Why Do Some Games Release in Such a Buggy State?

As someone who has spent countless hours immersed in the digital worlds created by game developers, I can’t help but feel a deep sense of empathy for these talented individuals who face seemingly insurmountable challenges in their quest to create the perfect gaming experience. Having witnessed firsthand the sheer complexity and ambition of modern games, I can’t help but marvel at their technical prowess while simultaneously cringing at the bugs and glitches that often mar these otherwise brilliant creations.

Today’s video games surpass their previous versions in numerous aspects. They are more elaborate, visually stunning, and on a grander scale than ever before. The improvements in quality-of-life and accessibility features are rapid, making gaming more enjoyable for a wide audience. To deny this progress would be misleading at best. However, it’s important to note that while games are bigger and better than ever, they also seem to have more frequent issues such as bugs or even game-breaking problems in their releases. We’re not discussing the problems within the gaming industry itself, like layoffs or escalating budgets; instead, we’re focusing on the games themselves and how they often come with issues that were less common in the past.

In recent times, there has been an abundance of highly anticipated AAA games that create a lot of buzz. However, upon release, many of these games fail to meet expectations, particularly in terms of their technical condition. Over time, some of these games manage to improve, while others are indeed good games with technical issues. Regrettably, the condition at launch is often substandard compared to what it could (or once was) considered acceptable, given that standards for game launches have gradually lowered over the years.

A notable instance of poor game optimization was demonstrated by Cyberpunk 2077’s launch in 2020, making it nearly unplayable on PS4 and Xbox One. Consequences included the removal of the game from the PlayStation Store until CD Projekt Red could address the issues, as well as numerous lawsuits. Similarly, the releases of recent Pokemon games have been marred by inadequate optimization. Both Pokemon Sword and Shield had issues, while Pokemon Scarlet and Violet were sometimes unplayable; unlike Cyberpunk 2077, these games received minimal post-launch fixes.

In the previous year, we received “Starfield”, a title that, compared to the rocky launch of games like “Fallout 76” (another instance of a major debut with significant issues), seemed more stable, but still suffered from numerous technical problems that diminished the gaming experience for many. Similarly, “Redfall”, another prominent Bethesda release, had its own set of comparable flaws. Earlier this year, we saw “Star Wars Outlaws”, which wasn’t as broken as “Redfall” was, but was far from perfect due to a lack of polish. Ubisoft itself has acknowledged these shortcomings and promised to rectify them in its next significant release, “Assassin’s Creed Shadows”. More recently, we had “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl”, a unique case where the developer, GSC Game World, faced extraordinary challenges during development that were beyond their control, making the game’s numerous bugs and technical issues more explicable than in most cases.

It’s puzzling why more and more unfinished or flawed games are being released, given that no developer aims for that. The explanation isn’t straightforward; it involves various issues, from self-created problems to external challenges. However, many factors leading to this trend seem to stem from systemic problems within the gaming industry itself, suggesting a broader issue with its evolution. For now, let’s save this topic for later discussion. We’ll delve deeper into it soon.

It’s not surprising at all to encounter bugs in video games, given the intricate blend of artistry and technology involved in their creation, a field rife with numerous creative and technical complexities. The process of making a game is incredibly challenging, with countless things that can potentially go awry. As such, glitches and technical issues are inevitable during development, regardless of the circumstances. Moreover, as games become increasingly large, complex, and ambitious, requiring longer development periods and larger teams, the potential for errors has only expanded – explaining why we see more technically unstable games today.

There’s also the fact that the way developers themselves approach a project and its development has changed in fundamental days. Going gold no longer means what it once did. Even after a game has launched, that doesn’t necessarily mean development is over- even for single-player games, and especially for multiplayer ones. Now that developers have the ability to continue polishing and improving a game even after it has released, releasing in a poor technical state no longer seems as final as it once did- because it literally isn’t. The list of games that have launched broken but gone on to redeem themselves with incessant updates and significant, wide-ranging fixes is a longer one, and grows longer by the day- and while the efforts of the developers in those cases deserve to be lauded, there’s just as many (if not many, many more) examples of games that don’t get anywhere close to that sort of post-launch care and attention.

