Over the last few weeks I’ve been asking top people at Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony about game demos for the downloadable games offered via Xbox Live Arcade, WiiWare and PlayStation Network.

I can’t get the same answer twice.

Microsoft – yes, demos are a must
Nintendo — no, demos are not required
Sony – sometimes demos are good, sometimes bad.

Keep reading to find out why they feel differently.

From my interview with him about Xbox Live Arcade:

“[Trial demos for XBLA games] came from the casual games industry. The thing is that Arcade has an identity. It is about pick-up-and-play games. The trial experience helps drive that pick-up-and-play nature. You have to think about how to get consumers to taste it. And the other thing is that it provides a great marketing tool. We’ve talked to consumers, and trial is one of the big drivers of purchase intent. So it gets smaller-budget games that doesn’t have a big marketing campaign– this is their marketing. We’re going to do a great job of getting the trial into people’s hands, and then the game can help sell itself.”

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Apparently, ‘Imagination Is The Only Escape’ will never see life on the shelves in North America. Nintendo has confirmed that the title will not be released in the states. However, the game will more than likely see some life in Europe and Asia. I’m sure this decision was made because things tend to become instantly controversial in the United States. I’m personally disappointed with the decision, considering the fact that I am strongly against most forms of censorship. I certainly believe that the Nazis were following some terrible and horrific ideas, but that doesn’t mean it never happened. I personally think a game like this could actually teach children about real history, not the sugar coated version they get in public schools.

Last month, when a 21-year-old British video game developer named Luc Bernard posted a description on his blog of a Holocaust-themed game he is writing that describes how the Nazis tortured children, the reaction was swift and visceral.

“Disgusting concept. Some people have no shame,” wrote one video game blog reader. Another called it “pretty creepy.”

The game, called Imagination Is the Only Escape, apparently will not be distributed within the United States. It casts players in the role of a young boy in eastern France during the German occupation who seeks escape from real-life horror through a fantasy world.

Via NY Times

Monday Update From Binge Gamer:

…However, the game’s publisher, Alten8, has come out today and said that the game has not been blocked by Nintendo. In fact, according to a spokesperson from Alter8, the publisher has not even spoken with Nintendo about the game.

It looks like the New York Times may have made a mistake with some of the story. I guess we will find out in the future. It wouldn’t be the first time that mainstream media made a mistake with gaming news.

Via http://news.filefront.com/