Review Demo impressions thread

[Dutch]

Our information is that it is roughly 2 weeks older than the playtest build, which makes it about 6 weeks difference between the demo and the gold version. They were working on the game fairly heavily in those last few weeks, they were doing stuff on the bowling speeds on the day of the (Aus) playtest (and it isn't as simple as just changing the number and leaving it).

Keep in mind that the people from Transmission have a hard job in what they can and can't post here and I bet they are all reading this with amusement.

I am not sure whether this been answered already and I am not savvy in this area so the question might be showing my ignorance, but why would they release a demo which is "flawed"? Surely the idea behind a demo is to ignite peoples desire to buy the full game? Wouldn't a demo with obvious faults be risky in a buisness sense??

 

[MattW]

I am not sure whether this been answered already and I am not savvy in this area so the question might be showing my ignorance, but why would they release a demo which is "flawed"? Surely the idea behind a demo is to ignite peoples desire to buy the full game? Wouldn't a demo with obvious faults be risky in a buisness sense??

Most demos are pre-release code, because if they weren't, they would have to release after the game is finished, and on tight schedules that means on or after the actual release of the game.

From a business sense, most people aren't huge cricket fans and would go 'ooh shiny' at the demo and buy it.

 

[Dutch]

Mmm...it makes sense on the one hand because I didn't really realise that demos were made prior to things being finalised. On the other hand you would have thought that even non-cricket fans would still get fed up with strange run-outs and not -outs. Don't get me wrong, I see clearly that most of the reactions have been positive to the demo but it just seems to go against all the rules of PR and suchlike...but then again what do I know. I just feel that in a world of so many choices you need to really, really shine to convince people to part with their money.

 

[MattW]

Well the runouts were an issue on the play test build too, so that may not be a demo quirk.

Even if the demo was from the final build it still wouldn't demonstrate the whole game properly, as you are playing an odd thing of limited overs in test conditions, which isn't something the game is designed for.

 

[FaWaD]

I think we can live with a few glitches as we always do and a game is never perfect. So far I am very happy with the game and can easily enjoy it with a few of my own rules in placed.

 

[Swingers]

I think we can live with a few glitches as we always do and a game is never perfect. So far I am very happy with the game and can easily enjoy it with a few of my own rules in placed.

Yes I dont expect every bug from the demo to be gone by the final release game, would be nice but just isnt going to happen. I have never seen the run out bug myself while playing so hopefully it isnt a regular occurance. and I think I will be playing this mainly against another human anyway as that seems the most fun.

The bug where the ball hits the stumps and isn't out MUST be fixed, either by final or by patch!

 

[Supershtuffthat]

I dont think we can live with the AI running itself out continually. That is horrendous.

 

[sami ullah khan]

^May be we can choose throw at the wrong end if we see the AI making a fatal mistake. I think we can save them that way and game play will not suffer because of that. Whats your say on that?

 

[10dulkar]

^May be we can choose throw at the wrong end if we see the AI making a fatal mistake. I think we can save them that way and game play will not suffer because of that. Whats your say on that?

In the scenarios,

where both the batsmen start running from their end, which end will we throw?
Also, Sometimes batsmen starts running after the ball has been thrown by the fielder.

We can do anything in either these two cases. there will be a runout most of the time in these circumstances.

If its not fixed in final build, we got to live with it.

 

[jmxx009]

I was watching this video here .

YouTube - Ashes Cricket 2009 Demo Footage Xbox 360 (pt 1/2) HD

During the last 2 overs, the batsman was constantly hitting the bowler straight down the pitch for 4's and 6's. I thought that the AI was smart enough to change field settings if they were constantly being punished in a particular area !!!.I mean,isnt that what the developers said in the first interview?
I still think its a great game though. It looks brilliant and there is this realistic feel to it. I will definitely buy it.

 

[Swingers]

I dont think we can live with the AI running itself out continually. That is horrendous.

I dont think it does it continually, but agree it would get annoying if it was regular. At least it is harder to get the AI out in other ways, on hard anyway. As said before this game wont be perfect and will be better against another human.

 

[Sureshot]

Yea, that's what i was thinking they would be playing the full game but shouldn't there be a ps3 demo as a early build of the game? O well if they don't bring out a ps3 demo i'll download the pc one

So many technical/business factors could go in to deciding a PS3 demo.

 

[Swingers]

I was watching this video here .

YouTube - Ashes Cricket 2009 Demo Footage Xbox 360 (pt 1/2) HD

During the last 2 overs, the batsman was constantly hitting the bowler straight down the pitch for 4's and 6's. I thought that the AI was smart enough to change field settings if they were constantly being punished in a particular area !!!.I mean,isnt that what the developers said in the first interview?
I still think its a great game though. It looks brilliant and there is this realistic feel to it. I will definitely buy it.

No the AI doesnt seem to react to you hitting it consistently in the same place in the demo. Hopefully thats different in the full game in a normal over match but as stated the AI has not been optimised for this 3 over game demo.

 

[barmyarmy]

I posted elsewhere that I think that a 3 over test was a strange choice for a demo. It feeds into the whack-it-around frenzy that I thought they were trying to get away from. From a purely cricketing and gaming point-of-view a scenario from the first test would have been great. Survive 6 overs as Monty and Jim; super aggressive fields etc. Aus's target would be to take one wicket.
That said I can see why from a marketing point of view that is less accessible than just biff the ball around.

 

[Skater]

They could have at least made it 6 overs a side like the old demos.