Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Mercenaries 2 demo now on Xbox Livehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/16/mercenaries-2-demo-now-on-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/16/mercenaries-2-demo-now-on-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/16/mercenaries-2-demo-now-on-xbox-live/#commentsFiled under: ,

So, are we posting about a demo for Mercenaries 2 (that just arrived on Xbox Live) solely so we can have an excuse to share "Oh No You Didn't," which somehow, mysteriously, has eluded our grasp for weeks? Possibly. We hope you can forgive us.

If you came here for actual demo information rather than hilarious song stylings, you should know that it only pays out 20 minutes of fun before it shuts the whole operation down and kicks you to the dashboard. If you're looking for a really meaty taste, you may want to turn to renting.

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]]>demosmercenaries-2pandemicxblaJustin McElroy2008-09-16T14:00:00+00:00Dem-o-matic: Guitar Hero Aerosmith and NBA Live 09http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/08/dem-o-matic-guitar-hero-aerosmith-and-nba-live-09/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/08/dem-o-matic-guitar-hero-aerosmith-and-nba-live-09/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/08/dem-o-matic-guitar-hero-aerosmith-and-nba-live-09/#commentsFiled under: , ,


The whole point of Guitar Hero Aerosmith is to give you a taste of what it would be like to be part of the seminal classic rock band. So, what would a taste of a taste of Aerosmith be (besides bitter with a hint of copper)? That's right: A demo for the game, now available on Xbox Live, including "Sweet Emotion," "Dream On," "Walk this Way" and others.

Also on XBL is the demo for NBA Live 09, the taste of which we can't even begin to contemplate.

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]]>demosguitar-heroguitar-hero-aerosmithnba-live-09Justin McElroy2008-09-08T10:10:00+00:00Take note: Pure demo coming tomorrowhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/03/take-note-pure-demo-coming-tomorrow/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/03/take-note-pure-demo-coming-tomorrow/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/03/take-note-pure-demo-coming-tomorrow/#commentsFiled under: , ,


We said in our "New Games This Month" post that Pure was the best racing you weren't anticipating, and believe us when we say we weren't, in the parlance of the hills, just whistling Dixie. It an incredibly smart take on ATV racing that intertwines your turbo and combo meter to create a risk/reward dynamic unlike anything else we've seen in the genre.

Now, you'll get to see what all the fuss is about firsthand when demos for Pure land on Xbox Live and PSN tomorrow. Just don't come crying to us that you weren't warned before your face got rocked clean off.

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]]>demosdisney-interactivepsnpurexbox-liveJustin McElroy2008-09-03T11:00:00+00:00Beijing 2008 demo goes for the (Xbox Live) Goldhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/beijing-2008-demo-goes-for-the-xbox-live-gold/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/beijing-2008-demo-goes-for-the-xbox-live-gold/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/02/beijing-2008-demo-goes-for-the-xbox-live-gold/#commentsFiled under: ,


We've been in Olympic withdrawal in recent weeks, wishing that we could just once more see Michael Phelps win America's heart through wild gesticulation or try to deduce which one of the Croatian swimming team members is actually a dude (spoiler alert: all of them).

Now, you can recapture the glory with a new demo for Beijing 2008 that has just arrived on the 360, a sample of what has been called "the best Olympics game ever." Sure, that's a little like being the world's mightiest primordial dwarf, but it's also plenty endorsement for something that's completely free.

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]]>beijing-2008demosxbox-liveJustin McElroy2008-09-02T08:50:00+00:00Republic Commando('s head) cameos in Force Unleashed demohttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/22/republic-commando-s-head-cameos-in-force-unleashed-demo/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/22/republic-commando-s-head-cameos-in-force-unleashed-demo/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/22/republic-commando-s-head-cameos-in-force-unleashed-demo/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Here's a fun Star Wars nugget that you may not have noticed during your numerous play-throughs of the new Force Unleashed demo. Above a tunnel in the TIE fighter area of the demo you'll find -- the head of Republic Commando's Delta 1138! Eeegah! ... No, no, we're kidding, it's probably just his helmet.

Tipster and head hunter SpikeDelight tells us "This is almost surely a hint towards a next-gen sequel to the game," but we're not sure we'd go that far. Still, it's cute, right?

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]]>demoseaster-eggsforce-unleashedstar-warsJustin McElroy2008-08-22T11:00:00+00:00Tiger Woods 09, SBK08 demos hit Xbox Livehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/tiger-woods-09-sbk08-demos-hit-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/tiger-woods-09-sbk08-demos-hit-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/tiger-woods-09-sbk08-demos-hit-xbox-live/#commentsFiled under: ,


So, we've got good news, and we've got potentially bad news. We're going to mix it up and give you the bad news first: There's a demo for SBK08 on Xbox Live right now, but if you live in Asia or North America, you can't play it. Maybe it's not that big a deal, but what if we told you that SBK stood ... for superbike? We thought regular bikes were cool, but these bikes ... wow, they're just so far beyond that. We feel bad for anyone (ourselves included) who's stuck with a last-gen non-super-bike. You've won this round, Europe.

