Above all else, and overriding all other concerns, it seems there's one simple reason for the number of demos released every month. It's this: because it's the done thing, isn't it?

Are game demos actually all that enjoyable?
From the moment you're born, up to and including death, you're learning or refining skills. Everything in life has a learning curve. It's only through education and experience that you can enjoy certain types of books, films or albums. The same, of course, applies with videogames. But more so.

From ascertaining which buttons to press, to grasping the nuances of game mechanics, you have to 'learn' how to play a particular game before you can truly begin to enjoy it. The amount of time this takes varies, but one thing's for sure: it's usually longer than the duration of most demos you care to mention. Play Metal Gear Solid for the first time, and - tantalising stealth concept aside - you're likely to stomp around like a jackbooted simpleton. With a little practice, though, you begin to appreciate the nuances that make it so enjoyable. You can say the same of any game, of any genre. Strategy title? You've got to learn which units do what and when. Flight sim? You've got to get to grips with myriad keyboard and joystick combinations.

Is it possible to 'learn' the rules of a game within the confines of your average demo? We'd argue in the negative. You lift your metaphorical fork to take a brief, tantalising taste of a main course, only for the maitre d'hotel to snatch it away the moment it touches your lips. Due to the predominately episodic nature of games, the section or level on offer is invariably ripped from the full release version. Deprived of contextual niceties, movie files and CD-streamed music, it's a narrow snapshot of a considerably wider picture. Plus, with PC demos, you've got to configure controls, 3D cards, and other such nonsense. And for what? Five minutes of limited entertainment? Who, frankly, can be bothered?

Continued next week...