Demo of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 arrives today, but at a cost

After a long wait, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 receives its demo on October 27th, giving fans an opportunity to try out a preliminary version of both titles. However, unlike traditional demos, this testing version comes with a catch: players will need to pay to access it.

The news was confirmed by reliable sources from GameSpot, which reports that the demo is already available but requires a pre-purchase, standing out as a monetization strategy that was not common in demos of classic games until now. This measure, which may spark discussions within the community, reflects the growing trend of turning test content into paid content, especially by large publishers.

The demo offers a glimpse of what's to come in the upcoming versions of the game, allowing players to experience levels, characters, and gameplay mechanics that defined the series in the 2000s. As one of the official notes highlights, the demo version includes segments of Pro Skater 3 and Pro Skater 4, both titles considered classics by fans of the franchise. To access it, the user needs to pre-order the full game on supported platforms—both PlayStation, Xbox, and PC—where the pre-purchase price varies according to the payment method and chosen package.

Since the news of the titles' revival was announced in September, the anticipation for a re-release with improvements for modern consoles has grown. Especially after the positive response from the public to the announcement of the remastered versions, the inclusion of the demo mode, even if paid, seems like a strategy to reinforce the value of pre-ordering. Nevertheless, this initiative has not been well received by everyone, bringing back discussions about the monetization of content that should be accessible for free in an initial phase.

BAM Interactive and Activision, responsible for the remaster, have not yet officially commented on the decision to charge for demo access, available on all initially announced platforms. According to rumors, the method aims to generate additional revenue in the competitive landscape of the sports and skate games market, where titles like Skate and other franchises are seeking space.

For those who want to experience the series' legacy before making a definitive purchase, this is an opportunity, albeit a conditioned one. It is expected that more details will be revealed in the future about the full content, release date, and possible new features.