I ask this question, because to me, I notice that nearly every new release on the consoles and PC so far, there has been so much hate surrounding each game.
Is it because we are expecting too much? Is it the developers releasing games too early, with problems at release (example: Battlefield 4, Driveclub, Destiny). Is it because we get sucked in to the hype train so much that when the actual game is released we're already burnt out from them, then they cannot possibly live up to the anticipation the hype has created and ends up being disappointing?
I tell you one thing I have noticed, and that is nearly every new game recently has released with problems, some big, some small, some easily fixed, some still not fixed months down the line.
Is this becoming the normal than we need to accept it as part of the process in gaming? Do developers release their games too early knowing they're not ready, thinking they will patch the game post-release? It seems like today that even when games are delayed due to not being "ready", when they do release, they still have problems. Driveclub recently as an example.
Do you guys think we have become more demanding or do you think our expectations have gone up, or do you think developers are releasing below-par games with problems? Not just problems, but also with garbage story lines that are just fillers to get you from point A to B in games. Should we start accepting these problems, after all, it rarely stops people buying a game if they really want it...
I tend to lean on the side of games are so much more complex these days, so much more complex, that I find it so hard to think that they can possibly release without problems. I think even if games were given 5 years to develop, they will still release with problems. I tend to look past the problems, as long as they are not game breaking, and they are fixed relatively quick.
Be interesting to hear peoples thoughts. It's such a vast subject.
The second game from Aggro Crab, Another Crab’s Treasure is a unique Soulslike about a crab searching for his shell.
A by-the-numbers action game with a story that only occasionally lives up to the original work.
Gareth writes - if you want a shorter experience, less challenging with a ton of thrills and spills, then Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is a good option.
First year console blues - it plagues almost every console released
New hardware, new IPs, small audience,new infrastructure, rushed releases to fill the calendar and keep up momentum - it all mixes to to give disappointing results
i remember playing crazy taxi and seeing the car disappear into the road as well as other problems - at least games can get patched now. I still had fun despite all that. I think people WANT things to complain about, and you will always find something to complain about. it's the easiest thing to do.
This is the first time that a new console has not brought a visual upgrade to make us say "wow" though. This might have something to do with the discontent.
The question of games "releasing with problems"... is that why they get hate? Is answered with Destiny. People may hate this game, but the launch was flawless. The game launched and there are no woes to be found with the game. It isn't broken like BF4 was. The servers were booming day 1 and nary a hiccup.
But, the game was still hated by the hateboys.
Unfortunately, there is no solution to these people. They simply hate gaming and anything gaming related. They are very bitter people who have no other purpose in life than to hate gaming. Many of them call themselves "journalists."
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
I agree on a couple of points, really. Yes, games are much more complex. The maps are larger, the graphics are much more detailed, NPCs are much more complicated and AI is more advanced. With this, though, comes another of your points, that of devs plugging in crap stories just to push us from A to B. Think back to Resident Evil 4. Now, think of how many games since then involved the player in such a great story (Bioshock and Fallout 3, maybe?) --Anyway, good points. Some of the above comments are spot on, as well. First year console blues indeed, we'll see some true AAA stuff fairly soon. :0)
I think one of the biggest problems with the industry right now isn't so much that developers release games too early, it is that they announce their game too early. By doing this they've already started the clock on when people expect the game to be released. This is the reason why they are forced to release the game too early and potentially unfinished (looking at you Destiny).
Another reason why it seems like gamers are hard to please these days (and this also plays into the announcing too early) is because by the time a game launches the people buying it have already watched 35 trailers, 15 dev diaries, and played in numerous closed/open pre-alphas, alphas, and betas. In other words, by the time the game launches they've pretty much seen all there is to see of it.
New console generation marketing and increased consumer expectation. This is caused from the increase in costs related to the hobby (HD TV, Games, Headset, Online Subscription, DLC models) and huge promises from the console makers and publishers. They spend millions trying to convince us to buy the game and build a hype train that no game can hope to deliver on. Personally, I have always looked at gaming from a different perspective and have been enjoying some of the recent gaming releases. The real problem is on both sides, gamers are about instant gratification of a set number of checkmarks that each gamer has instilled in themselves. Industry devs have set out to make sure they check as many as they can for as many people as possible and innovation and passion has gone to the way side because of it.