow for ANY expansion. The SD cards are for backup only, it seems.

I just look at what the 360 has done with their online presence, versus what the Wii is doing - and although the Wii is for "casual" gamers, there's something far more appealing as an overall experience. Again, this is coming from a former wii-addict, one who considers himself a "casual" gamer.

Just sayin'

Reply

demos are always a good thing but they arent really necessary, especially when the games will probably be under $10 anyway. gameplay videos work pretty good too but if they dont do that either, im sure there will be plenty on YouTube anyway. no demos isnt a deal breaker, just a bummer.

the developers should certainly have the option to include demos if they want though as i dont see how you could go wrong by giving them the option.

Reply

There's so many places that offer videos/reviews of games, I don't need a demo. Especially if their for short/cheap games that even I can afford.
Also on the achievments of 360 games, I hate them, makes me feel like I suck at a game for not getting much, even though I play games for fun, not head killing annoyance....only for the super hardcore.

Oh so er...yeah I don't care for demos, not when we have the awesome NWF to guide us.

Reply

I refuse to put down my money on a game I've never been able to play before.

Reply

Non-Factor. That is what the internet is for.

Reply

This isn't too bad, considering the price of the games. However, I'd still like to get a taster for the game. There's several XBLA games I wouldn't have bought without playing the demo of them first, Pac Man Championship Edition for one. I'm still uhming and aring about getting Devil May Cry 4, but wont decide until I play the demo on the XBL Marketplace.
Then again, I got all my Wii games without playing a demo at all. Sometimes though, I'd like reassurance my money is going towards something I'll play, not something I'll play once and then discard. I'm such a pedantic prick...

Reply

i think they should have demos for wiiware games. i recently downloaded a psn game demo on my ps3 called pixel junk monsters and fell in love with it immediately so i purchased it. i don't think i would have bought it without that demo so i think it would be nice to convince people on the fence about some of the games.

Reply

I have been a multi platform gamer for years. Demo disks have always been something that has influenced my purchase decisions, both with games I ended up buying and ones I steered fully clear of. I think some games DESERVE to fail miserably before they get into the hands of the general public, and others should get all the hype they deserve. Honestly I probably would have purchased only half the games I did for the D.C. if not for the ODCM disk. Demo disks would only further encourage me to even consider a NP subscription (yeah I missed out on the zelda disks).

I see the problem with DL demos, so I am not really gonna boohoo about that. Still, even if a demo HAD to have an expiration date, people would still download them to test a game out (even watch mario and weegee hit that damn coin block 10,000 times just to play a game that'll dissapear when they switch programs).


tl:dr demos good.

Reply

I'm rarely willing to buy a game without trying it first, even if it's as low as $10. It's even rarer for me to actually blow a full $50 on a game, even if I have played it. I think the people regularly paying full price for games they haven't even tried are fools.

Reply

Personally, I carefully research a game that has piqued my interest before I shell out the dough. Compare the reviews, watch the in-game footage, and stay away from the hype and you'll rarely go wrong, I've found.

Demos are a nice bonus, but frankly, I just don't need them.

Reply

no hdd no demos

Reply