Should You Buy Games at Launch?

[RandyBass]

Is there anything developers and publishers can do to ensure better launches of games in the future?

Yeah, run beta programs. Surprised they don't do this already.

[TheRealHST]

Quote: Originally Posted by elgreazy1

Answer: Yes, developers & publishers can ensure better launches by having a bit of professional integrity and looking to satisfying the customer's needs instead of the shareholders. Edit. I work for an interactive, digital agency. There have been countless times when we've been pushed to the brink by our clients, but never under any circumstance do we released a broken product - even if it means we lose money (that one time). If we did release a broken product, it would taint our name and the product/client we are working for. It's about ethics and integrity, and many gaming companies simply don't care because they can get away with what they're doing. It is the norm now. Consumers don't care. They accept this. I've seen countless posts from people on OS who are okay with waiting a month or two for patches to Madden before they even begin their Franchises. 2 MONTHS!?! That's a 1/6th of the way through the life-cycle of the game! And the worst thing, they do this every year because they expect the product to be shipped broken.

Well as long as shareholders are involved then there will be no solution.

Any suggestions in this thread are futile versus the shareholders.

[TjJunior]

When you look at a title like EA UFC, which was pretty sub par at launch and compare the gameplay and content to the way it is now for 20.00 bucks in the xbox store, you gotta say NO! I mean why would you when you can get a far superior product for a cheaper price later?

[Cards_King70]

I usually will pre-order to reserve my games that means I will pick up them during launch day. However, I won't buy some unknown games at launch day for obvious reason ,but I often ended up regret for not buy them asap for some reasons.

Since I am hardcore Gust fan, I always keep eye on their games then will buy them during launch day. I also am doing same thing for my favorite brand games ,but I will pass on them if I discover that game is not liking to me i.,e. FFXIII.

[jcmreds]

There are a select few games that I buy on launch day. MLB The Show is an automatic day one purchase, and GTA. The only reason I picked up NBA 2K15 was due to an insane trade in deal, but as an offline player I've enjoyed it quite a bit.

[Eaglerock562]

Is there anything developers and publishers can do to ensure better launches of games in the future?

Yes, infact they use to do this, but with NBA 2K they have not done it in the past 2-3 years and that is DEMO....of not just a five minute game of the final two teams, but a limited access to each game mode and a five minute demo of each possibly.

See, the thing is this. When a game is released and a company is quiet about the issues that game has after released leads consumers to only one conclusion and that is that the company simply didn't complete the game and just shipped it out to meet the release date and collect the money. It shows a complete lack of respect towards your consumers and it won't be long til it leads to someone saying enough is enough and ends up sueing a company (after all, in this world there's always a first for everything).

Another thing that these developers and testers and companies can do is simply fix all the issues within a product before turning their attention onto adding new features and creating new issues. Ignoring existing issues on a yearly basis while adding new features to a game can only lead consumers to a conclusion that the company simply DOES NOT know how to fix the issues.

Last thing is simply this, take ownership and responability of your product if you are going to release it and advertise the heck out of it in the media. Stand by what you say about your product and deliver. Ignoring the problems or responding with the "company line" doesn't solve anything other then make your consumers even that much more doubtful of your product and that much more convinced that they should invest their money in an alternative (which means another company's product of the same gametype) or simply invest in something else that might not be in your field of expertise all together.

Consumers can survive without games. These companies can't survive with out consumers.

[Commercial Seal]

Developers are putting and promoting graphics more then the actual interaction with the game .... Where living the mid 80's crisis all over again... Gamers want quality// Developers want quantity! !

[23]

Quote: Originally Posted by Eaglerock562

Is there anything developers and publishers can do to ensure better launches of games in the future? Yes, infact they use to do this, but with NBA 2K they have not done it in the past 2-3 years and that is DEMO....of not just a five minute game of the final two teams, but a limited access to each game mode and a five minute demo of each possibly. See, the thing is this. When a game is released and a company is quiet about the issues that game has after released leads consumers to only one conclusion and that is that the company simply didn't complete the game and just shipped it out to meet the release date and collect the money. It shows a complete lack of respect towards your consumers and it won't be long til it leads to someone saying enough is enough and ends up sueing a company (after all, in this world there's always a first for everything). Another thing that these developers and testers and companies can do is simply fix all the issues within a product before turning their attention onto adding new features and creating new issues. Ignoring existing issues on a yearly basis while adding new features to a game can only lead consumers to a conclusion that the company simply DOES NOT know how to fix the issues. Last thing is simply this, take ownership and responability of your product if you are going to release it and advertise the heck out of it in the media. Stand by what you say about your product and deliver. Ignoring the problems or responding with the "company line" doesn't solve anything other then make your consumers even that much more doubtful of your product and that much more convinced that they should invest their money in an alternative (which means another company's product of the same gametype) or simply invest in something else that might not be in your field of expertise all together. Consumers can survive without games. These companies can't survive with out consumers.

This one case I have to disagree with you on 2k because the we're on the forums. Mike Wang did a huge QA. Da Czar and leftos as well as davez were al communicating and taking feedback.

I'm a little more forgiving with sports titles because of such short windows of production but those patches should work. Playing a demo which is already stripped down won't give good enough feedback unless they releasea full demo and marketing usually doesn't.



Anyway I think I'm more conservative with my money. As much as I like AC I simply won't but a game if I perceive its not worth the headache to me.