Would You Rather ... Just Testing Edition
by Xav de Matos 
{ Mar 26th 2008 at 2:30PM }
In our continuing effort to bring you fresh and interesting content, X3F presents Would You Rather ... a weekly feature that asks you the hard questions. The point? If you had to choose one or the other, which would you go for?
While we sit and wait for the Condemned 2: Bloodshot demo to hit Xbox Live (yeah, we know the game is out) and we boot up our beta version of Battlefield: Bad Company we got to thinking - do we prefer single player or multiplayer demos? It seems that ever since the Halo 3 beta, most online games are allowing players to play test their upcoming releases in multiplayer form rather than traditional single player demos. Shooters like Call of Duty 4 to fighting games like Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, it looks like developers would rather put us to work to test their upcoming releases.
There's always the rub with a beta that it could be a buggy mess and developers are able to throw their hands in the air and say "Oh, you knew it was a test so don't cry Sally." Traditional demos on the other hand are usually very polished, and game tested clips from a final game in order to showcase what makes it special. Considering devs have claimed single player demos can chew-up development time it appears multiplayer betas are becoming the new norm. So, we ask you in this week's WUR - which do you prefer a single demo or multiplayer beta (demo)?
Feel free to share the reasons for your vote in the comments. We'll share the results of the poll during the next edition of Would You Rather ... which hits X3F every Wednesday.
Last weeks WUR results can be find after the jump ... quick test out these sweet links!
Last week's WUR wasn't much of a surprise as a whopping 72% of readers preferred dedicated servers (like those found in Frontlines: Fuel of War versus the peer-to-peer (or client) connection. We personally wouldn't care either way, neither guarantees a lag free experience so how could we decide really? Wow, we just broke our own rules!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
oo7ev @ Mar 26th 2008 2:38PM
How about Both?
I think a multiplayer beta starts off very chaotic, where a single player can be eased into the game mechanics. Not that this is a bad thing, but it can mistakenly turn some people off if they are just thrown into a frag fest with other people who may already know how to do things properly in the game..
marklar @ Mar 26th 2008 2:49PM
I agree - i tried the Battlefield demo yesterday and I was just f***in thrown in there. very intimidating
the game sucks btw - i'm sticking with RSV2 and COD4
marklar @ Mar 26th 2008 2:49PM
sorry i meant BETA not DEMO
Neuromancer @ Mar 26th 2008 2:59PM
I wish more developers would throw their hands in the air and say "Oh, you knew it was a test so don't cry Sally."
Bennyishere @ Mar 26th 2008 3:03PM
Singleplayer. I like playing with myself. You know what I mean...
ZEBRA NINER @ Mar 26th 2008 3:18PM
Well, in the case of demos if they showcase the multiplayer or single player, it's obvious that they want to emphasis that as the best part of the game.
In the case of betas, since they are testing, I don't think they can be compared.
I guess it just depends on the game. Frontlines had both, and I hated the single player demo and only REALLY disliked the multiplayer demo.
Same thing with Timeshift. I hated the MP, but liked the single player demo.
Knight Marquise @ Mar 26th 2008 3:26PM
While I do enjoy online play, I also enjoy, likely to a somewhat greater degree, "offilne" single player play.
For instance, I had no interest in Frontlines, but the single player demo sold me on it.
Sammy D Kat @ Mar 26th 2008 3:28PM
Betas, by their very nature, require that it be multiplayer since the point is to test under real world conditions. They employ plenty of testers for single player. For demos, though, I personally prefer single player so I can check out the control scheme w/out having to deal w/ a bunch of ADD 8 year olds who just play the demo because they can't afford to buy the full version.
Doom3killer @ Mar 26th 2008 3:42PM
singleplayer... multiplayer = no fun until everyone has it
Todd @ Mar 26th 2008 4:40PM
I prefer the single player experience for a demo so that I can take my time and really analyze the game.
Analysis FTW!!
Derek @ Mar 26th 2008 8:34PM
Personally, as far as I am concerned they can make multi-player demos till the cows come home, and if that allows them to have more time, and put more effort in the game as a whole, thats even better. The only thing I would ask of them is to not sacrifice the single player experience for a great multiplayer experience. Call of Duty 4 is a great example, I am constantly told that it is one of the best games out there, but only if I play multiplayer, because the campaign is short and not as polished.
I think that that is a downside to any game, favoring one mode over the other. Not everyone has Gold, or even a high speed connection that supports it.
I have nothing against multi-player games, or against its players, I just feel that the single player side is just as important.