In theory, extending the development period for games seems straightforward, doesn’t it? However, the reality is complex due to commercial pressures within the gaming industry. While developers may require additional time to refine and optimize their creations, publishers often face constraints that limit delaying game releases excessively. It’s understandable from their perspective, but problems arise when games are released in a broken state, despite being known to be technically subpar. This happens because further delays would necessitate more time and financial investment, and some publishers decide to take the risk anyway.

Projects can have unique challenges based on various factors, including the tools used by developers to create games. For example, consider the diverse set of tools developers might use for game development and the potential complications that come with each toolset. Games like Starfield and Pokemon serve as good examples of projects that faced difficulties due to the outdated aspects and significant technical debts of their respective engines. Similarly, there’s a growing trend of games built on Unreal Engine 5 (especially on PC) encountering traversal stuttering and shader compilation problems, among other issues. Last year’s Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is one such example. In the past, BioWare games have also experienced technical hurdles due to the challenges of working with the Frostbite engine; both Anthem and Mass Effect: Andromeda faced numerous such problems.

Developers frequently encounter the challenge of working with various machines, each featuring unique specifications. This diversity, in turn, results in a significantly larger pool of potential issues for multiplatform games. To break it down, you’ve got PS5, PS5 Pro, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and the Switch. But that’s not all – the vast array of PC specifications also needs to be considered.

Multiplayer games also encounter their own set of challenges, in addition to the usual hurdles faced by major AAA productions. One significant concern for developers is server-related issues, as many games unfortunately experience severe problems with servers. Recently, the launch of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 was hampered significantly due to server issues. Earlier this year, XDefiant struggled with stability at its launch. Going back to last year, Battlefield 2042 had numerous critical issues related to handling large numbers of players upon release. It’s concerning that even high-profile releases like a new Battlefield game can’t seem to manage large crowds effectively. This raises questions about the factors leading to such situations.

Even though I’m not a game developer, it’s clear that the field can be quite daunting due to the advanced technology available today. This technology enables developers to create expansive, intricate, and complex gaming experiences beyond what was previously possible. However, this also means there is a larger margin for errors. It’s understandable that this isn’t an unexpected issue, but the challenge comes when you consider the frequent budget and time constraints that many projects face during development. These limitations often lead to either hurried development or prematurely truncated development. In both cases, quality control suffers, and bugs that would typically be caught before release instead find their way into the final version of the game.

As a gamer myself, I can’t help but appreciate the dedication of Nintendo when it comes to game releases. Unlike many others in the industry, they prefer to wait until their games are absolutely perfect before launching them. Take Super Mario Bros. and Wonder’s developers for example, who were given ample time and resources to finesse their game to perfection. Similarly, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was technically finished a full year before release, with Nintendo using that extra time to polish the gaming experience. This meticulous approach certainly paid off, as both games stand among the best in their respective franchises. It’s also worth noting that Nintendo’s development budgets are generally more conservative compared to most Western AAA projects, and their technology is noticeably older compared to other modern hardware.

Sony’s exclusive games are often characterized by an exceptional level of refinement. However, exceptions do occur – for example, there were server overcrowding issues during the launch of Helldivers 2, and The Last of Us Part 1’s PC port encountered significant problems not too long ago. Nevertheless, large-scale releases from PlayStation Studios are typically associated with high expectations of quality and shine, which they usually meet. It’s worth noting that this level of polish is largely facilitated by the substantial budgets Sony allocates to these major first-party projects, a practice that raises concerns across the industry and needs immediate attention. But let’s save that discussion for another time.

In essence, developers often find themselves under numerous limitations, exacerbated by the reluctance of many to simplify their projects or choose less complex tasks for development. It’s clear that something needs to change, as the current approach can’t maintain its viability indefinitely. We run the risk of reaching a critical juncture where the standards for game optimization, technical health, and stability at launch will significantly deteriorate, which won’t be an appealing sight, to say the least. Ideally, the industry will address this issue before it reaches such a dire state.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

2024-12-10 22:41

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