Release Day is Dramatically Overhyped - BigBlue's Blog

BigBlue's Blog

Release Day is Dramatically Overhyped

Posted on September 17, 2009 at 09:06 AM.

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As we patiently await the 'Release Day Patch' that was to have been released on August 14th, I began to wonder why we go through the trouble and anxiety of trying to score a copy of the latest Madden, NBA2K or Hockey game. After all, hasn't history taught us that the game we purchase on release day is NEVER the final finished product that it will be 6 months later?

I noticed this year that what was once billed as a videogame holiday, Madden's release day has been scaled back quite a bit in a lot of locations. Videogame stores were unsure of whether they would be open at midnight for the game's release this year. The turnout was much lower than in years past. Could it be the recession? Possibly. But I have another theory.

It is very possible that gamers are starting to notice that when they pop in that title on release day, they're playing an unfinished product. Unbeknownst to us, we've become the game testers for EA, Visual Concepts, and all of the other game manufacturers that have two patches in their back pocket to spend if gamers scream that the product is unplayable in its released state.

Madden has been out a full month and we still don't have that release day patch that the game producer advertised prior to launch. During this past month, we were asked to compile a list of fixes for the 2nd patch.

In the last two years, 2K's NBA game was released with the same Online Free Throw glitch (First free throw was fast-timed, second normal speed). Will it show up again this year? I believe that these games don't get tested enough before being shipped out the door. If they are tested, they aren't being tested by someone in the gaming public who can easily come up with a nano-blitz exploit, or who can easily trigger that 8-man gang tackle breakout for a TD that we're seeing too much of in Madden.

It's why I haven't gone out and bought the new hockey game. It's why I'll wait a few weeks before going out and getting NBA2K10. In fact, I might even wait until Christmas to get these games. By the way, isn't Christmas when Madden has another surge in sales? I'm pretty sure those gamers who wait until then to purchase will be playing a finished product as both patches will most likely be released by then.

Instead of RELEASE DAY, perhaps we should all be buying the games on PATCH DAY!

BigBlue

Comments

# 1 stlstudios189 @ Sep 17

I just thought is was because I was getting older and had more patience but, more and more people wait for the games to come out and get patched now. I don't like this new trend but, I think that is what we need to expect from now on.

# 2 StormJH1 @ Sep 17

Well, okay, but for the vast majority of gamers, they don't even realize what a patch is or understand that there's been any change to their game once one has occured. Plus, there's no set date for when patches come out, so it's not like anyone outside of OS gets particularly hyped about it.

For me, there's something valuable about the experience of looking forward to the release and then going to the store and finally getting something tangible in hand. And as a slightly older gamer, there's a lot of times I get a game on TUES and can barely touch it until the following weekend due to work, family, etc. But I still want to have it in hand.

# 3 rudyjuly2 @ Sep 17

I agree. A lot of these sports games are released with quite a few problems that leave most people waiting for a patch. I didn't even rent NCAA 10 until the first patch was out because the sliders didn't work. IF people have the patiences, waiting to buy/rent a game until the first patch is out is probably best. But most people can't wait that long.

# 4 BigBlue @ Sep 17

Thanks for the replies. I agree that it's always great to have the game to look forward to and get it on release day. But I find it so humorous to visit the sites on release day and one of the first threads posted would be 'this needs to be patched.'

# 5 matt8204 @ Sep 17

Agreed. I just think a lot of people like the thrill of having the new game in their hands and ready to play. Obviously, a game isn't going to be perfect but as long as it isn't unplayable, it doesn't ruin the experience. I'm just glad they can patch games today. Before we had consoles that could connect to the internet, you just had to deal with a game as it was out of the box and hope that issues were addressed next year.

# 6 Eski33 @ Sep 17

I have always argued as to why games are released so far in advance of opening day. NCAA Football released in mid-July, Madden almost five weeks prior to opening week and MLB The Show was released in early March.

I have wondered why a company would ship a game so early when that time could be used to fix the bugs. My feeling is that the testers aren't going to catch every little thing that pops up and the community is a good place to obtain feedback as hundreds of thousands of testers (us, the gamers) provide feedback through forums and blogs as to issues with the game.

