Steam users may be receiving a new method to try out PC games before purchasing. EA and Motive today revealed a new trial feature for the recently released Dead Space remake, letting Steam users try out 90 minutes of the game without having to put down any cash.
Time-limited trials such as these are normally attached to EA Play offers, where the publisher gives a specific time allotment (usually 10 hours) for subscribers to play the game before having to purchase it. Meanwhile, free weekends and demo festivals run on specific days and do not limit the amount of play time via the launcher like this.
This new Free Trial feature is not attached to any promotion like that however, with only a free Steam account needed to jump in. Once logged in, the store page lists how much time is left on the Free Trial and a handy Play Now button, which installs the full version of the game as if the user owns it already.
Valve hasn"t made any announcements regarding a full rollout of Game Trials to Steam, but this may be an option that"s being made available to publishers and developers to attract more players. Nowadays, most PC digital stores and launchers offer quick refunds if the play time is below two hours, but having an old-school demo style trial to easily check out a new game may become a much more attractive option.