Shadowrun demo dated

A demo for cross-platform multiplayer shooter Shadowrun will be available on Xbox Live Marketplace on 6th June, according to developers FASA. But there's no word of a PC demo being released as well.

The Microsoft-published title is exclusive to Xbox 360 and Windows Vista, and will be the first game to allow multiplayer across the two platforms, via Xbox Live and Vista's Games For Windows Live service.

Shadowrun will actually hit shop shelves a few days before the demo, on 1st June. This unusual delay is down to fears it would be overshadowed by a little something else Microsoft has going on at the moment - the Halo 3 beta.

"We'd rather release the demo at a time when players can focus their attention and time on Shadowrun, i.e., not in the middle of the Halo 3 beta," confessed a FASA representative on the official Shadowrun forum. "We hear that's a pretty cool game, too."

Instead, they're hoping to turn the dominance of Bungie's behemoth to their advantage, by picking up players left with a deathmatch-shaped hole in their lives (or Lives) when the beta closes. The Halo 3 beta itself will give players a nudge in Shadowrun's direction when it becomes unavailable.

The fairly hefty demo is unlimited, time-wise, and will feature three chapters of training, both multiplayer and solo bot player modes, one map, two races (elf and human), four spells, three gadgets and six weapons.

For more on Shadowrun, check out the 360 and PC gamepages for links to hands-on impressions, an interview, and Eurogamer TV coverage.