Every year, thousands of demos of upcoming games are released on Steam, and Valve has decided to introduce trial editions to the system a few changesbased on feedback from users and the developers themselves.
Image source: PC Gamer
Firstly, developers will now be able to create a separate page on Steam for the demo: post screenshots, trailers, descriptions, etc. There will also be user reviews of the trial version.
Secondly, demos are now displayed in the same sections and lists of the Steam store as free products (Popular New Releases, New Releases). In addition, users can now receive a notification when a demo is released for a game they want.
Image source: Valve
Valve has also added more options for managing demos in the Steam library. For example, trial versions no longer need to be installed immediately – you can simply add them to your account. Other changes:
Now you can install a demo even if you have the full version of the game; Now you can delete a demo from your account; Demos deleted from your device are automatically deleted from your library.
As part of the initiative, Valve changed the way demos are displayed in the Steam library, which could expose users to “samples” that they “probably no longer care about.”
Image source: Valve
In a FAQ section, Valve also clarified that the icon next to the demo is not a platter or vinyl record, but a CD, which was once used to distribute trial versions of games.
Finally, Valve reminded that the demo has separate page on Steamand the next week-long “Games Will Be” festival with hundreds of new free trials will take place from October 14 to 21 of this year.
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