But, hey, dry those tears, rest of the world, because today you can also download a demo for Tiger Woods 09. Experience the thrill of Joystiq editor Ludwig Kietzmann's day-to-day life as you play three holes at the Gary Player Country Club in South Africa. Hey, just because Little Steven avoids it doesn't mean you can't play Sun City!

(P.S. We're assuming that at least the Tiger Woods demo will show up on PSN today. We'll let you know when we see an update.)

Source -- SBK08 Demo
Source -- Tiger Woods 09 Demo

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]]>demossuperbiketiger-woods-09xbox-liveJustin McElroy2008-08-14T09:45:00+00:00Dem-o-rama: Alone in the Dark, Wall•E samples on 360http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/04/dem-o-rama-alone-in-the-dark-wall-e-samples-on-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/04/dem-o-rama-alone-in-the-dark-wall-e-samples-on-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/04/dem-o-rama-alone-in-the-dark-wall-e-samples-on-360/#commentsFiled under: ,


We're rarely ever encouraged when we see a demo for a game come after it has already been released -- it always feels a touch like a last-ditch effort. But when, as is the case for both games today, the release date predates the demo by more than a month? That's not promotional material; that's a dead canary.

But, as both Alone in the Dark and Wallo.E will likely be headed to Bargainville soon, perhaps there's no better time to get a free sample. Just don't be surprised if there's a reason they kept these sludge-filled hors d'oeuvres out of your hands.

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]]>alone-in-the-darkdemoswall-eJustin McElroy2008-08-04T10:45:00+00:00Madden 09, Facebreaker demos rush onto Xbox Live, PSN [update]http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/31/madden-09-facebreaker-demos-rush-onto-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/31/madden-09-facebreaker-demos-rush-onto-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/31/madden-09-facebreaker-demos-rush-onto-xbox-live/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Electronic Arts has today released the one-two punch of both Madden 09 and Facebreaker demos on Xbox Live [update: and PlayStation Network] (via Major Nelson). Both downloads are approximately 1 GB apiece, and Facebreaker has the added benefit of a character creation feature that lets you transfer your created fighters to the full game. PlayStation 3 owners can expect the Madden 09 demo today, but face breaking will have to wait until August 7.

[Update: A Sony rep called to let us know that both demos will be coming to PSN today, as well]

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]]>demodemosfacebreakermaddenmadden-09xbox-liveRoss Miller2008-07-31T10:35:00+00:00Don King Prizefighter demo on Xbox Livehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/24/don-king-prizefighter-demo-on-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/24/don-king-prizefighter-demo-on-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/24/don-king-prizefighter-demo-on-xbox-live/#commentsFiled under: ,


We were quick to chuckle into our sleeves at Don King Presents Prizefighter, especially when the overwhelmingly mediocre reviews started rolling in. But that was before we read his Wikipedia entry, which says that he shot a man who was robbing a gambling house he owned and beat an employee, who owed him $600, to death. So you'll understand when we're coming from when we tell you that there's a demo for Don King's game on Xbox Live and it's freaking amazing.

As we sat there with our mouths agape enjoying the splendor of the demo, we kept wondering "Is it even possible a game this magnificent was designed and programmed by just one man?" ... Not that we'd ever doubt you, Mr. King. Ever. Hey, what are you doing with that bat?

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]]>2k-gamesdemosdon-king-presents-pr...xbox-liveJustin McElroy2008-06-24T16:30:00+00:00Tales of Vesperia gets demo on Xbox Livehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/20/tales-of-vesperia-gets-demo-on-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/20/tales-of-vesperia-gets-demo-on-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/20/tales-of-vesperia-gets-demo-on-xbox-live/#commentsFiled under: ,


We're not sure what a "Vesperia" is, exactly. We suspect it's either a topical cream which has sinus cleansing vapors, or some manner of ornate doily. If that's the sort of thing you'd like to hear some tales about, you're in luck, as the demo for Namco Bandai's cel-shaded RPG, Tales of Vesperia, has just arrived on Xbox Live.

Yes, Namco told us that a demo was coming this month, so it's not exactly earth-shattering news, but we find great comfort in things panning out the way we've been told they would. As per our usual agreement, let us know what you think of the demo in the comments.

