Listen. The game pass isn't a replacement for demos. It still costs money, so for people who can only buy a limited number of games per year, that's a no-go. It's one of the more expensive subscription services as well. The point of demos is to be a free but limited experience of the game so people can decide whether the game is worth throwing money at without getting a subscription for hundreds of games they don't care about or already own. Nothing against the game pass mind you, it's great for lots of people, but it ain't a demo.

Besides, this isn't just about Starfield. There seem to be more games coming out unfinished than otherwise, and both that trend and the absence of demos seem to have come with SaaS games becoming the norm. Remember when no man's sky came out? Or cyberpunk 2077? Or fallout 76? Beinging back demos won't completely prevent cases like that, but it sure would help

[–] Sniatch@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago (3 children)

You say more games are coming out unfinished and then you buy a 70 bucks game on release from Bethesda without informing yourself beforehand? Yes this is your own mistake.

[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 7 points 1 year ago

There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again.

[–] Dubious_Fart@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago

most people playing the game now probably got it free with their GPU/CPU purchase. You know.

Just so you know.

[–] sewerkat@lemmy.blahaj.zone -1 points 1 year ago

I swear lemmy users are worse than redditors. Y'all are embarrassing the fucking fediverse you demented parrots. I'm honestly considering going back to the terrible reddit app, at least people there know how to read.

I pirate games. It's the only way to inform yourself, but it's widely illegal. Games reviewers are hesitant to publish critical reviews, because that means risking not getting review copies. Community reviews are constantly review bombed for any controversial game, to the point where you can't look up whether bg3 is good without having to scroll through a deluge of rants about how they're shoving gay propaganda down people's throats or whatever.

Starfield got 88 on metacritic. It really does not deserve those numbers. But major bethesda releases are major news, so as a reviewer you do need to appease them. But as a customer, how are you supposed to inform yourself when Bethesda has every major outlet by the balls? I shouldn't need to care, because as i said, i pirate before i buy, but many people just can't safely do that. If game publishers would just release goddamn demos, they would provide an actual way for customers to inform themselves early on (when sales are the most important), and hell, maybe people would pirate less shit too. But that would mean having to release games that at least work, so of course the industry don't want that. And corporate rimmers like you don't help the situation

[–] SwampYankee@mander.xyz 2 points 1 year ago

Starfield doesn't feel unfinished or barebones at all to me. There's a ton of great quest content, the art is top notch, and I haven't seen a single bug in 30 hours.