Does a timer on a product demo increase your desire to purchase it?

[BJoyful]

41 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

This thread gives me an idea: We need an "artistic" photo thread with just Demo items that are clearly marked as "Demos"!

I have a friend @ElVez Boccara who regularly wore demos to parties!  It was fun and funny to see what fashion goodness "DemoElly" would appear in! ♥♥  I'm pretty sure her convenient time-saving solution increased sales, although I don't think that was her intention.  Elly always looks amazing!! ♥  I even thought "DEMOElly - What's She Wearing" would make a fun Fashion blog or a regular side column ♥

[Fauve Aeon]

Don’t just take solo photos, have a demo theme party! I’ve been to a few, it was fun. I think my favorite was a hair set in giant rollers with texture animated glowy demo rings around my head. One of my RP characters wears a template bikini bottom demo with the word ‘demo’ written on it kind of artfully in a slab font - as if it were the brand logo, so it just accidentally became part of her costume. She’s a little cheap…

[Arduenn Schwartzman]

 

// Settings

 

integer TIMEOUT=30; // Time-out in minutes

 

list WARNING_TIMES=[1,2,5,10,20]; // Warn at these times (minutes before time-out).

 

string DEAR_CUSTOMER="\n\nDear customer,\n\nThis timed demo will disappear in [TIMEOUT] minute[PLURAL].";

 

string TIME_IS_UP="\n\nUnfortunately, the time is up. Thank you for trying out this demo.";

 

integer CHANNEL=0x28467711;

 

// Globals

 

key gOwner;

integer gLeft;

 

// Functions

 

uInit(){

    key Owner=llGetOwner();

    key Creator=llGetCreator();

    if(gOwner!=Owner){

        gOwner=Owner;

        gLeft=TIMEOUT;

        llSetTimerEvent(60);

    }

    if(Owner==Creator){

        llSetTimerEvent(0);

        // Permissions check for next owner

        list Perms;

        integer Mask=llGetObjectPermMask(MASK_NEXT);

        if(Mask&PERM_MODIFY)Perms+=["Mod"];

        if(Mask&PERM_COPY)Perms+=["Copy"];

        if(Mask&PERM_TRANSFER)Perms+=["Trans"];

        // A warning for the creator

        llDialog(

            Owner,

            "\n\nATTENTION! Permissions of this "+

            "object to the next owner are:\n\n"+

            "\t\• "+llDumpList2String(Perms," / ")+"\n\n"+

            "Ideally, permissions for a demo "+

            "should be set to No Mod / No Copy "+

            "(Trans only).\n\nThe demo time-out time "+

            "for the customer is set to:\n\n"+

            "\t• "+(string)TIMEOUT+" min.\n ",

            ["Close"],CHANNEL

        );

    }else{

        if(gLeft<1){

            if(TRUE)state die;

        }else{

            uDialogTimeLeft();

        }

    }

}

 

uDialogTimeLeft(){

    string Plural="s";

    if(gLeft==1)Plural="";

    string Message=uListReplace(

        DEAR_CUSTOMER,[

            "[TIMEOUT]",(string)gLeft,

            "[PLURAL]",Plural

        ]

    );

    llDialog(

        gOwner,Message,

        ["Close"],CHANNEL

    );

}

 

string uListReplace(string Text,list Translations){

    integer Count=llGetListLength(Translations);

    if(Count%2==0&&Count>1){

        integer Index;

        string Search;

        string Replacement;

        for(Index=0;Index<Count;Index+=2){

            Search=llList2String(Translations,Index);

            Replacement=llList2String(Translations,Index+1);

            Text=uStringReplace(Text,Search,Replacement);

        }

    }

    return Text;

}

 

string uStringReplace(string Text,string Search,string Replacement){

    list Segments=llParseString2List(Text,[Search],[]);

    return llDumpList2String(Segments,Replacement);

}

 

uCheckTime(){

    if(gLeft<1){

        if(TRUE)state die;

    }else if(

        llListFindList(WARNING_TIMES,[gLeft])!=-1

    ){

        uDialogTimeLeft();

    }

}

 

// States

 

default{

    state_entry(){

        llSetMemoryLimit(0x4000);

        uInit();

    }

    on_rez(integer Param){

        uInit();

    }

    timer(){

        gLeft--;

        uCheckTime();

