'Game demos are everything' says XBL boss

via Computer and Video Games


A surprising amount of game developers are providing downloadable game demos as an after thought, says Xbox Live games portfolio manager David Edery, who has provided a list of suggestions for creating a decent trial.

"A downloadable game's trial is everything! If someone doesn't enjoy your trial, then they probably won't buy your game," Edery says on his blog.

"It doesn't matter if you licensed the three greatest IP of all time and fused them into the holy trinity of game design itself. If the trial stinks, most people won't bother to lift the curtain on the full experience."

Edery's seven commandments for creating a decent game demo include: Don't confuse or frustrate the player, Don't make the player wait for the fun, Don't make the trial too short, Don't make the trial too long, Intensify the player's curiosity, Work that upsell message and Show off your best features.

"When ending the trial, that upsell screen is (potentially) the last thing your customer will see. Every other trial is promising 'more levels,' 'more characters,' blah blah etc," the XBL man notes.

"Why is your game different? If you don't have an answer to that question, this tip may not be so useful.. but then again, maybe trying a little wit (or something else that's memorable and positive) will help?"

Then again, it's easy for Microsoft to tell developers how do make decent demos; we're still waiting for our Mass Effect, Gears of War and Halo 3 trials, lads...