We have a release date for the Left 4 Dead demo. It’s available to all from 11th November, running until the 18th when the full game is released. However, if you want more than a week’s free play of a couple of levels from the game, Valve are offering more as a pre-order bribe. Anyone who pre-orders via Steam (or in participating US stores) will get access from 6th Nov, giving you five extra days of four-player zombie destruction.
We don’t know for sure, but a sensible guess would suggest the demo will show levels from No Mercy, the series of levels set in and around a zombie-infested hospital. That’s the area of the game Valve have been most keen to show off so far.
I’m surprised they’re switching the demo off immediately on launch. Even if they put two separate levels from the chapter in the demo, with as much replay value as that would offer, I’d think people would want to be able to play to the rooftop finale and then other three chapters once they’d got a taste for it. I don’t imagine this would be a Quake III, where people happily play the demo alone for the next decade. Valve do as Valve does, and it seems to be working for them. But you’d think the real buzz for the game would appear post-release (even if they are spending a mind-hurting $10 million advertising it), which would then attract the larger numbers of new people wanting to see what it’s all about.
Unless there’s more surprises in store. Who knows.
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(even if they are spending a mind-hurting $10 million advertising it)
“Mind-hurting” is putting it lightly.
There’s no VAT in the States, and no sales tax unless you live in Washington State where Valve’s HQ is located. As I do not live in Washington, when the game is listed for $49.95 on Steam that’s all I pay.
Are people still debating the usefulness of Steam? Really? Is it 2004 again? Having the game weeks ahead of anyone else counts as a plus in my book, and there are many others. Get with the times already.
Hey, just pre-ordered l4d. I’ve never preordered before so is it supposed to preload the game or do i just download it when it is released. How can i tell if it is preloading?
Well atleast it’s better than the usual price conversion i.e. $50 => £50.
@Sub
It won’t start preloading yet.
When it gets closer to the release date, it should show up as an entry in your Games section in Steam.
Also, as I couldn’t find it mentioned here. Pre-purchasers will get access to part of the game on the 6th November, everyone else who wants to try it, 11th. Ends on the 18th.
http://store.steampowered.com/news/1945/
for me steam is worth _more_ than a retail box, as I’m so useless at keeping the damn things organised. but there are limits ;)
third-party publishers need to remember to check their prices every now and then, for example :( And since the value of the pound against the dollar has just nosedived, every game on there could do with being reassessed.
Or, as has been mentioned before, introduce more currencies. Hell, make it an optional feature for each company on a region-by-region basis whether the price appears in dollars or in local currency. Arguably, if they’re wanting to charge more in different areas, it’d be _better_ for them as comparison wouldn’t be so easy ;)
To be fair, running a bunch of servers continually to service a pretty big community must also cost quite a bit.
Downloading a game is a benefit to me – it’s not as if I can’t do other stuff on my PC while I’m downloading. I can even play another game, which is nice. You don’t have to sit there staring at the progress bar.
Concerning time downloading, it beats going down to a store, which also takes time and I’m not even going to start on interacting with the “staff” in a games shop.. Also, when it’s finished downloading, it’s installed, including all patches (if available), it’s done, you can start playing.
For me the real handiness of buying games on Steam is that I can install my games on any PC with an internet connection. For example, a couple of months ago I was housesitting for a week at my brother’s house – I download and install the Steam client, I login to my account, pick a game, I have to wait a bit for a game to download and then I start playing. And when Steamcloud gets up and running I’ll be even happier.
I always wonder how much of the price you pay for a boxed copy actually goes into the boxedness – we all know the stories of CDs, how little they actually cost to manufacture (including cases, booklets, etc.). I’m guessing it’ll be a very small part.
Today is the day for the pre-purchasers demo release (including me TEEHEE). But someone really needs to realize that this is just a DEMO, and you’re not gonna be anymore satisfied with just one or two levels of a whole game, not L4D, when you’ve been waiting for (just about a year?). So relax, the game isn’t out yet, and I personally think that the demo will make the wait worse.. :P Can’t wait for the full game.. ^^
This is a bad model. This isn’t a demo it’s a preview…
Valve has their heads too far up their own tails to notice those who don’t like their wasteland-of-IQ community. Unlockables and achievements completely exacerbated the problem of these losers with more time on their hands than a security guard at a used Hyundai dealership in Texas. As such, I’m staying well away from this until it’s cheap enough that I can gift it and play with people I actually LIKE.
It’s the 11th November…. WHERE IS THE DEMO ALREADY!?!?!?!?!
seconded. when will it go live?
I presume the 11th is just dawning in the Steam part of ‘Merika. I am hoping to see this available after work today, just to see if it can live up to the cubic-assload of hype.
weres the demo nearly 6pm and still cant get it what goes on has any one else managed to get it
yet another greedy video game corporation.. EA.. Blizzard.. and now valve.. demos are supposed to be free… they exist so people know if they want it before they buy it… when you charge money for a demo.. it completely destroys the purpose of having a demo.. it forces you to buy to try.. which isnt a demo at all…. has anyone heard of zombie panic… brain bread? these games have existed for many years.. and this is just a huge rip off.. except they really amp’d it up.. both graphically.. and the speed of the zombies.. they are doign what they did with CS and DOD.. they are marketing off other peoples ideas and mods.. and making way too much money.. 50 bux.. no thanks.
Tell that to the thousands playing the battlefield 2 demo everyday.