    }

}

 

state die{ // "Time to die." - Roy Batty, 2019

    state_entry(){

        // Give pending attachments some time.

        llSetTimerEvent(3);

    }

    timer(){

        llDialog(

            gOwner,TIME_IS_UP,

            ["Close"],CHANNEL

        );

        if(llGetAttached()!=FALSE){

            llRequestPermissions(

                gOwner,PERMISSION_ATTACH

            );

        }else{

            llDie();

        }

    }

    run_time_permissions(integer Perm){

        llDetachFromAvatar();

    }

}

 

[brodiac90]

My clothes suddenly vanishing is a big deal to me, even if modesty layers will prevent me being nude. If I try any demo and there is a timer then I will instantly replace it for my old clothes and throw it in the trash. 

There's no need for timers, the big DEMO sign is fine. 

[Love Zhaoying]

1 hour ago, Fauve Aeon said:

Don’t just take solo photos, have a demo theme party!

I've had the idea of a "Demo Roleplay", you'd think 30 minutes should be enough for a nice RP sesh.

 

[Eddy Vortex]

13 hours ago, Love Zhaoying said:

This thread gives me an idea: We need an "artistic" photo thread with just Demo items that are clearly marked as "Demos"! (Giant "DEMO" rotating signs, "DEMO" textures, demo hairs out of place, etc.)

 

Do eet!   Start the tread and they will come.

 

12 hours ago, Fauve Aeon said:

Don’t just take solo photos, have a demo theme party! I’ve been to a few, it was fun. I think my favorite was a hair set in giant rollers with texture animated glowy demo rings around my head. One of my RP characters wears a template bikini bottom demo with the word ‘demo’ written on it kind of artfully in a slab font - as if it were the brand logo, so it just accidentally became part of her costume. She’s a little cheap…

I like the idea of demo parties. Sounds like a hoot.

 

 

 

[Annie Nova]

On 6/8/2024 at 8:59 PM, Katherine Heartsong said:

I do this too. My one problem is when I hit two or three events and bring home 10 demos, and have a hard time remembering where each demo I do end up wanting to buy was found. Plus the lag between a demo having been at a now closed down event, and getting into the store.

What I do is make a folder called #whatever store Demo's which moves that folder to the top of my inventory, after I've tried them on, i add them to said folder and move on to the next event and doing the same thing with that event too. Saves times and confusion.

[Annie Nova]

On 6/8/2024 at 9:24 PM, Ceka Cianci said:

I just do one event at a time, check demos, then the next..

But to be honest, The last few months, I've hardly bought much of anything.. There just isn't a good variety anymore and the quality is dropping..

I'm finding I'm having to get old school and searching stores rather than events, because many of the really good triple A creators have left the events.. There are still some, but not anything like there used to be when there was way less events..

The events feel like fast food, when I'm looking for a really good meal instead.. hehehe

It's been that way for me too, Ceka. In the past few months I've bought MAYBE 3 outfits. They all seem to look alike anymore.

[Evangeline Arcadia]

On 6/8/2024 at 7:45 PM, Persephone Emerald said:

Yes. Not including a color/ texture HUD will make me pass on an item faster than a timed demo will.

Same here.

Timed demo's are a pain, and I rarely buy anything that has one. I like to take me time to look at the item - sometimes I look to see what existing items in my inventory it can be paired with, and that can take longer than a few mintutes.  Having a timer is off-putting and makes me feel pressured - that's not the experience I want in SL.

Creators: IMO make a demo as easy and painless for a customer to try - don't include a timer, and if you offer colours or textures include it in the demo please!

Edited June 11 by Evangeline Arcadia
spelling

[Richardus Raymaker]

Why would you buy item with timer faster ? It's more the opposite. A timer is annoying and you cannot look at the product good enough. Not really got products with timers. But I would say, skip this product up to the next where you inspect it.

[AmeliaJ08]

7 hours ago, Annie Nova said:

It's been that way for me too, Ceka. In the past few months I've bought MAYBE 3 outfits. They all seem to look alike anymore.

I'm running out of stuff to buy, I have been digging through the far pages of Marketplace results even to try and find things I somehow missed years ago.

