News - OUYA games apps will be free-to-try

[HEXUS]

That's good for customers but is it good for games sales?

Read more.

[terriblebugger]

"To sell well he suggests making games with no demo available but with a good trailer"

or

Make a really great game that people feel compelled to buy after a few minutes in the demo.

[Wozza63]

"To sell well he suggests making games with no demo available but with a good trailer"

or

Make a really great game that people feel compelled to buy after a few minutes in the demo.

haha true that, most games are just naff these days, and demos just save me money most of the time

[Noxvayl]

I think it is great that all games are free to try on Ouya, it should be that way for all games on any platform. I own too many games that I wouldn't recommend to anyone, I could of spent that money on games that deserve the money.

[Brewster0101]

I am too old that I remember the days of shareware? The Likes of doom, quake and wolfenstein were shareware - didn't do badly for ID software. Also Epic had a good run with the help of shareware.

So this all sounds the same as what we enjoyed 20 years ago... Yay

[Matsy]

Sounds good.
It could work if done correctly.

[TheAnimus]

Windows Phone Users Obligatory - "Hi Guys, welcome to the party, we've been doing this for years".

[kingpotnoodle]

“You mean we spent all this money making a demo and getting it out there, and it cut our sales in half?”

Well yes, it will if you're game is crap. Try making decent games!

[valhar2000]

The thing is with no demo, you’ve gotta buy it if you want to try it.

Why do all these corporate morons insist in waging war on their customers?

This sort of thing is why I often pirate games even when I intend to buy them: I want to make sure I'm spending my money well. Indeed, I have plenty of games of unopened jewel cases for this reason: after buying the game I continued to play the pirated copy that was already installed.

There also plenty of games I pirated, played for an hour, and then installed and never looked at again. I could have spent all kinds of money of the most terrible games if I had not done so.

[valhar2000]

“You mean we spent all this money making a demo and getting it out there, and it cut our sales in half?”

Well yes, it will if you're game is crap. Try making decent games!

You, sir, have entitled yourself to a cigar or a coconut, according to personal preference!

[stilkun]

Demos are good to try small portion of the game and convince people to buy. I agree that people will have to buy copy of the game to try out but the problwm with this if they don't like it they can't return it retail due to retail policies or not accepting opened game back. Company gains profits while people will gain nothing will either give it away or sell it to someone. There are reviews however people would want to experence the game themselves to judge whether they enjoy it or not. The another way to try it is the illegal path, which I don't go as I rather borrow copy from my friends to try.

Good gameplay and good plot are the important factors to consider me into buying retail copy of the games but I usally wait till the sales or price drops. I usually buy dos games or any old generation games I never played before.

This is similar but different to Steam offer Free to play weekends on few of the games.

[b0redom]

....waits for the ban hammer to hit stilkun and valhar2000

[martian_aphid]

Jesse Schell's idea is a bit moronic, sure you can make a fancy trailer but most people with any common sense will not base their choice of buying a game on a polished pre-rendered video, they want to know how the game will play and if it is worth their money. Apart from reviews, which are often subjective, the best way for an individual to decide if they want to invest in a game is a demo - the only reason this would be a failure is if the demo is done shoddily (i.e. they rushed it) or the game is rubbish in which case they don't deserve to have got that sale. To suggest they should trick customers into buying the game, since once they have bought it they've got the cash and don't really care if you like it or not is a stupid suggestion.

I for one commend OUYA for the demo model, I certainly won't base my buying choice on a shiny trailer!

[crossy]

In related news, earlier in the week the CEO of the Puzzle Clubhouse gaming site, Jesse Schell, suggested that releasing a demo of your game will usually result in dramatically lower sales. Speaking at DICE 2013 Schell said “You mean we spent all this money making a demo and getting it out there, and it cut our sales in half?” He answered his own question; “Yes, that’s exactly what happened to you.” He went further to explain “The thing is with no demo, you’ve gotta buy it if you want to try it.” To sell well he suggests making games with no demo available but with a good trailer to show it in the best light.

First off, Puzzle Clubhouse gaming site - never heard of it. Colour me more impressed if this was the CEO of EA or Activision giving the quote.

Secondly, releasing a free demo cutting sales? Hmm, only way that could be true is if: (a) the demo was poorly implemented; (b) the demo is so extensive that people play the demo instead of buying the full game; or (c) the parent game is so crappy that the demo lets the cat out of the bag. Then again with (a) if the game itself is good then word gets around that the demo isn't representative. Plus, aren't most demos just a single level of a game - in which case I can't see how doing the demo is a big expense if all it is is a cut down version of the main game.

Thirdly, me buy a game solely on the basis of a trailer? Jog on buddy!

Onto Ouya, if they are doing free-to-try then they get a big thumbs up from me. Actually I've bought quite a few games that I probably wouldn't have because I tried the demo and got sucked in - so ended up paying for a full version.

[samuraiweasel]

Polished pre-rendered video, crappy game...hmm that reminds me of something...Aliens Colonial Marines perhaps.
Not nice when the people buying and preordering feel like they've been conned.

[Neontope]

So basically all games will have demos available?
Should be how it is anyway, so it's a good move.
I can't count the number of times I've bought a rubbish game and thought to myself 'why did I buy this crap?'. hehe