Bugs in Video Games

mookiemookie · 11-29-10, 02:13 PM

Ubisoft may have done well to read this before releasing SH5:

Quote:

For a title to knowingly ship with a show-stopper or normal bug can mean a negative impact on perception-not to mention sales-of the game.

"People will try your game and think it's broken," Wyatt says. "They tell their friends about the negative experience. First day, week, and month sales tend to be dramatically lower."

http://www.gamepro.com/article/featu...5/a-bugs-life/

Arclight · 11-30-10, 02:23 AM

Just Ubi?

Lionclaw · 11-30-10, 04:11 AM

Every major publisher should read it.
Interesting that Jowood is still around, some of their games were shipped in horrible condition..

Arclight · 11-30-10, 05:33 AM

Quite. Good article though, sheds some light on the behemoth task of bug-squashing. Sometimes people seem to think it's closer to magic; that all you have to do is snap your fingers.

NeonSamurai · 11-30-10, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lionclaw

Every major publisher should read it.
Interesting that Jowood is still around, some of their games were shipped in horrible condition..

Just some? I thought most were that case. Akella is also notorious for this too imho. I really hate the companies that dump their games on the market in a virtually unplayable state, then do nothing to fix them cause the game didn't sell well (unsurprisingly). I've got a rather large list of companies I am reluctant to buy from (including big names like Activision, EA, and Ubisoft) due to their habit of releasing half finished games that maybe they will patch down the road.

On the other hand I also have a list of companies that support the heck out of their games and release content additions for free months even years after release (Egosoft, Blizzard before they went to the dark side, and some others)

Dowly · 11-30-10, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lionclaw

Interesting that Jowood is still around, some of their games were shipped in horrible condition..

I think they "anchored" themselves to the game business with Silent Storm.

11-30-10, 02:23 AM	#2
Arclight Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. Posts: 8,467 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 10	Just Ubi? __________________ Contritium praecedit superbia.

11-30-10, 05:33 AM	#4
Arclight Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. Posts: 8,467 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 10	Quite. Good article though, sheds some light on the behemoth task of bug-squashing. Sometimes people seem to think it's closer to magic; that all you have to do is snap your fingers. __________________ Contritium praecedit superbia.

11-30-10, 04:11 AM	#3
Lionclaw Ace of the Deep Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 1,006 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	Every major publisher should read it. Interesting that Jowood is still around, some of their games were shipped in horrible condition..