Not a whole lot of new being released for Maitreya 5.3 Petite either, I might have to bite the bullet and actually switch to Lara X but even what I see for that... there just isn't a whole lot of variety in the things I'm interested in. How many bodycon dresses do you need for example?

I know there's limits, it's not like there's some previously unknown to humanity dress style just waiting to be discovered but I would appreciate some nice variety in textures etc that often seem to be sorely lacking.

 

[Annie Nova]

4 hours ago, AmeliaJ08 said:

I'm running out of stuff to buy, I have been digging through the far pages of Marketplace results even to try and find things I somehow missed years ago.

Not a whole lot of new being released for Maitreya 5.3 Petite either, I might have to bite the bullet and actually switch to Lara X but even what I see for that... there just isn't a whole lot of variety in the things I'm interested in. How many bodycon dresses do you need for example?

I know there's limits, it's not like there's some previously unknown to humanity dress style just waiting to be discovered but I would appreciate some nice variety in textures etc that often seem to be sorely lacking.

 

Totally get that and something besides wh**ewear please! I have both petite and petiteX and I find myself switching back and forth between the two. I have some really good X stuff but not enough to justify staying with petiteX all the time.

[Cackle Amore]

This is usually the kind of behavior no-mod stores do, so frankly I'm not likely to buy them in the first place timer or no.

[Persephone Emerald]

12 hours ago, Annie Nova said:

What I do is make a folder called #whatever store Demo's which moves that folder to the top of my inventory, after I've tried them on, i add them to said folder and move on to the next event and doing the same thing with that event too. Saves times and confusion.

I have a folder just for demos, and within it one subfolder for avatar bodies, skin, hair, etc. and one for clothing. I can take my demos home to try on in my skybox, but usually I try them on in the store. If I'm only going to get 1 or 2 items because I'm using store credit, I'll save the demos I liked, but didn't like well enough to buy right now. This way when the next sale or store credit comes around, I already have some choices ready to demo again. Once I buy an outfit or skin, I delete my demos for it, as well as if I decide I don't like it. Demos usually have the name of the store at the front of their name, so they all bunch together in my demo folder.

Timed demos are an irritant, but they don't stop me from buying an outfit I like. They seem to go along with lower quality clothing though, so maybe they're an indicator of a poorly thought out store or insufficient attention to details. If a merchant fails to consider how they'll affect their customer, they might also not pay close attention to how well clothes fit, whether textures stretch too much, or whether the alpha layers actually hide all they should hide without showing gaps.

[Blush Bravin]

Out of curiosity, what is the advantage to having a timed demo for a customer? That they don't have demo written on them or some obnoxious rings circling the body so you can't really tell what the product looks like? While that is a nice feature, there are discreet ways to indicate the product is a demo that are very obvious if someone is trying to wear the demo but don't block the view of the product. So, I fail to see any plus side for a timed demo.

[Luna Bliss]

3 hours ago, Blush Bravin said:

Out of curiosity, what is the advantage to having a timed demo for a customer? That they don't have demo written on them or some obnoxious rings circling the body so you can't really tell what the product looks like? While that is a nice feature, there are discreet ways to indicate the product is a demo that are very obvious if someone is trying to wear the demo but don't block the view of the product. So, I fail to see any plus side for a timed demo.

Yes I've wondered this too....why???  Someone confessed awhile back that they'd use demo clothes for photography, never needing to purchase anything, so I guess there's ways merchants can be abused. I'd think such a use would be in the minority though, and not worth this 'disappearing demo' annoyance, but I may not have all the facts.

[Fauve Aeon]

17 minutes ago, Luna Bliss said:

Yes I've wondered this too....why???  Someone confessed awhile back that they'd use demo clothes for photography, never needing to purchase anything, so I guess there's ways merchants can be abused. I'd think such a use would be in the minority though, and not worth this 'disappearing demo' annoyance, but I may not have all the facts.

I didn’t use the demo clothing that way, I’m good with buying anything I like.  I got curious and once asked a merchant why there was so much glowy ring and bar protection on the clothing demo that I was having trouble seeing the proportions of the actual item (when I backed my camera up a few m to take in the whole outfit) and that’s what she told me. 
I like to look at things full-length, figuring that’s how most people will also see me inworld as I go by - unless they just want to cam up close. That’s a whole other topic. 😜

[Luna Bliss]

50 minutes ago, Fauve Aeon said:

I didn’t use the demo clothing that way, I’m good with buying anything I like.

