Left 4 Dead 2 Demo Coming in October - UPDATED

[Andy Chalk]

Left 4 Dead 2 Demo Coming in October - UPDATED

I have good news and I have bad news. The good news: A Left 4 Dead 2 [http://www.l4d.com/] demo is on the way! The bad news: Unless you're going to buy the game anyway, you can't have it. (At least, not right away.)

Game.co.uk [http://www.valvesoftware.com/], customers who don't preorder aren't completely out of luck; Xbox Live Gold members will gain access to the demo on November 3, while Silver members will get it on November 10. Still waiting on confirmation of that statement from Valve, however, and as yet there's been no word on how PC users will be handled.

I guess I'm getting old, because I remember a time when a demo was a tool to entice customers to buy a game, not a reward for doing so. People downloaded demos to see if they actually liked this game or that and wanted to throw some cash at whoever made it. Of course, that's not really a viable option when the formula is reversed and you must first throw cash, then get demo; and while I can't help but think that they've somehow got it backwards, I suppose that criticizing Valve's business acumen at this point is a bit of a foolish proposition.

UPDATE: Valve has confirmed that there will be a public demo released for Left 4 Dead 2 but specific dates have not yet been announced. Not what you'd call a huge surprise, perhaps, but still nice to hear it from the source.

via: Shacknews [http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/60571]


Permalink

 

[IrrelevantTangent]

Well, November's not all that far away for me. Hopefully I'll be able to get my hands on the demo then, because I still don't know whether or not I'm pre-ordering the game.

 

[Sir Ollie]

I suppose you have to pre order off Game.co.uk or Steam to get the demo, I rather save myself £14 and get it off Play.com

 

[VincentX3]

I probably wont be preordering it anytime soon. But really? pay to play for demo's now?

That's low.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Something tells me that this isn't the end of this. Pay 2 play demos sounds like a major dick move that Valve aren't known for.

 

[GamerLuck]

I agree with the whole "Demos as enticing people to buy game" thing.... why would i pre order a game to get to play the demo if when playing said demo i find the game is shit and totaly not worth the 60 bucks i just forked over in advance? wish we knew what they were doing for pc gamers sense i havent had xbox live gold in a long time.

 

[Kross]

They're likely doing this to entice more preorders, and will open up the demo to everyone before the game gets released anyway. An early demo released en-masse doesn't help them significantly, if anything it just means more people to nitpick demo bugs and potentially get tired of the gameplay to the point of not buying it on release day.

Edit: Somehow I missed on my first read that the public demo release dates were indeed already set.

 

[Andy Chalk]

But why do it at all, then? I never play demos for games I know I'm going to buy because I don't want anything messing up the "real" experience for me. I see what you're getting at - Valve isn't really punishing people who don't preorder, they're rewarding those who do - I just don't see the point.

 

[Woem]

That thumbnail reminds of The Matrix cave rave, but then with zombies. Nice imagery

 

[Kross]

But why do it at all, then? I never play demos for games I know I'm going to buy because I don't want anything messing up the "real" experience for me. I see what you're getting at - Valve isn't really punishing people who don't preorder, they're rewarding those who do - I just don't see the point.

Well, there's plenty of itchy trigger fingers out there who would throw down money for a preorder if it got them access to a demo. Look at the various console games that based the bulk of their success on bundling a Halo or Metal Gear demo.

And preorder sales are apparently an important number for the suits these days, initially because it was an indicator of potential sales for production/distribution purposes. But I imagine now as developers are pushing for it and places like EB have no real monetary commitment to a preorder, that it's just becoming another inflated marketing stat.

 

[Baby Tea]

Well, November's not all that far away for me.

That's what I'm thinking.
I get to play a demo one or two weeks early if I pre-order the game? Whoopty-freaking-doo!
I rarely play a demo for more then a day or two, so where is the appeal here?
I suppose those who are set on getting it will enjoy the early demo, but I can't help but think: Who is stupid enough to pre-order just for the early demo?

 

[MiodekPL]

Massive failure at Valve This defeats the purpose of demo version.

 

[Satin6T]

I officially love Roctober

edit* I officially don't understand, isn't the point of a demo to get people interested in your game?
if I preorder it, you already know I'm gonna buy it unless the demo completely sux

 

[Disaster Button]

Pretty big fail but hell, we're getting it in Novemeber of THIS year. That's pretty damn good considering this is Valve. So I can't hate them for it

 

[ssgt splatter]

WHAT
ARBBITRARY
SILLINESS
(i hope some of you get the reference)

That sucks! Developers should put out demos for most titles like this one and others, such as MW2, so that we can give ourselves the "drugs" instead of them giving it to us in timed intervals and causing withdrawl.

 

[DaxStrife]

I guess I'm getting old, because I remember a time when a demo was a tool to entice customers to buy a game, not a reward for doing so. People downloaded demos to see if they actually liked this game or that and wanted to throw some cash at whoever made it. Of course, that's not really a viable option when the formula is reversed and you must first throw cash, then get demo; and while I can't help but think that they've somehow got it backwards, I suppose that criticizing Valve's business acumen at this point is a bit of a foolish proposition.

It's crap like this that gave rise to piracy in the early 00's. Companies just stopped putting out demos for most of their games, so in order to get a taste of the action people had to pirate the full games just to see if it was any good.
If you have to pay for it, it's not a demo Valve!

 

[Chaossebba]

first brutal legend and now L4D2, i'm not liking this trend of getting the demo (earlier) because you pre-order it. Its just as the Malygris says, the reason i want a demo is to see if i like it

 

[Hoppetussa]

WHAT
ARBBITRARY
SILLINESS
(i hope some of you get the reference)

is it from the Halo 3 review by ZP?

 

[ssgt splatter]

WHAT
ARBBITRARY
SILLINESS
(i hope some of you get the reference)

is it from the Halo 3 review by ZP?

YES! Give yourselve a cookie.