It has got to the stage now where we are surrounded by more entertainment options than we even have time for, and the number of options is only increasing and seems limitless. Entertainment has also been brought right to our living rooms and households which is causing a slow death to popular pastimes such as cinemas and other brick-and-mortar entertainment establishments. But with all the entertainment options at our disposal, and often at a few clicks of a button, how can we avoid being overwhelmed by it all, and make more targeted decisions as to what we consume and how we entertain ourselves and avoid becoming mindless consumers simply watching the next best thing or what is being discussed in the office?
One way to use your time more constructively and really take in what you want to see and play what you want to play is by utilizing free previews or demos. Consumers of content will always view the starting point differently. Some people (the more indecisive amongst us) prefer to actually be bombarded with content or games of varying genres. If you are of the casino persuasion, there might be a certain game you prefer. If it is slots, then non uk slots will provide more interest than a whip around the roulette table. Online casino is a pertinent example of the use of previews and demos. On many platforms, players can trial a new slot game, for example, without depositing any of their own money and have access to all of the game’s features. Players are, therefore, able to “try before they buy,” which is a vital step in any decision-making process for entertainment enthusiasts. For the gamers out there, previews or demos are a good way to test new games once you have completed the latest Call of Duty for example. Or a way to see if the next sequel game actually lives up to the reviews. With the increased cost of PlayStation or Xbox games, gamers are also less reluctant to buy a game in the hope it is decent and can be written off as a small expense if it does not live up to expectations.
Think of all these previews/demos as a trailer for a movie. Trailers would, and still do, take up just a couple of minutes of your time while still giving you a good idea of what to expect. Like with taking a punt on an expensive console game, you would not want to gamble on a movie is good or not and potentially waste the now-up to three hours a movie can run for. Of course, an individual builds up their own expectations based on said previews, but trailers better inform the viewer of the overall production and also tend to leave the viewer with an immediate feel of what they could potentially be purchasing.
Nowadays, these previews are even becoming accessible at the touch or click of a couple of buttons. Speed is becoming more of the essence than it has ever been, and there is therefore an increased danger that people will lose interest in something if they cannot get to what they are looking for quickly. Gaming and streaming companies have, of course, become wise to this social impatience and have finetuned their offerings to cater to the consumers of today.
In the entertainment world, this is a strategy that has been developed over decades. When the first PlayStation was released, players could trial games in the form of hard copies that offered gamers a sneak peak of a level or two. With advancements in technology, this has of course, evolved into demos being integrated into an online platform, as is the case with players wanting to trial PS4 and PS5 games. PS5 even has a dedicated section for demos. Nowadays, streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, and Disney have automated previews when you hover over a series or movie title.
All these instances of demos are ways online entertainment providers entice people to use their products. But for gaming and viewing enthusiasts, these free snippets are the ideal starting point on the entertainment journey. If that journey continues down the same path and results in continued playing or viewing of a product, then the marketing department will give themselves a pat on the back. If the individual decides otherwise, then their journey continues down another path. However, wherever it ends, it probably all started with the demo.
