Do Lame Software Demos Create Unfair Bias?

What's going on here? This smells of rotting fish! I've dropped by my local Electronics Boutique several times over the last month. They've got a Sega Dreamcast up and running in the official Sega Dreamcast demonstration cabinet. Guess what game they've been demonstrating? 102 Dalmatians: Puppies to the Rescue. What?!?! They've had this game up and running since its release. Adding insult to injury the featured game before that was Hoyle's Casino. Meanwhile, the PS2 demonstration unit is always loaded with games like SSX, Tekken and DOA Hardcore - the popular titles, not the lesser known ones. Moving over to the N64 demonstration unit they've got WWF No Mercy running. Before that they had the latest Zelda game up and running.

I've asked the sales clerks on several occasions why they are choosing to play these titles on the DC instead of some of the truly great games that have shipped this fall. Each time they just tell me that it is not up to them to decide what game gets play time in the store, that it was decided by someone else. Neither Hoyle nor 102 Dalmatians demonstrate the true power of the Sega Dreamcast. In fact 102 Dalmatians looks more like a N64 title due to the games lack of texture details.

Why in the world would a retail store do this? Don't they want to sell systems and games? You'd think that they'd want to drop a really great game in the system to really show it off. Unless there is some ... bias ... going on at the store. Say it ain't so! Lets give all each system an equal shot at the consumer's dollar.

Who or what is calling the shots when it comes to game selection in a demo unit? The current situation just does not make sense to me. Have you seen these sorts of things happing at stores in your area? I sure hope not.

Submitted by: tiptonium