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Patch It Later, It’ll Be Fine

October 27, 2010 in Blog comments 7

Ian D of Critical Gamer takes a look at the reasons why more and more games come to market filled with bugs and glitches. Should gamers accept this and who is really to blame for it?

Critical Gamer writes: For a long time now games have been released before they meet a commercial launch standard. It continues to happen today, though it is mystifying why it happens at all. I am reminded of this practise by two games I've played recently that, for different reasons, did not launch to the public in any kind of playable condition.

Before moving onto the two games in question, I would like to ask you; is patching really an acceptable excuse? I've lost count of the times I've seen it used as a defence by people. I say people, but I mean fans. It's one of those go-to automated responses that are blurted out without thinking through a better argument. Would that work in real life? “We're sorry that dam didn't work as promised, but we'll patch that hole up as soon as we can.”
scruffy_bear via criticalgamer.co.uk »
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  • 1
    Euphoric Oct 28, 10
    I hate the current ambivalence people have with games being released in what can only be accurately described as an unfinished state.

    Patches are for minor glitches that only show up on the minority of systems or for introducing new content. This acceptance that games should be released before major issues are ironed out is incredibly frustrating for those of us who actually have the patience to wait until the game is ready.
  • 0
    Bale Fire Oct 28, 10
    I'd blame the studio as a whole rather than the testers themselves for the most part. With games like Fallout: New Vegas, there is simply no way so many glitches could have been missed. It was the rest of the studio who decided to fix it later, rather than stall the game.

    Looking back on the PS2 and Xbox days, I can scarecly remember a glitch on any game. Even if the consoles are now more complex, it is still no excuse.
  • 0
    HisServant77 Oct 28, 10
    I'm not too too sure the blame lies solely on the devs or testers or anything, but much on the gamers and fans as well.

    How many times have we all loathed the dreaded "Delay" that has plagued the beginning of this generation? How often have fans and gamers been upset with the delays? . . . Oftentimes, fans may cause games to release in not the greatest of shape, simply because they can't wait for the game to release!
    • 0
      Red 9 Oct 28, 10
      it's one of the reasons that the GT games are known for their perfection and sophistication; they take the time to make everything perfect.
      • 0
        HisServant77 Oct 28, 10
        Yup, even though we want the game NOW, it does say a lot about a dev when they strive to make their games worth it, without problems, before releasing it!
  • 0
    InnerDemon Oct 28, 10
    I have to say that it's not really either sides fault. Usually major glitches are something neither side expects to happen or find. MW2 was a great example of this in how their care package glitches worked. It's not like somebody would normally go up and knife a gun to make a glitch work. That's why I see it as a bit hard to see the glitch before hand.
  • 0
    Geo Oct 31, 10
    There is no way that the producers can cover every single detail of the game. There are always someone who goes and debugs the game to find something to abuse.

    Patches are useful as they can prevent cheats from being used all the time such as Wc3 updates and maphacks compatibility. They also allow the release of games to be early for those who can't wait for the games. xD

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