Gallery: Tales of Vesperia

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]]>demosnamco-bandaitales-of-vesperiaxbox-liveJustin McElroy2008-06-20T17:00:00+00:00NCAA Football 2009 demo hits Xbox Livehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/19/ncaa-football-2009-demo-hits-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/19/ncaa-football-2009-demo-hits-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/19/ncaa-football-2009-demo-hits-xbox-live/#commentsFiled under: ,


We love sports games. No, we don't really play them that much, but we like the insight that they give us into the mind of the non-gamer. The way we feel when we comb through various combinations of acronyms and numbers is how we imagine non-video game fans feel when they look at any shelf of game titles. ("Tracy, he asked Santa for God of War, do you think Gears of War is close enough?") So understand that when we tell you that there's a demo for NCAA Football 2009 on Xbox Live we don't really know what we're saying.

Is that one of the good ones? Does it have new stuff? We can't tell you. All we gleaned from Major Nelson is that the game has "unique college-style animations" and you know what that means: Post-touchdown beer bongs. So at least you've got that going for you. Hopefully the more knowledgeable among you will let us know how the demo fares in the comments.

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]]>demoseancaa-footballxbox-liveJustin McElroy2008-06-19T09:00:00+00:00Dark Sector demo spins into Xbox Livehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/11/dark-sector-demo-spins-into-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/11/dark-sector-demo-spins-into-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/11/dark-sector-demo-spins-into-xbox-live/#commentsFiled under: ,


We know that this doesn't go for everyone, but we really adored Dark Sector when we played it back in March. Now, just a couple of months after its release, you can finally get a taste of the glaive-tossing action without laying down any cash, thanks to the demo now available on Xbox Live.

The gameplay gets a touch stale toward the middle of the full game and it climaxes with the worst boss fight in recorded history, but we still think it's worth your time. Give the demo a spin (Get it? Like a glaive!) and let us know what you think.

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]]>d3dark-sectordemosxbox-liveJustin McElroy2008-06-11T11:00:00+00:00Demorama: Battlefield: Bad Company, Quake Wars demos on Xbox Livehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/09/demorama-battlefield-bad-company-quake-wars-demos-on-xbox-liv/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/09/demorama-battlefield-bad-company-quake-wars-demos-on-xbox-liv/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/09/demorama-battlefield-bad-company-quake-wars-demos-on-xbox-liv/#commentsFiled under: ,


It's a great day to be a first-person shooter fan. ... Well, more specifically, it's a great day to be a first-person shooter fan who's also totally broke. Not only did (as we previously warned you) the Battlefield: Bad Company demo go up over the weekend, but today we get the Xbox Live demo for Enemy Territory: Quake Wars.

So, how is Quake Wars? Well, we haven't taken it for a spin yet, but the reviews say it's at least better than the PS3 version, even if that's not saying a lot. Give both of them a spin for yourself and let us know.

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]]>battlefield-bad-comp...demosquake-warsxbox-liveJustin McElroy2008-06-09T10:00:00+00:00Bourne Conspiracy demo now on Xbox Livehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/05/bourne-conspiracy-demo-now-on-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/05/bourne-conspiracy-demo-now-on-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/05/bourne-conspiracy-demo-now-on-xbox-live/#commentsFiled under: ,


Since we first saw the gameplay from The Bourne Conspiracy, we've held a secret hope that the game, despite its deficiency of Vitamin D(amon), would rise above the standard of mediocrity that has been set by so many licensed games before it. But today is the true test, as a hulking, 1.24 GB demo for the game has just arrived on Xbox Live Marketplace in Australia, New Zealand, India and North America (it's coming to Europe next week).

So eager were we to pass the news along that we haven't given the demo a try yet. But we're anxiously awaiting word on it, so ... what's your verdict?

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]]>bourne-conspiracydemosthe-bourne-conspiracyxbox-liveJustin McElroy2008-05-05T09:30:00+00:00Spore Creature Creator and demo coming June 17http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/25/spore-creature-creator-and-demo-coming-june-17/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/25/spore-creature-creator-and-demo-coming-june-17/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/25/spore-creature-creator-and-demo-coming-june-17/#commentsFiled under: ,


If you're the megalomaniacal sort who wants nothing more than a race of sentient creatures of your own design bending to your every whim, we have good news! The Spore Creature Creator, once only dated for the murky, fingerprinted window of June, has now been specifically nailed to June 17. If you're megalomaniacal but also too cheap to spring the $9.99 for the game, you'll be happy to hear that a free demo will also arrive that day on the Spore site.

Once the full game arrives on September 5, you'll be able to import in all your created beasts. Until then, they're a perfect way to see if friends and family love you enough to feign interest in the computer animal you made.