I, for one, like to get the game early so I can get some practice in. I think many gamers, especially those that are online only gamers, like to get a jump on building their stats to top the leaderboards.

I haven't bought a game yet that I would consider "broken" upon release. Most of the bugs and glitches I gain knowledge of are through reading forums, not from experience.

Although many people hate "the patch", it is much better than when I grew up playing games. If a game was broken, there was no patch to fix it. You were stuck with the game you bought.

# 7 H to the Oza @ Sep 17

Very true, i havent bought NHL 10 for that reason (among other, like finishing my NHL 09 dynasty). Games not a days get slapped together and developers reply too heavily on patch updates.

# 8 superstarshad @ Sep 17

I for one like the fact that sports games are released ahead of the real-life sports season. Its a great way to promote said sport, and its pretty cool when you have someone online trying to make a trade- for at the time, a no name player, and you see that same player on television making a spectacular play.....heck no, we aren't trading him. In regards to patch updates; if you're a hardcore gamer, who gets every ounce out of your video games, you appreciate a FREE patch update. It's like getting a new video game. Back in the day, I had to spend 75 dollars for street fighter champion edition, and I already had the original street fighter. A lot of gamers now are extremely spoiled. Enjoy the fact you got your game early, and love the fact the developers cared enough to produce a patch.

# 9 GaryT531 @ Sep 18

I have read somewhere that most gamers don't ever use patches for 360 because more than half of all XBOX owners don't have their systems connected online.

I don't think that the casual gamer cares about the tiny nuances that bother us here on OS. That is why we are here though, b/c of the passion that we have for sports and our sports games.

I appreciate whatever patch is put out to try to fix whatever needs to be fixed. I think for the most part developers do the best they can (or best to their ability since some are much better and creative than others) to try to put out the best game possible.

# 10 roolz @ Sep 18

Im also a sucker for release day/beating release day for games.

# 11 HiTEqMETHOD @ Sep 19

More than half of all Xbox owners don't have their consoles connected to the internet!? I'd hate to see (hear) how racist and annoying xbox live would be if those people suddenly bought an ethernet cord and router....

Pertaining to the subject of the blog, and replying to someone who mentioned most gamers don't know what a patch is (are people really that ignorant about a product they've spent 100's of dollars on!?) I do think is has to do with the fact that a lot of people are waking up and realizing they don't need to get the game day 1 because there are bound to be bugs and these game companies will say they have a patch in the works but...

a) Could have just prevented the majority of issues by simply, ummm, testing games like they used to.

&

b) Know they can get away with saying one thing and doing another, i.e. not releasing patches on time or making people wait months for something that should have been fixed in development.

So the consumer gets fed up and doesn't buy the game right away.

# 12 stlstudios189 @ Sep 19

I am one of the half w/o my system hooked up to the internet for my xbox. I don't have the wireless connection and it's 14 feet to hook up for the internet and I don't have a way to keep the kids from tripping over the 15 foot cord, so I usually don't do the patches.

# 13 43Chargers4Now @ Sep 20

Very nice blog. EA either needs to work their tails off even harder this year or hire a few more experts in the gaming industry or it'll be PATCH DAY FTW!!!

# 14 theprocess @ Sep 21

Eski33 makes a valid point, who better to test the game than the actual users/consumers of their products. Forums are great in that aspect, developers check forums for the most common bugs that appear in games and fix them.

I have a hard time believing that paid game testers are truly passionate about every game they sample.
16 years ago release day just meant being the first kid in school with "Mortal Kombat in hand. I guess release day is overrated. I know quite a few people who own an xbox 360 and are not connected to the internet. My boss and I both purchased nba 2k9 for the sole purpose of online play, he was always to busy to be able to play and buy and xbox live subscription. He did play the game on his own but was surprised when he played the game with his lakers at my house and noticed Kobe had a few dunks he hadn't seen before, along with the roster changes an rating updates. He had no idea about what the 2k insider could do. There are alot of people missing out. Thank you internet god.