EA should consider pushing up the game 1 month

[Kefka]

I've been a vet of this game for some years and it's become very apparent to me- and likely others- that this series needs to ship a little later. They're rushing this game out the door and letting a lot of bugs get thru. Some solutions I would suggest for EA to better handle NCAA 13:

• Allow more users the chance to play test
• Push the game back a few weeks to give them extra time to test
• Give themselves the chance to fix old issues by not working on gimmick stuff to enhance the game as a "new package"

Any other ideas out there you think could help EA do a better job releasing a less bug free experience at launch?

[The GIGGAS]

Re: EA should consider pushing up the game 1 month

That only works for one year. If they were to do it one year, they'd have a year and a month. The next year, it's back to the one year plan.

[SECElit3]

Re: EA should consider pushing up the game 1 month

I've been a vet of this game for some years and it's become very apparent to me- and likely others- that this series needs to ship a little later. They're rushing this game out the door and letting a lot of bugs get thru. Some solutions I would suggest for EA to better handle NCAA 13:

• Allow more users the chance to play test
• Push the game back a few weeks to give them extra time to test
• Give themselves the chance to fix old issues by not working on gimmick stuff to enhance the game as a "new package"

Any other ideas out there you think could help EA do a better job releasing a less bug free experience at launch?

Wasn't aware EA tested their games... hmmmm

Threw a little wrench in there with that one... I'll get back to ya

[blkrptnt819]

So they need to shorten their cycle or just have a more thorough QA process?

[NEOPARADIGM]

Re: EA should consider pushing up the game 1 month

Wouldn't just buying the game a month late have the same effect? I'll admit I'm just too impatient, but were I to buy the game, say, the Friday before the season starts instead of release day, I'd most likely have two patches, a handful of tuner updates, not to mention dope rosters, all on the same day I bought the game instead of this nonsense.

[boilermakernet08]

Re: EA should consider pushing up the game 1 month

Any other ideas out there you think could help EA do a better job releasing a less bug free experience at launch?

Yes. EA should extensively test their games BEFORE they hit the market so that the consumer doesn't end up being the beta tester.

[nd2727]

Re: EA should consider pushing up the game 1 month

EA has no interest in putting out a better game. Plus, they don't want it hitting the shelves to close to Madden. Let's say that EA did a superb job testing the game and improved all of the stuff people have been complaining about for years. If that happened, 2012 would be a huge improvement...but what about 2013? It would just be a roster update for a great game that we already have. EA's interest is best served by making small changes every year. The only thing that would create an incentive for big improvements would be competition. This is our only option for a college football game..we buy it every year...why should they bother?

[Steel Pitt]

Re: EA should consider pushing up the game 1 month

EA won't do that because then it would be released too close to Madden. EA knows that there are a good number of people that buy NCAA and then return it when Madden comes out. If they push it back those consumers simply would just wait for Madden.

Also, I think in this day of online and having the ability to patch certain defects, EA will use that as a reason why pushing the game back is not necessary. If anything, they'd probably be more likely to release the game a month earlier rather than later knowing that most issues/defects can be corrected later via a patch.

JMO

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Re: EA should consider pushing up the game 1 month

This game, more than most others, desperately needs an open or a large closed beta test. I don't know what their actual testers do all day, but people find fairly glaring glitches on Day 1.

[bwiggy33]

Re: EA should consider pushing up the game 1 month

I'm not defending EA by saying this but sometimes sports games release dates can depend on when the sport wants the game to be released. This allows the sport to use it as promotion. This may not be true with NCAA but I know with MLB 2k and their deal with the MLB that the MLB makes the decision when they want the game released. As I said I'm not sure how NCAA and Madden (I can't remember why their date got pushed back) work but I know that MLB works like this.

[Kefka]

Re: EA should consider pushing up the game 1 month

This game, more than most others, desperately needs an open or a large closed beta test. I don't know what their actual testers do all day, but people find fairly glaring glitches on Day 1.

This is something I think needs to be echoed. I'd love to hear from EA as to who is beta testing and why they're missing so much

[makaveli_Reborn]

Re: EA should consider pushing up the game 1 month

You still end up with a 12-month dev cycle, so it wouldn't buy them any more time. Meaning that if they pushed the release back a month, they'd also be pushing the development of the next game back a month.

Also, it's always going to be cheaper and easier for them to let the users beta test the game, at least until enough people become disillusioned to the point of passing on the game altogether.