Roundtable: What Do You Think About Game Delays?

No one likes to wait longer for an anticipated game but when a delay is announced do you feel that is a good or a bad thing? The VGU staff discusses their thoughts on game delays.

[Yi-Long]

... I much rather wait a few extra months, or even a year, if that means they'll be releasing the best possible game they can, instead of seeing them rushing it out the door to meet some kind of deadline, and then spend months trying to patch it up.

[Rainbowcookie]

I agree with you . The real problem is thay reveal the games to early, get expectations up and then everybodies world is moving in bullet time. The hype builds ...the game gets delayed... internet explodes ... people get pi$$ed. Simple solution : Reveal the game 3 months from release.

[Yi-Long]

That's true, and I agree with that, but perhaps there's also a pressure from stockholders and publishers that push developers to show what they're working on, as well as obviously fan-requests.

Also, sometimes you believe something will be done in 9-12 months, and once you come closer to that date, the whole team will feel they're not quite there yet and they really do need more time to make it even better, polish it up as good as possible, remove some unexpected bugs, and perhaps the competition has also revealed something better in the mean time, which means you can't come out with a product that would be received as inferior.

It happens, and I'm glad when developers get the time and freedom to get back in there and fix it before selling it to the customers who expect a good product.

[XBLSkull]

I think everyone hates seeing games being delayed but if the game needs more time, then it needs more time. Always disappointing to watch that game you can't wait to play be pushed back 6 months.

Drive Club one was odd, was like a launch title wasn't it then just a couple weeks out it got delayed and still isn't out yet. Usually we know games are getting delayed a good amount ahead of time.

Just take first announced release date, add 6 months and you get the true release date lol, works every time. Except for CoD and Assassin's Creed lol, those games are locked in, those companies want your money, and want it asap.

Delays are the difference though for a game being 2/10 for glitches, crashes, and other technical problems - and 9/10 for being amazing.

[crusf]

Like the great Miyamoto once said "A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad."

[Fizzler]

Duke Nukem Forever Bad

[SuperBlur]

that game holds title for most delay tho

[Jughead3416]

Just don't announce a date. You can reveal a game when you want. You can even say when you hope to launch a game. But when they announce dates, get people excited, then delay it to the following year, that's frustrating.

[PiNkFaIrYbOi]

Depends on how long the delay is and also if they repeatedly delay game over and over again.

[Roccetarius]

Game delays are fine for up to a year or something, but certain cases like Half Life 3, FFXV, Last Guardian etc is more damaging than good for the game.

[OrangePowerz]

If it means the game is better in the end go for it.

[Scrivlar]

I find a game being delayed is a lot more frustrating than having to wait longer in the first place. Seriously for example just set the release date for May 2015 instead of October 2014 then pushing it back, that way I don't have bitter disappointment around August 2014 when the delay gets announced.