NEWS
by Murray Lewis
EA reinvents, renames the game demo
Maybe some of our younger readers don't remember, but back in my day every PC game worth its salt would have a demo. You'd get it from the latest issue of a magazine like PC Gamer or PC Zone, and (if it was good) you'd play that demo to within an inch of its life.
These days, though, demos are a rarity. With the huge rise in the sheer scale of gaming journalism, not to mention the appearance of the 'Let's Play', developers would much rather spend time on the full game than on a stripped-back, limited version to give away for free. It seems fair enough, but I must confess I do miss the days of exploring a whole CD's-worth of free gaming content.
Starting today, though, EA have got it covered with their new 'Game Time' system. With an Origin account, you can download and play multiplayer mech-blaster Titanfall absolutely free! Naturally, there is a catch; the game is on a strict 48-hour timer that starts ticking down from the moment you start the game - even while you aren't playing.
Once your 48 hours are up, the game is locked away again, and you'll have to purchase it for the full price to continue. By that point you'll probably have made your mind up about whether or not it's worth the money, so it sounds like it should do the job.
If you're interested, head over to the Origin store page, and click 'Try Titanfall™ (Origin Game Time) before you buy!'.
EA have assured us that more games will be moving to the new Game Time system in the future.