GameStop Staff Lose Early Access to Dragon Age 2 Demo

[Desworks]

It's a demo. There are no security concerns in releasing it. If someone working for Gamestop leaked it onto the net, that would simply result in more people playing your advertisement. Isn't that the point of the demo in the first place?

 

[Broken Orange]

With that taken care of, why can't they just give the demo to everyone now? I bet that they have their reasons.

But those reasons probably suck.

 

[Smooth Operator]

WTF... oh noes people will see our demo then want the game and give us money, the horror!!!
Did they pick up their COE's on a monkey convention or something?

 

[Therumancer]

I think I see the issue here more or less. It's part of an advertising gimmick and they were hoping that by releasing the demo early to Gamestop employees that they would use that information to help promote the product, and get people hyped up for the game. If everyone has access to it immediatly, there is less hype involved. This becomes counter productive when the demo (or employee numbers or whatever to download it) can be easily distributed, and probably will be by the employees. This basically amounts to releasing the demo early without any benefits, so they probably just decided to go with the original release date they planned.

Of course there could be other issues involved as well, such as wanting an extra week to work on compadibility issues, or remove a piece of content their in-house censors decided was too extreme at the last minute. Or it could just be the rumor that people who play the demo have an odd habit of winding up dead, but we've been informed it's untrue, and if it was it would be unrelated to the games so it's no big deal, and as you know I trust the game industry implicitly in all things. There is no such thing as the "EA Curse" or a thing called "Baron" manifesting through video games. Besides, who ever heard of a supernatural event with in-game dialogue being replaced with archaic french, and that seems to primarily target children. That's just plain silly. >.> <.<

 

[Jack Macaque]

Remember the RE5 demo that was Japan only? We still found a way to get it up here months before it was released, you just can't stop the internet from giving away everything.

I honestly don't blame them for it.

 

[C2Ultima]

Bad luck on the Gamedstop employees, but the game will be released this year. I think they'll survive.

 

[cynicalsaint1]

Seems a little silly to worry about security on a free demo. So what if the employees hand it off to a few of their friends? It sounds like doing that would only help increase buzz about the game, making everyone else a bit more excited to grab the demo when its released to the general public.

*Shrugs*
Oh well whatever.

 

[Zom-B]

I hear the Pc version is much more tactical than the consoles, however is it so bad if they streamline a few things like inventory?

it's the exact same game on console and pc, how could it be more tactical? from what i've heard, the only thing that might make that even close to true is that you can pull the camera out a bit farther away from your party. maybe i've missed something?

The more I see of this game, the more it looks like a dumbed down, over the top action game. Even the visuals are leaning towards the Asian roleplaying game's signature oversized equipment and cartoonish art. The levels are (more) linear and the focus has shifted entirely to an action adventure style experience.

Can't blame them though, wanting to make money and deciding to focus on the 360 - thus making it for a... simpler demographic.

i'm in agreement with you there. i'll probably check out the demo, even though i have no plans on purchasing this game, but from what i've seen, they've taken an already relatively simplified and streamlined RPG and taken it further down that road.

 

[Fuhjem]

How about this:

Make it only playable at Gamestop stores. That way, the employees can have their fun, and also draw in more customers.

Jim wants to play Dragon Age II. Jim goes to Gamestop to try it. Jim leaves Gamestop with a copy of Mary-Kate & Ashley: Magical Mystery Mall and a subscription to GameInformer. Jim doesn't remember buying these items, but is satisfied that he got to play Dragon Age II.

 

[AgentBJ09]

-Referenced-

Not surprised in the least.

I knew this was coming, and while it's sad, I don't have a PC for this thing. So now, hopefully, we may finally drop the 'flunkies' tag the Escapist seems to have given us for no adequate reason.

 

[Canid117]

They probably realized that giving their demo to a bunch of college students and saying "Don't give your exclusive code to any of your friends" was an exercise in futility.

 

[The Random One]

Sometimes I sit here thinking on the publicists and marketers for whom stuff like that makes or breaks their careers.

Then I play some games.

 

[dibblywibbles]

the demo is just an illusion. it does not exist. we're gonna get duped when our supposed release date comes around too. we'll just have to wait for it to come out.

the actual game that is.

 

[fordneagles]

Isabella? Really EA? Really?

 

[chainguns]

Maybe it's because EA were afraid that Gamestop employees would tell the world the obvious - that DA2 had been given the Mass Effect treatment? Perhaps EA like the status quo, where apparently (some new law, I'm told) you can's say anything critical of the game's direction until you buy it and play it.

I liked Mass Effect 2, but it is no longer an RPG - it's a story based shooter with some dialog choices. I know a lot of people like streamlining, hate stats, prefer twitch-reflex play etc... but to be honest, are those people really into RPGs?

Shouldn't we respect niches and individual preferences - if people like shooters, RPG fans should not demand choices and dialogs, stats etc in those games. Similarly, action game fans should not demand RPGs get more streamlining, and twitch reflex combat. Now why can't that work, I wonder...