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If something goes wrong with a baby product, the company issues a recall. Food producers list the ingredients that might cause an allergic reaction. But video games, on the other hand, have turned out differently. While a game for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, or PC receiving patches to fix bugs is nothing new, developers should know that it still needs to be a complete package.
What happens when a publisher releases a broken game with no plans to fix it? Not only does that company have consumers' money but it isn't going to use that money to fix the problem. This is where things get interesting.
Now, let's have a look at what is loved and what gets the shaft. Patches are just patches. Downloadable content given to one version of a game and not the others? Then that’s when the "mommy loves me more" argument comes into play.
PS3 owners won't be getting Skyrim’s latest content. Let’s think about it.
It’s mind boggling that some players will only get part of a somewhat complete experience; although, they know the risk. Of course, how many of them are still playing Skyrim or planning to play it again when Borderlands 2, Resident Evil 6, Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2, and Madden 13 are already out or will be soon? Their money can now go toward something else that will be a complete experience right out of the box instead of content you might not like.
It is weird that the Silent Hill HD collection for the 360 is staying broken while the PS3 got the fix (or something like that). Even worse, with Silent Hill being broken, 360 owners are left with a inferior product with no sign of being addressed. Yet, that same argument applies to the 360 gamers. No one is playing that game now.
Where does it stop? If patches are merely band aids, then late DLC to one system is the pain that continues to run without a cure. If we're to believe we're getting these realistic and online gaming experiences, we are just fooling ourselves. These discs contain software that is 85 percent or less of a game. Anything we buy for those neglected systems is left inferior. You want a real game? Buy something for a 3DS, DS, Wii, or Vita.
What can we look forward to in the next console generation? Well, really nothing. It's going to be the same song and dance, and it might go downhill from here. Who cares if Unreal Engine 4 is powering your game when the developer has abandoned support on your chosen system? You want the Nintendo Seal of Quality for all games? Then tell these developers that.
You can start by mentioning it to Bethesda.