[makecheck]

Proper up-front never occurred because Apple refuses to implement a simple free-trial-period mechanism. And it is impossible to filter store searches in a way that tells you which apps would behave roughly in that way (therefore anything with IAP I just assume must be a gambling/gem-bags/garbage model).

[sjtindell]

Really no video game lets you do a free trial. To me the start of all this was Google. Google completely changed the way we interact with services and technology. It’s amazing and completely “free”.

[darkwater]

Back when games were distributed as a physical media, there were demo version you could get with a game magazine for free, or early downloads via Internet. Plus Google Play in the beginning let you try any purchased app for, what? 48 hours? I don't recall exactly now.

[discardable_dan]

Demos are on the way back. A lot of indie games on Steam feature them.

[ThunderSizzle]

Steam also made every game an effective demo with their return policy