Wasn't you I was referring to (if you thought I was). The person who confessed to using Demos for photography was an infrequent poster, can't remember her name.  Interesting you say that's why one merchant makes her Demo more glowy due to it...makes me think it happens often..

Edited June 11 by Luna Bliss

[AmeliaJ08]

3 hours ago, Blush Bravin said:

That they don't have demo written on them or some obnoxious rings circling the body so you can't really tell what the product looks like?

Yes, this is the 'benefit' of a timed demo.

3 hours ago, Blush Bravin said:

While that is a nice feature, there are discreet ways to indicate the product is a demo that are very obvious if someone is trying to wear the demo but don't block the view of the product. So, I fail to see any plus side for a timed demo.

I completely agree, partially obscuring textures or selected faces with "DEMO" is about the best way IMO to 'protect' a product but that is entirely a benefit to the seller, not the customer.

With a timed demo you simply take the fatpack release and slap a single script into it, set the perms and job done. Your full featured demo with all the original textures etc is now a (timed) demo product that you can distribute. No need to modify anything aside from dropping in that script.

The alternatives like obscuring textures means doing so, uploading them all, changing all the UUIDs in your HUD etc. It's a lot more work.

I think 2nd least effort but still offers a reasonable degree of protection is rigged demo rings or a big floating logo etc, once again though we're talking mostly about benefit to the creator here and not the customer. It does however mean you can include original textures but you do have to produce a new mesh with the rigged rings etc, at least you can just copy/paste your HUD scripts etc with minimal modifications though.

Edited June 11 by AmeliaJ08

[Jules Catlyn]

I use timed demos as a vehicle creator. People get the car as it would be when they buy the full product, just for a limited time.

I used to have a demo area but people prefer to test vehicles in their preferred setting. So i switched to timed demos.

 

[Rick Nightingale]

1 hour ago, AmeliaJ08 said:

you do have to produce a new mesh with the rigged rings etc

You don't; it's much easier than that. You just have a ready-made, common demo rig, link them, and set no-mod. It's also very easy to script in such a way that it doesn't care about being relinked. All mine are like that.

To make my wearable demos: I rez my saleable item, all ready configured for sale, and link the rigged ring to it. Change the object's title to include DEMO, and that's it.

Edited June 11 by Rick Nightingale

[Fauve Aeon]

4 minutes ago, Jules Catlyn said:

I use timed demos as a vehicle creator. People get the car as it would be when they buy the full product, just for a limited time.

I used to have a demo area but people prefer to test vehicles in their preferred setting. So i switched to timed demos.

 

I love this for vehicles so I appreciate you doing this so I can see if it looks and functions nice in my space and in the area lighting with my other things. And it doesn’t leave me pants-less when it vanishes. 😅

Edited June 11 by Fauve Aeon
Spelling

[Rick Nightingale]

16 minutes ago, Jules Catlyn said:

I use timed demos as a vehicle creator.

Yeah, that's one I get. I've done one or two timed demos for the similar reasons. Sometimes it is the only way to do a reasonable demo. If I recall, one of mine runs* for an hour.

* literally

-----------------------

Another of mine, the demo is sold for L$2 (because you get two of them, slightly different). Unlike the full product, it's a single use, no-copy item that is gone once it's used. The real thing re-rezes after use. If I did a functional (and it really needs to be), free demo, people could just buy all they wanted and ignore whatever I did to make it a demo. It would still serve the purpose for them, mostly. The demo item is still useful and fully functional, and if you only want one or two for some reason... it's a bargain.

So sometimes there is a good reason, but for clothing, I really feel it's completely anti-consumer and frankly daft.

Edited June 11 by Rick Nightingale

[Rowan Amore]

I still think the hair store.that used to put funny glasses and a moustache on your face with the hair demo was brilliant.  

[Rick Nightingale]

11 minutes ago, Rick Nightingale said:

It's also very easy to script in such a way that it doesn't care about being relinked. All mine are like that.

Just quoting myself here to add...

This has a benefit (and in fact is why I write it like this in the first place) of the purchaser being able to link other items with mine to wear, to save attachment points or just have a single, wearable outfit as a linkset. Of course... that requires mod perms