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[InkBlotBunny]

Has anyone ever tried doing this before? I don't really mind if it doesn't boost sales or anything. I was just hoping to use it as a way to see how people respond before spending the time to make a full version. I would be releasing the demo/proof of concept onto the android and apple mobile app stores. Do you think it would be worth trying or would it just be a waste of time?

[PompiPompi]

If you don't mind about sales, which I don't know which direction it will affect sales, then I think releasing a demo would be good.
If you can make players play your game and give feedback, it is always priceless.
If you don't have anyone play your game besides yourself(the other end of the scale), then you have no idea what other people think about it.

[Leroy Binks]

I find myself in the same situation and I will tell you that I think it is a fine line.  Too soon, and all the steam is out of your sails by the time it comes to market.  Too late, and the release of a demo was really a no show because the full game comes out shortly afterwards.

For us, we intend to release our demo no more than 6 months (projected) before the full game, which still feels like a long time.  We will be using the playable demo to help garner Kickstarter funds and generate interest in the game and our collective.  In the end, I think it comes down to a judgement call. 

No one knows your game better than you, and whether or not a free demo would affect any sales.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

i think it could work

what i did with my last commercial game immortal defense was not release a demo, but prior to release the entire game was free, with the exception that i didn't include 2/3 of the story in the game (so the free version of the game prior to the game's release had all the levels, but only 1/3 of the dialogue for those levels). that way people could play the entire game and provide feedback for the entire game while still having motivation to buy it when it was released

i may try something like that with my current game as it nears release as well

[InkBlotBunny]

I guess alternatively I could have it start out as free, release weekly updates and then start charging once it can be considered a full game and no longer in beta. That way I still get a ton of feed back and hopefully it will keep them happy and motivate them to buy the full version. Kind of a mixture between your technique Paul and how Minecraft use to be.

[Falmil]

Suddenly charging for something that was free can put off a lot of people. As long as you make the jump from free to pay a giant one with many new and exciting features and its not simply a minor update that adds almost nothing and suddenly starts charging for the game.

[InkBlotBunny]

Well I was hoping that the incentive of continued weekly updates would be enough. After I released a paid version I would no longer update the free version. (unless some kind of major bug turns up)

Does that sound alright?

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

@falmil - that's true but often you don't really start promoting it until it's released, so that the only ones who know about it when it's free will be people who use indie game forums (a couple hundred people); the great majority of people didn't play it when it was free and wouldn't even know it was ever free

with my own game immortal defense, only a few hundred people downloaded it before it was released (the free version that i posted on forums), whereas tens of thousands downloaded the demo after it was released

also you aren't really going to be selling it to people who use indie game forums anyway (those are mostly kids and other developers, who can make games themselves and don't need to buy yours)

[Falmil]

I am all for a free version and a pay version, I just don't think that having free version 0.99 suddenly turn to pay version 1.0 would be a good idea since you wouldn't be offering much incentive and you would be taking away the free version (don't know how you meant the shift to work).
Notch had a static free version and regular updates on the paid one, so people who paid were continuously getting new stuff. What would stop a large number of freeloaders from jumping ship when you finally finished the game if you spent a lot of time on the free version without creating a large incentive to switch?

[CowBoyDan]

Keep in mind on android that any bad reviews are permanent, so if you get some 1 star "this is lame" reviews first you'll never recover.  On iOS I "think" they put your app in a "new" section for a few days when it first comes out (i.e. free marketing), don't know but I doubt they do that every time you update, also its generally a 2 week review before approval on iOS (not an iOS dev so this isn't first hand, if someone knows better please correct).

On android NOW as of august this year, be prepared to market it yourself.  Android market has enough steam and big names (EA, Namco, etc) that they no longer give a crap about small devs.  Unless people search by name they will never see your game.  The current state of small/indie dev on android is fubar.   Prior to that it was a good market.  Now google just wants you to pay for advertising (they conveniently have a button to advertise your apps right next to where you publish it).  Android devs used to be rewarded for updating their apps (boosted in the just-in list, more exposure) now you get nothing for free.  (disclaimer: I am a disgruntled former android dev who among others watched my sales drop by 75% when they updated the market in august). 

[Leroy Binks]

Notch had a static free version and regular updates on the paid one, so people who paid were continuously getting new stuff. What would stop a large number of freeloaders from jumping ship when you finally finished the game if you spent a lot of time on the free version without creating a large incentive to switch?

I am all for this.  Keep a permanent free version to introduce, and hopefully seduce, players into your world.  Then have a glossy, fully realized version at the ready for a hungry audience.

We plan on going with this model, but I am uncertain as to what a compelling demo would be.  Do you limit the characters, levels, abilities, or a mixture of all three?

[InkBlotBunny]

Keep in mind on android that any bad reviews are permanent, so if you get some 1 star "this is lame" reviews first you'll never recover.  On iOS I "think" they put your app in a "new" section for a few days when it first comes out (i.e. free marketing), don't know but I doubt they do that every time you update, also its generally a 2 week review before approval on iOS (not an iOS dev so this isn't first hand, if someone knows better please correct).

On the iOS store it only shows the reviews for the current version but it has an star rating that shows the average rating from all versions.

Yes all newly submitted apps to the apple store gets added to the "New" section but it's kind of buried so it's not that helpful. If apple feels that your app is good enough for the front page your pretty much guaranteed to make over $1,000 a day though.

I've submitted 5 apps so far and I've never had to wait longer then 6 business days for them to go through review.

Those are all extremely good points though. I hadn't even thought about how they would effect my plan.  

I may have to rethink this...

[entropyExplorer]

Making a demo is a really nice way to prototype gameplay, and it takes a lot less work. I'd say it is one of the best milestones to work towards in my opinion.