Steam Now Offers 90-Minute Game Trials Starting With Dead Space

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It seems only Dead Space has a trial available on Steam right now, but the feature may come to other games later on. With Dead Space, you don't need to purchase the game to play during the 90-minute trial period. The Dead Space trial isn't restricted to a certain point in the game, allowing players to explore as much as they want within the 90-minute period.

Valve and other publishers are likely watching this new feature closely to see if it's worth implementing across other games. The Dead Space remake is currently available for $48 on Steam. Game trials on Steam are noteworthy since recent PC ports of popular games such as The Last of Us Part I and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor have been poorly received, mainly due to performance issues.

Giving players a chance to try games first could alleviate some of the frustrations of poorly optimized PC games, though it's unclear if Steam trials will become more ubiquitous.

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/steam-now-offers-90-minute-game-trials-starting-with-dead-space/1100-6514177/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1693980/Dead_Space/

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11 months ago*

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12 Comments

JonathanDoe

Steam Game Pass incoming maybe?

11 months ago

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FiReWaTeRcfh

wonder if that will replace refunding games

11 months ago

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Cim

It won't. The reason we have so similar refund policies on so many stores is because it's required by EU law.

11 months ago

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FiReWaTeRcfh

true that. good point

11 months ago

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HappyCakeday

The assumption so far is the 90-minute trial should help decrease the amount of refund submissions Steam support is having currently. Seems the timed trial is a hybrid of a demo without its gameplay limitations from the devs and owning a game, but temporarily.

11 months ago

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Axelflox

Interesting feature, I just hope this doesn't put the final nail in the coffin for demos.

11 months ago

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Dohi64

steam fests would be nothing without them. and since they're encouraging this limited-time bullshit, demos are pretty much dead outside them anyway.

11 months ago

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Axelflox

I'd really miss them, they're sort of a separate art form from full games, I still remember how I liked the Stanley Parable demo more than the full game (although the Ultra Deluxe was somehow better than both). Well that and the 90's nostalgia associated with demo discs, to this day there's titles I've never experienced the actual full thing, only the demo.

11 months ago

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Dohi64

love it when a demo is different from the main game and hate how calling them prologues now gives the false impression that it's an actual prologue before the full game, not just a demo. at least most of these 'free games' remain even if the demo download gets pulled at release at the latest. hate that too.

the starlancer demo, for instance, had 2 missions, acting as an actual prequel, it was pretty cool. too bad with the full game owned you can't install the demo on steam any more, but I still have a few downloaded from olden times (jedi outcast, just cause and jagged alliance 2 also had original content).

and yeah, played the aground demo for 4 fucking hours, didn't even finish it, so much to do, bought it while it was in early access for like 30% off (I don't buy ea, nor anything at -30%) and still haven't played the full version. bunch of others too. tried, liked, bought, can be played anytime, so time to look for new-new stuff, that's the 'logic' behind it. also, a demo is less stressful for me, I can fuck things up, doesn't matter, but would have to start over a proper playthrough after a while and I don't want that.

11 months ago

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SmartBadger

Might just be an EA thing, with them trying to push EA play.

11 months ago

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eternalsadness

im pretty sure this started with ea but more will use it as time passes

11 months ago

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