The number one thing that will increase the number of games I buy

[aphfid]

My taste in games is fairly narrow. There are many game dynamics that I don't have much patience for and so it's not unusual for me to buy a game and not like it. This has me be reluctant to spend much on games.

What will have me spend on a game is if I play a demo for a while and find it is a great game. Unfortunately, steam's demo system is a complete shambles. Most of the games listed as having a demo don't. It seems they are relics of steamfests past. And the games that do have demos during steamfest are mostly pre-release, so they are buggy and not very encouraging. On the off-chance one of these game demos turn out to be awesome, the game isn't available for purchase.

I've bought a few games after playing them on free weekends, but I can understand why a lot of developers wouldn't want to make their games available for a free weekend. For some games, most or all of the content might be explored during a free weekend.

I'd really like to see the demo system cleaned up, so that games listed as having demos do actually have demos. I'd like to see more incentive for devs to have an active demo for their game available when the game is actually available to purchase - for example maybe a checkbox category on steam reviews "game purchased after trying demo".

[aphfid]

a friend just mentioned to me that what they'd really like to see is categorised demos indicating what stage of development they are at. For example, pre early-access, post early access, full release. The idea being that some demos would be more focused on getting feedback from players for improvements/bugs etc, while others, would be to help players make purchasing decisions.

[Zekiran]

That's nice.

The demo weekend was just the other day.

This isn't in Steam's hand. It's 100% on the developers and publishers to implement demos for their games.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

The Next Fest is to feature demos of future titles. That is what they are only about.

[aphfid]

Originally posted by Zekiran:

That's nice.

The demo weekend was just the other day.

This isn't in Steam's hand. It's 100% on the developers and publishers to implement demos for their games.

Steam is 100% responsible for it's own platform. It is steams platform that is listing games as having demos when they don't.

[StealthMode℠™©®]

Umm.
Alpha testing, then BETA testing.
Many products on this platform offer exactly what you seek already.

Pre-Release Builds.
All over this platform.

[aphfid]

Originally posted by cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

The Next Fest is to feature demos of future titles. That is what they are only about.

:qr:

yes I understand that. I am suggesting it would be good if we could have demo's of games that are actually available to buy.

[aphfid]

I wonder what percentage of people actually read OP's and think about them before responding.

[MalikQayum]

can you link to a game that says it has a demo but doesn't?

[Satoru]

Originally posted by aphfid:

Originally posted by cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

The Next Fest is to feature demos of future titles. That is what they are only about.

:qr:

yes I understand that. I am suggesting it would be good if we could have demo's of games that are actually available to buy.

You're free to ask developers for that. They are free to put demos on steam

Most wont because functaionlly its too much work to make a demo, QA it, and then have it literally be out of date 1 month later as you patch and fix teh game. Demos are a past relic from where a person could not see how a game was like. this is literally a non-issue now given you an open up YouTube or Twitch and literally just watch someone play the game.

[Zekiran]

Steam has ABSOLUTELY ZERO say in whether a game gets a demo, or goes on sale, or has its features changed. NONE. At all.

They are a STORE.

Nothing more.

[Zekiran]

Originally posted by MalikQayum:

can you link to a game that says it has a demo but doesn't?

And this too, because... I can't think of any? Some have had them and probably don't any more, which might be the case for the OP being confused about a specific one?

But again:

Steam is not responsible for the condition of the store pages, either. Those are 100% the responsibility of the publishers, unless they have malicious or illegal things on them fit to be reported to Steam overall.

The details of any game store page are up to the developer/publisher.

Steam cannot demand anything of them.

[aphfid]

Originally posted by MalikQayum:

can you link to a game that says it has a demo but doesn't?

I can do better than that, I can explain to you how to get a massive list of them.

go into Store/Categories/Demos. Almost all of the titles listed that are not from the current steamfest do not have an active demo. So most that are from 2020 or before are shown as having a demo, but if you go to the steam page store, there is no demo.

This disadvantages developers who make the mammoth effort to create a real demo, because the demos that actually exist are really hard to find.

THANK_YOU!!!!! so much for responding to what I actually posted.

[Zekiran]

Originally posted by aphfid:

but if you go to the steam page store, there is no demo.

Steam is not responsible for the condition of the store pages, either. Those are 100% the responsibility of the publishers, unless they have malicious or illegal things on them fit to be reported to Steam overall.

The details of any game store page are up to the developer/publisher.

Steam cannot demand anything of them.

[Start_Running]

Originally posted by aphfid:

Originally posted by cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

The Next Fest is to feature demos of future titles. That is what they are only about.

:qr:

yes I understand that. I am suggesting it would be good if we could have demo's of games that are actually available to buy.

Ask the developers.

Originally posted by aphfid:

Originally posted by MalikQayum:

can you link to a game that says it has a demo but doesn't?

I can do better than that, I can explain to you how to get a massive list of them.

go into Store/Categories/Demos. Almost all of the titles listed that are not from the current steamfest do not have an active demo.

Well I checked out 20 games there and they all have demos so you're gonna have to give a specific example m8.

This disadvantages developers who make the mammoth effort to create a real demo, because the demos that actually exist are really hard to find.

Assertion without any actual evidence.

[Satoru]

Originally posted by aphfid:

go into Store/Categories/Demos. Almost all of the titles listed that are not from the current steamfest do not have an active demo..

https://store.steampowered.com/search/?sort_by=Released_DESC&category1=10&page=5

..........

1) all of these games have demos
2) some are embedded into the main store page of the product

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1139900/Ghostrunner/

3) others are demo specific store pages and have a link on the side to 'download PC demo'

https://store.steampowered.com/app/428080/Racket_Nx/

Again can you provide an actual example of a game not having a demo. Because if you sort by 'release date' you are literally inundated with hundreds of titles that all have demos.

You might argue devs using the #3 option isnt a great thing but that depends on how the dev wants to present a demo on Steam. Steam has over time changed how devs submit and surface demos to users. As such older titles are more likely to use the older methdology. While newer titles will have been created and submitted via the new method and new store page activation process.

But you're going to have to provide reference for your claims that thse games dont have demos. Because your 'list' of games proves literally the opposite.