Which is worse: Missing Release Dates or Unfinished Games

[Dissman]

I've been gaming for quite a long time, and over recent years i've seen the entire concept of release dates going straight to hell and basically meaning nothing... I've been waiting for Half-Life 2 for almost a year, I've been waitinf for Halo 2 for longer, and even The Sims 2 is being pushed back?

It's kinda driving me crazy when they give unrealistic release dates and never get things done... but i'm not sure if it bothers me more than the old concept they had of releasing games on time, them not working, and then releasing patch after patch until they do. Since you cant return games to the store, it kinda made it so they could do this without repercussions other than people getting pissed at them.

Why cant the companies just specify a realistic date and get the game finished and working on time rather than me constantly getting my hopes up for months and months and months or dealing with buggy software? I'm expected to get things done on time and correctly.. why arent they?

I want to hear what the community thinks on this issue.

[ArchAngelKIng]

What about Duke Nuke Forever? I think that project is dead or what?

pushing back release dates or unfinished games is poor planning, bad managment, biting off way too much off at one time!

Some one should slap their asses!

AAK

[Soxmls35]

I don't see missing release dates as entirely the companies fault. I view that as more my fault for expecting. Missing release dates isn't a new thing in gaming its always been that way. As a result I never take stated release dates as the day they will be released. If you don't expect it to be out on the day they orginaly say there is no problem. When i do this I feel its kinda my fault if im disapointed by a release date not being reached.

Actualy most of the time companies dont ever set actual dates. They will ususaly say first quater or something to that affect. Its the companies that sell the game like EB or Amazon and review and other game sites that make up an actual date.

As far as games being not finished. This usualy happens before christmas because the companies have to get it out for the christmas sales. I've seen it happen a thousand times. The only other times games get released before they are fully finished is when they get so much preasure from the comuninty they feel they have to. This happens when they miss release dates.

Generaly if you sit back and don't expect release dates to happen the games will end up better. Just get the game when you get it and you will end up with a game thats more fun.

[nOOB]

I like ID ideals. It will be released when it is done. I found out from an interview that the original relase date for HL2 wasnt ever going to happen. It should have been where it is now.

[Dissman]

The thing about games though, is you have NO right of return, you cant take a test drive of a full version of a game like a car, and you cant try it on... the games that you buy should work properly, they should not be released unfinished no matter the reason... they should not get a pass on it, i think that games should be returnable... if copy protection is such an issue, use a USB dongle, like a lot of more expensive software does.

If i remember right, it's a crime to knowingly release a defective product.. people should have the same rights with games that they do with clothes.

[Scorpion]

See personally, I don't think you should make official a game until you are ready for at least alpha testing.

Right now at Simutronics we are working on an MMORPG, its about 50% finished but not yet ready for alpha testing. We announced that we were going to do it to our playerbase, but never once gave a time frame and thank god for that. Its been 3 years since the project started and the game has been taken back to base at least 8 different times. I've been working on the project for about a year and a half and its changed 3 times in that period of time.

Simu's view on releases is, if its not ready we aren't going to hype it up or even announce it because then people get let down. We are all about releasing quality games that are finished, thus no release dates are given but when it does finally get released you better believe its going to be a damn good game.

[ArchAngelKIng]

I've been waiting for "Duke Nukem Forever" forever! Again, no plans, no management, no fan support, just a statement, it will be done when it's finished!

or

you wll be unemployed very soon and never finished becuase we can't sell it like this.

Cheers,

AAK

[Dissman]

See personally, I don't think you should make official a game until you are ready for at least alpha testing.

Right now at Simutronics we are working on an MMORPG, its about 50% finished but not yet ready for alpha testing. We announced that we were going to do it to our playerbase, but never once gave a time frame and thank god for that. Its been 3 years since the project started and the game has been taken back to base at least 8 different times. I've been working on the project for about a year and a half and its changed 3 times in that period of time.

Simu's view on releases is, if its not ready we aren't going to hype it up or even announce it because then people get let down. We are all about releasing quality games that are finished, thus no release dates are given but when it does finally get released you better believe its going to be a damn good game.


Meh, sorry man, i'm still burnt out on RPG's in general or i'd be sure to give it a whirl.

[Anonymous]

The "when its done" thing started with 3D REALMS with Duke Nukem Forever back in 2001. But you all saw...Daikatana was pushed back so much and was in dev for 4 years...it blew ass when it came out and was very outdated. Plus, look at Duke Forever...now it's nickname is "Duke Nukem [taking] Forever". What ruled was that DNF was finished and was using the Postal 2 engine and looked amazing. But nooooooo, it wasn't to the satisfaction of the dev group and they pushed it away 8 more times.

As far as unfinished games, "Giants: Citizen Kabuto" was pretty damn buggy and unfinished when it came out. Also, Soul Reaver was short on time for development, so the ending blew ass and pissed everyone off.

I say it's mostly fault of the publishers giving the developers such short time to make the games. Many times, I also blame the developers for making half-assed jobs and suffer for their mistakes, but I say the industry needs a severe kick in the ass.

[Scurvey Dog]

i like how Blizzard does it. takes like 4 years for them to make a game or longer. and then just have the game be really good and well done so they make a crap load of money. they have made what? 6 games(PC)? not counting the ones in dev right now. and everyone has been really good. not saying that i personally have loved every one, but they have all been good games that a lot of people buy. how many crap games have other companies pushed out in the last 6 years? quality>quantity

[Dissman]

The "when its done" thing started with 3D REALMS with Duke Nukem Forever back in 2001. But you all saw...Daikatana was pushed back so much and was in dev for 4 years...it blew ass when it came out and was very outdated.

Yup, and also on that list, is Battlecruiser 3000AD... which when it was released after SEVEN YEARS of development, the game couldnt get past level 2, and they patched it every two weeks until it worked.

I say it's mostly fault of the publishers giving the developers such short time to make the games. Many times, I also blame the developers for making half-assed jobs and suffer for their mistakes, but I say the industry needs a severe kick in the ass.

The problem is there's no one around to give them a severe kick in the ass, games are not like movies, if movies are pushed back, people lose their drive to see it immeadiately, they tend to make less money, so there's incentive to get it out ON TIME, but that's not true in PC Games, where you make most of your money in the first month, and not the first three days when it comes out...

What also bothers me, is there is no right of return with games... pretty much no matter the product, if it doesnt live up to what's it's supposed to be, i can take it back... with games, they can release something totally unfinished, and i'm stuck with it... which is wrong.