Publisher BS - The Theme of this Console Generation

[ciderPunk1877]

Disclaimer: Yeah, I know it's a bit of a strange abstraction to categorize games by console generation when many play on PC and don't experience them. Nevertheless, it's common enough a way to think about things, so please just roll with it.

It's time again for all the rumors to float around about the PS5, the Xbox Whatever, and I guess now we have to talk about the "Madbox"?

As I think about these last years, there are obviously some bright spots. Witcher 3, Sony and Nintendo's first party outputs, and a number of other great titles here and there...

But the dominant theme, to me, seems to definitely be publisher BS. Prior generations had issues (remember online passes?) and a few other things here and there...

But this generation has been POSSESSED. We can't go 3 months without some complete disaster.

I kind of credit Diablo 3, a year before the new console generation, with it. The always-online launch without functional servers.

And then EA pulled it the following year with Sim City, and got similar results.

Then, of course, in 2013, there was the Xbox One pre-launch disaster and backlash, with anti-consumer policies that seemed to be designed at the whim of AAA publishers throwing a fit about used games.

There was Battlefield 4's buggy launch. Halo MCC's non-functional multiplayer. We've had the No Man's Sky launch. The Battlefront 2 catastrophe. Shadow of War's micros. Pro Skater 5. Mass Effect Andromeda. The Arkham Knight PC launch. This year alone, we've had the controversies surrounding BF5, Diablo Immortal, Command and Conquer mobile, RDR2 Online, and - of course - Fallout 76.

It just gets worse. Each quarter, EA or Activision, or occasionally someone else, will either release an unplayable game, over-monetize a game to the point of madness, or find a creative new way to insult they player base (either directly on Twitter or wherever, or collaterally i.e., something like Diablo Immortal).

Combine this with all the controversies surrounding the so-called "traditional" games media these years, and...

This is what the people who complain about "toxic gaming YouTubers" or whatever miss. It's not that all of a sudden negative news is garnering more attention... it's that there IS more negative news.

A lot more.

And I don't know if it'll ever get any better.

[Shades]

Yeah its not the same as it used to be, I have to agree with the "wait three months" sentiment before buying a game. I have had this suspicion or theory about what is going on in these companies: It's my belief that it's an effect of the Agile SDLC methodology that ALOT software companies have adopted. I don't have personal experience in the gaming industry, but I work in an Agile company. To me, I think these game studios were affected by market pressures to use the methodology by investors and what-not, for its promise of "delivering software faster". However, Agile really isn't the best fit for a product like a video game. Agile is better fit for a website or service that is in a constant state of change. Not something that should be a complete product. It would explain the "always on" non sense that these companies are trying to force on people constantly, because that suits a service better than a complete product. As well, it explains the poor time management with the beta-release quality of games, and the day one launch disasters with massive patches because they can always fix low priority bugs later. Agile for video games is like delivering to a customer an unpainted car without the windows, backseats or spare tire; and having the owner taking it back in to install some bits every few weeks after.