First impressions are everything. Think about it: how many times have we been turned off on a potentially terrific Xbox Live Arcade title just because its demo on Xbox Live failed to deliver?

David Edery appears to agree on this point as well - the XBL worldwide games portfolio manager updated his blog with an interesting how-to guide for game developers regarding this topic.

Edery detailed that the demo should be more than just a gameplay teaser, that it should also try to whet the player's appetite for the game's full release. As he reiterated on the importance of a good demo:

A downloadable game's trial is everything. It doesn't matter if you licensed the three greatest IP of all time and fused them into the holy trinity of game design itself. If the trial stinks, most people won't bother to lift the curtain on the full experience.

Imagine being faced with two games, both of relatively equal quality. One has been hyped in the press for months. One is unheard of. Your friends are all talking about the first game. You yourself have been looking forward to it. But the other game is just as good. Which are you going to buy?

• Don’t confuse or frustrate the player
• Don’t make the player wait for the fun
• Don’t make the trial too short
• Don’t make the trial too long
• Intensify the player’s curiosity
• Work that upsell message
• Show off your best features
• Know your audience