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- Former GTA developer says game launches are now more stressful than the PS2 era.
- Releasing a game and then not being able to iron out bugs with a patch is terrifying.
- Back in the day, you would just release the final form, and that was it.
Game launches are in a very weird spot these days. There are hardly any games that don’t require a day 1 patch to play as they were originally expected to be. So, most titles require a lot of post-launch support to reach their final form.
However, things were very different back in the day when a launch was the final form of a game because you couldn’t send OTA updates or day 1 patches. A former GTA veteran says this makes current launches more stressful.
Why it matters: In the PS2 era, developers would just release the game and that was it, while now, they not only have to complete the development, but also prepare a patch to iron out any bugs at release.
Obbe Vermeij, former technical director at Rockstar Games, was asked what era of game development was more stressful. He responded that the current game launches are more stressful compared to the PS2 era.
Today’s approach seems more stressful to me. Approaching the launch date and not knowing whether you can fix everything in the day-1 patch seems terrifying
– Obbe Vermeij
He further stated that with the current development cycle nearing the launch date and not knowing whether you’ll be able to fix the bugs is a terrifying thought. This wasn’t the case back in the days when there were no patches.
The PS2 era was essentially the last where you couldn’t send updates, after which day 1 patches became very common. Nonetheless, this also represents the case that developers should focus on releasing the final product instead of ironing out issues with a patch at launch.
What are your thoughts on game launches being more stressful now compared to the PS2 era? Let us know your opinions in the comments or join the discussion at the official Tech4Gamers Forum.
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News Reporter
Abdullah is an avid gamer who primarily plays single-player titles. If you can’t find him anywhere, he’ll probably be at his desk playing The Witcher 3 for the millionth time. When he isn’t playing games, he’s either reading or writing about them.
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