Gallery: Spore

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]]>demoseasporespore-creature-creatorwill-wrightJustin McElroy2008-04-25T08:00:00+00:00Operation Darkness demo hits Xbox Livehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/24/operation-darkness-demo-hits-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/24/operation-darkness-demo-hits-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/24/operation-darkness-demo-hits-xbox-live/#commentsFiled under: ,

Upon first glance (and your second through seventh glances, admittedly) Operation Darkness seems like a game created by insane people. It's a squad based tactical game where you're fighting the "hidden battles of WWII," but the reason they were hidden is apparently because they were waged against skeletons. And and some point, one of those skeletons gets punched by a wolf man in a trench coat. See? Crazy.

We tell you all this, not as a lead-in to dispel your presumptions about the game's insanity, but to see if you'd play the new demo on Xbox Live for us and let us know how it is. Because frankly, we're a little freaked out.

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]]>atlusdemosoperation-darknessxbox-liveJustin McElroy2008-04-24T14:55:00+00:00Bethesda: There will be no demo for Fallout 3http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/21/bethesda-there-will-be-no-demo-for-fallout-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/21/bethesda-there-will-be-no-demo-for-fallout-3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/21/bethesda-there-will-be-no-demo-for-fallout-3/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


click to enlarge

Cake, pizza, fabric, all things you can take a chunk out of to judge the quality. But Fallout 3, it's more like a Jenga tower or a baby: Taking a sample slice out of it won't end up well for anyone. To that end Eurogamer reports that Bethesda's Pete Hines says there will be no demo for the sprawling action RPG.

"When you build it as one thing, there's no way to portion off a section and have it stand on its own without putting the whole game in the demo, which we're just not going to do," Hines told the publication. But honestly, if at their heart demos are to help consumers make wise buying decisions, do you really need one for Fallout 3? We'll be fine waiting to have our minds blown by the whole package. In the interim, enjoy these three new screenshots Bethesda released today, to take the edge off.

Gallery: Fallout 3

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]]>bethesdademosfalloutfallout-3Justin McElroy2008-04-21T13:15:00+00:00Condemned 2 demo hits Xbox Livehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/18/condemned-2-demo-hits-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/18/condemned-2-demo-hits-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/18/condemned-2-demo-hits-xbox-live/#commentsFiled under: ,


We're a little nervous about a new demo for Condemned 2 that was released on Xbox Live this morning. It's not that it's not worth your time (it is) or your money (it's free). We're just concerned that you'll get the wrong idea about Condemned 2 from the provided sample.

If it's the first level of the game, believe us when we say it gets way better. The enemies get smarter, the environments more varied, the weapons get cooler the deeper you get into the game, so don't go getting turned off by the demo slice. We should warn you though that the new Ethan Thomas voice guy doesn't get any less awful. We pine for you, Greg Grunberg. We pine.

Gallery: Condemned 2: Bloodshot (Xbox 360, PS3)

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]]>condemnedcondemned-2demosgreg-grunbergsegaxbox-liveJustin McElroy2008-04-18T21:00:00+00:00Study to publishers: Don't release demos, just trailershttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/15/study-to-publishers-dont-release-demos-just-trailers/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/15/study-to-publishers-dont-release-demos-just-trailers/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/15/study-to-publishers-dont-release-demos-just-trailers/#commentsFiled under: ,

To us, demos seem like a great way to get the word out about games, but a recent study suggests that they might be better tools for consumers than solid marketing strategy. The Electronic Entertainment Design and Research Group (EEDAR) reports that games that are marketed on Xbox Live and PSN with a trailer only sell considerably better than games that ship with a demo.

On the PS3, games with no demo or trailer actually sold better than those with a demo, while the inverse was true on the 360. Now, this doesn't mean EEDAR wants you to lose your precious demos forever, but they recommend starting work on a demo after the game's on shelves so no polishing resources are lost. Though we can definitely see the logic in this (we've been kept from buying a few bad games by demos), we kind of wish EEDAR would keep our secret to themselves.

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]]>demospsnxbox-liveJustin McElroy2008-04-15T11:30:00+00:00Universe at War: Earth Assault demo hits XBLhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/14/universe-at-war-earth-assault-demo-hits-xbl/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/14/universe-at-war-earth-assault-demo-hits-xbl/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/14/universe-at-war-earth-assault-demo-hits-xbl/#commentsFiled under: ,


Much like the quests for a better mousetrap or to write a more perfect pop song than Rupert Holmes' "Escape," a great RTS on a console always seems to be maddeningly just out of reach. Developer Petroglyph's attempt on the great white whale, Universe at War: Earth Assault, is now available on Xbox Live for you to sample.

So here's our question for those that have played the demo (or the full game for that matter): Did it work? Are we any closer to finding the perfect combination of factors for console RTS greatness? Or are we back to Square Rupert One?

Gallery: Universe at War: Earth Assault

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]]>demospetroglyphuniverse-at-waruniverse-at-war-eart...Justin McElroy2008-04-14T18:00:00+00:00