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Like every other kid in the 1980s I would play games rather than watch demos on my Atari 800XL, but then I had no choice as the concept of the Demoscene wasn't born yet, or at least was in its primitive form on the C64.

But when I got my Amiga 500 at Christmas 1990, I found more enjoyment from watching the Amiga demos that came out at that time than playing Amiga games. Heck, I can count less than 10 games I regularly played on the Amiga, and only a few which I actually completed (mainly Shadow of the Beast series and Damocles), compared to a few more on the Atari.

Then I saw Doom on the PC and I fell in love with my all-time favourite game genre, the First-Person Shooter, and I must've played all the main ones that came out in what I call the Golden Age of FPS games in the second half of the 1990s. I also liked RTS stuff like the Command & Conquer series on the PC and Total Annihilation by Cavedog.

I actually play games more for the programming and technical aspects behind them than for any aspect of "gameplay", although that's still nice, but basically by then, my programming idol was John Carmack and my engineering idol was Jay Miner (they still are in fact).

But now I find that with my recent C64 experience that I would rather watch the demos than play the games, as the games are those limited 8-bit experiences, most of which I'd just try once and then never look at again. The same could go for every other platform that I'd like to have a look at. When the emulators aren't easy to set up, thank God for YouTube.

I still have a look at the odd Atari game on Altirra but I'm not keen on spending time on the bigger Amiga games like Damocles, as I've already completed it a few ways and it's like that time of my life is over so why stick with it sort of thing.

Anyway, that's what I used to think and how I think these days about such things.

Why not both?

I agree.

Really. Sometimes it's fun to watch some demos, and sometimes it's fun to play a game.
The whole "Demos vs. Games" thing comes from some elitist douches who think that just because they don't like something, then everyone else shouldn't too. Don't let their venomous line of thought get to you.

No, I believe it was a reaction to demoparties turning into gaming LANs with the demo bits rapidly diminishing or getting removed. So from that perspective, I can understand the attitude.
On the flipside, most of us develop games for a living.

i play games much more now than back in 80s.... back then i was too busy copying them =P

It's impossible to choose. Games give me wholly different kind of experiences from demos, though, the cross-pollination effect from games is inherent and very visible in demos of course.

Story-wise, there's things in games a movie or a book (or a demo) can never do. I think the meaningful pursuit is to look for those unique things that are only present in a single medium. At least I like to know what media is evolving to (like for example VR/AR right now).

Play games or watch demos: depends on mood.

But seriously this is the wrong question.

Play games or make demos: make demos every time.

(Yeah, I don't get free time to play games either:( )

make games vs make demos?

go make a game about it!

Why not do both at the same time and take out your Playstation and Euro Demo CD 16 and play a demo of Crash.

Old memories :').

it is really good that demosceners don't have issues with gaming being brought up anymore, since it used to be some kind of taboo subject, at least for some, but it is exactly what Gargaj said nowadays, I guess. Personally, I love both for what they are. After all, the gaming industry has benefited pretty much from the demoscene and vice versa.

True, Defiance, true.

what about interactive demos?

btw, most sceners I know do not work in the gaming industry...

But isn't gaming the first trigger for demoscene?

demos came from cracktros, praise satan for computer games

Tetris is too tough of a competition for demos, but sometimes when I don't play Tetris during my break I do watch demos. I gotta play Lumines+ and Rez too (Rez would sorta-qualify as an interactive demo).

Demo? Game? How about both?

neither and both..
i like to listen to demos and games.
graphics usually just annoy..in demos..in games i like graphics(nes, snes)..
still think the switch to 3d in games was the biggest fail ever..
i think farcry4 was the first 3d game that wasn't shit compared to a 2d game..

Oh god, don't tell me about those demos where you had to traverse a platform game to get to each individual part? I only EVER saw those on the Atari ST. Thank god it stayed there (I hope!)

gaming is consuming, demomaking is creating.

people will remember your demo, not the fact "ho this guy finished this game".

personnally I like games (like everybody of us probably), play a lot to them, especially on Amiga, but actually my free time is totally dedicated to demoscene since gaming takes way too much time...

ho and I missread the question, it was about "watching demo" and not "making demo"...

Unless you're a let's-player!

@rez: i think both can be creating..making and watching..like both can be robotic performances too..

I started with games (Giana Sisters), discovered demos .. enjoy both still today! Why choose one over the other? As a computer musician I learn and benefit from both worlds :)