Possible Demo Dates for Backbreaker

The demo for Backbreaker definitely carries more significance than those of established sports franchises. Much like UFC last year it could be a huge success and propel the game towards increased awareness and sales. However it could also be damaging if the demo does not do a good job of representing the final product or does represent it but simply turns out to be a dud.

According to a posting on the Backbreaker forum that includes an email from a representative of 505 Games, the demo for the game will go live on Friday May 28th for the 360 while the PS3 will be waiting until June 8th. Given that the game comes out on June 1st that means the 360 crowd gets it only three days in advance and the PS3 crowd doesn’t even get it pre-release. This info has not been confirmed, though it has not been denied either.

Demos are not typically released on Fridays though, so that May 28th could end up being May 25th or even June 1st. The PS3 date does fit given that Sony recently moved PSN updates to Tuesdays. How to explain both consoles not getting it on the same date? It could be a temporary exclusivity deal or just an attempt to squeeze out downloads on the 360 before offering it on the PS3 (where publishers are forced to pay based on number of downloads).

While too much shouldn’t necessarily be read into this, arriving so close to release/after release is typically not a good sign. If the demo was thought to be a game-seller they certainly would’ve pushed it out earlier. UFC 2009 released its demo over a month in advance of release. Word of mouth was able to build over that period of time.