Exclusive CD demos

[leilei]

There's an "exclusive" August 1996 non-interactive MDK demo on this cd

has a disclaimer when you run it

Code: Select all

It is illegal to distribute this program
in any form without the express written
permission of Shiny Entertainment Ltd.
This includes uploads to the internet

Also, the demo expects a minimum requirement of a Pentium 100MHz and will refuse to run if it isn't.

A video

[MrFlibble]

Hallfiry has recently posted info about various demo versions of MDK at BetaArchive Forums. I've never played the game so I can't tell how much they differ from the final product.

[MrFlibble]

Since CGW quite often had exclusive demos with very different content from that of the regular demos, I'm assuming that someone over at CGW requested to get an exclusive demo of Duke Nukem 3D with a level or something that wasn't present in the normal shareware.

BTW, is there any comprehensive list of games that had CGW-exclusive demos anywhere?

On another note, I've seen several mentions of a Command & Conquer: The Covert Operations demo having been published on various gaming magazine cover CDs, for example here:

List of demos for each PC Gamer disc I have:
<...>
2.6 (July 1996)
---------------
The Pandora Directive
Zork Nemesis
Normality
Philip Marlowe Private Eye
Super Stardust '96
Total Pinball 3D
MicroMachines 2
Third Reich
Total Mayhem
Command & Conquer: The Covert Operations
Havoc

I wonder if this is the same thing as the downloadable demo that used to be available from the Westwood Studios' website (and can still be downloaded here among other places), which is not stand-alone, as it requires the full version of Command & Conquer v1.19 or newer to run. Since there's an enhanced CD version of C&C demo, I thought that maybe Westwood could have also released a different Covert Ops demo for magazines as well.

[Litude]

BTW, is there any comprehensive list of games that had CGW-exclusive demos anywhere?

I haven't come across such a list.

I wonder if this is the same thing as the downloadable demo that used to be available from the Westwood Studios' website (and can still be downloaded here among other places), which is not stand-alone, as it requires the full version of Command & Conquer v1.19 or newer to run. Since there's an enhanced CD version of C&C demo, I thought that maybe Westwood could have also released a different Covert Ops demo for magazines as well.

I just checked it and it's exactly the same as the downloadable demo.

[MrFlibble]

I just checked it and it's exactly the same as the downloadable demo.

Thank you so much for clarifying this!

BTW, is there any comprehensive list of games that had CGW-exclusive demos anywhere?

I haven't come across such a list.

Hmm, that would certainly have been a nice thing to know. Was CGW the only magazine to actively request exclusive demo versions? (I know there are also some rare demos that were only available from UK and other European magazines' CDs) Do you know when exactly this practice began?

[leilei]

There's sometimes exclusive addons. PCGamer often had them (with PCGamer's logo in them even to promote PCGamer)

To my knowledge CGW only had a Quake level (hipside, Apr/May 1997) and a Sims cake (March 2001).

[leilei]

i've been plowing through the PC Gamer '97 and 2000 discs with little luck of actually finding exclusives.

The CGW cover cds are a better place to look for them. September 1997 has an "EXCLUSIVE!" Warlords III demo which is 16mb, but I couldn't find any remarks about CGW in it, so I don't know how different that is.

[MrFlibble]

September 1997 has an "EXCLUSIVE!" Warlords III demo which is 16mb, but I couldn't find any remarks about CGW in it, so I don't know how different that is.

Seems to be a different one,as the Internet download demo is only about 12 megs.

[Teppic]

Need For Speed CD demo:

http://www.mediafire.com/?n3exqkcy14h6g6g

Includes an intro video and a video for the car Dodge VIPER RT/10
Menu + music
Can play in 640x480
Different track than the web demo

Found in the root directory of PC Guiden 10-96

I believe I copied all files necessary. Added runsb16.bat, which is needed for sound in DOSBox.

[MrFlibble]

Cool, thankies!

[MrFlibble]

Not exactly a pure exclusive thing, but Hendricks266 at Duke4.net Forums has uploaded a shareware CD called "Apogee's Greatest Hits":

When I was a kid my first experiences with Duke, Commander Keen, and other Apogee-published games came from a CD called "Apogee's Greatest Hits" which contained the shareware versions of 15 of their games.

Since they are shareware I have no qualms with uploading it here. http://www.mediafire.com/?2b0cxc9a5ld6k65

[MrFlibble]

I've just noticed Hallfiry's thread at the BetaArchive Forums where he's sharing his huge PC Games coverdisk collection. The CDs themselves (among other things) can be found here:
http://zippyshare.com/Hallfiry

[Hallfiry]

I've just noticed Hallfiry's thread at the BetaArchive Forums where he's sharing his huge PC Games coverdisk collection. The CDs themselves (among other things) can be found here:
http://zippyshare.com/Hallfiry

Actually not only PcGames, but also
-GameStar
-PcAction
-PcPlayer
-PcJoker
-PcSpiel
-PowerPlay
-In'side Multimedia
-PcPower
and some more

^_^

Little info: I'll visit the recycling yard on saturday (-> hopefully some new random CDs as every week)
I bought a pile of PcPlayer CDs that will arrive this week (today?). => I can add the last missing CD of 2001 and some missing CDs of 2000 and many CDs from 1999 and earlier.

[MrFlibble]

BTW, I've checked that Apogee shareware CD compilation I mentioned above, and was a bit disappointed because I've expected it to have a nifty graphical interface like the one that is used by the Duke Nukem 3D Shareware CD (which somewhat resembles the Rise of the Triad menu but in a different colour scheme).

Are there any other shareware CDs officially licensed by Apogee (it is my understanding that they had agreements with several publishers)? Were there any nice extras there? I'd definitely classify a nicely done graphical installer as one! ^_^

[MrFlibble]

Apparently, CGW had an exclusive pre-release demo of Descent to Undermountain on one of their coverdisks in spring 1997.