Do you care about game updates

almoststew1990

almoststew1990

almoststew1990

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These days there seems to a binary of a game is either getting updated and the game is alive or a game does not get updates and it is immediately a dead game, don't buy etc. People, by which I mean Gamers™ on Twitter, can't seem to accept a game that doesn't get updated is just a fun game to keep playing.

I find this odd as I grew up with a game being what came on the disk and also as a largely single player gamer. A non live service game doesn't magically disappear if it doesn't get updated and I am fine to keep playing if I like the game in the first place.

However, even old multiplayer games like COD4, I think on 360 you could pay for map packs but I don't think it received patch after patch (which itself is different from a content update) of game play tweaks. The PC version has a couple of patches only.

Forza Motorsport 4 was feature complete on day 1 with hundreds of leagues, and is widely considered the best in the series, and didn't significantly change over it's life. but Forza Motorsport 2023 is constantly fiddled with (and still bad) until the developer closed this year and now it's a Ded Game even though you can still play it.

Grab Turismo 4 being on PS2 received no content updates but is loved by single player racing game nerds. GT7 meanwhile seems to need regularly scheduled updates.

Today I saw a post about how DuckStation on Android is stopping development, it's all over guys. DuckStation works perfectly it doesn't need any changes (er, or so I hear).

The exception for me is Cities Skylines which received updates that I did value but that doesn't make me want to play a game or not.

Does a game update make you log back on for a multiplayer game? What about single player?
 
almoststew1990 said:
These days there seems to a binary of a game is either getting updated and the game is alive or a game does not get updates and it is immediately a dead game, don't buy etc. People, by which I mean Gamers™ on Twitter, can't seem to accept a game that doesn't get updated is just a fun game to keep playing.

I find this odd as I grew up with a game being what came on the disk and also as a largely single player gamer. A non live service game doesn't magically disappear if it doesn't get updated and I am fine to keep playing if I like the game in the first place.

However, even old multiplayer games like COD4, I think on 360 you could pay for map packs but I don't think it received patch after patch (which itself is different from a content update) of game play tweaks. The PC version has a couple of patches only.

Forza Motorsport 4 was feature complete on day 1 with hundreds of leagues, and is widely considered the best in the series, and didn't significantly change over it's life. but Forza Motorsport 2023 is constantly fiddled with (and still bad) until the developer closed this year and now it's a Ded Game even though you can still play it.

Grab Turismo 4 being on PS2 received no content updates but is loved by single player racing game nerds. GT7 meanwhile seems to need regularly scheduled updates.

Today I saw a post about how DuckStation on Android is stopping development, it's all over guys. DuckStation works perfectly it doesn't need any changes (er, or so I hear).

The exception for me is Cities Skylines which received updates that I did value but that doesn't make me want to play a game or not.

Does a game update make you log back on for a multiplayer game? What about single player?
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Definitely think it’s worth revisiting for online multiplayer games.

For single player, as long as the game is finished and free of game breaking bugs I’m happy. I’d definitely play an old favourite just for nostalgia if nothing else as I think games are like music in that respect, they can make you feel like you’re back in the period you first played them.
 
I usually don't play a game long enough to notice whether it gets updates or not. I'll get a game, play it for a week or two, then never touch it again. I'm not expecting improvements after that because they've already got my money.

A recent exception is BF6 which released regular updates and none of them improved the game so I lost confidence in the company and won't buy their future games.

And old exception was EVE Online, which updated to introduce microtransactions so I stopped playing.

Situations where updated have made me revisit a game are usually community driven rather than the company. For example Freelancer can be played now, but it requires community mods.

This situation is symptomatic of how software engineering works. As a dev you lose regardless of whether you deliver or not - because the MBAs running the show set you up to fail.
 
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Don't think I ever played a single player game that didn't have bugs. They've all benefited from a few fixes and updates.

That said I've lived with bugs in games and still played the game for years.

One that's burnt into my memory was DID Tornado 1993 flight sim which used to crash if you used the guns you had to remember not to touch the trigger.
 
games should have bugs updated (I remember a time - jet set willy aside - when games were properly tested and tended not to be riddled with bugs . I always said internet patches was a double edged sword and game quality would drop once Devs realised they could fix games post release.
I accept games are more complex now tho so......

but content? so long as it's reflected in the price I fully support a short and sweet game with a finite ending... one and done then move on.

better that than endlessly eek out busy work to get to some 3 figure time to completion and constantly adding tiny extras for more money.

don't get me wrong I am ok with a good game having an expansion too if done well. one size doesn't fit all... but I do sometimes think I wish some games just finished and Devs put the extra content into another game.
 
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It depends on the game. I bought 7 days to die a long while back during early access and every time they dropped an update, it was like playing a brand new version of the game. Loads of new content to sink your teeth into that kept it fresh. I don't think I'd have anywhere near the hours I have in it had it just dropped and never been updated.
 
In the old days (I am speaking early 2000's): I liked updates, they usually brought extra features or improvements to gameplay.

Now these days updates are more like an unwanted tumor, **** off with your updates I usually think.
 
I only have a problem with games that get TOO MANY updates, and by that I specifically mean the Paradox milking phenomena. It has been ridiculous for quite some time.
 
The only thing about updates is they're expected now. You couldn't be vague about a game being in a fit state when you had to burn a million disks and ship them to stores.

But when you can fix or frankly keep working on what wasn't completed with fast internet everywhere, roll the dice on a launch being a finished product or the scheduled cash grab and expecting customers to put up with walls of post launch patchnotes.
 
For the most part, if the core gameplay loop of a game is solid, that's more than enough for me to keep playing. I'm closing in on 2000 hours on DRG, long since unlocked all the weapons and all the game content, I still play every other day. Similarly I have a similar amount of hours on TF2, and I got TF2 Classified recently, which is a mod that kind of brings it back to the launch TF2 experience with some new game modes and additions, and I've been having a blast playing it.

Unfortunately for a lot of games these days with the free to play model, a lot of "content" is just skins and other ways to monetise the game, in lieu of actual gameplay updates. It gets a bit tiring hearing every single game boast about the battlepass and premium battlepass and ultra VIP battlepass and exclusive collab skins that can only be obtained when you have premium coins and the legendary mythic weapon skin that can only be obtained with mythic coins, and yet the last map they released was 2 years ago.
 
personally I am not fussed about cosmetics.
Obviously the model works for the masses but for me personally ..... if I have a feeling a game is launching with incomplete content I am far more likely just to not bother buying it till a complete edition comes out... usually with the bugs ironed out and for a lot less money too.
I guess it works for me because I am not a competitive gamer so don't rely on other people (I rarely play pure competive MP games) so am not needing to have the day 1 surge of players.
Sure I do play a lot of coop MP games... but my gaming group feels much the same as I do so we all wait for either a deep discount or a compete edition.

again there are exceptions,.if the game is cheap enough at launch, but even then I would rather pay £60 for a pass with all future content than £30 and have to pay for DLC. of course game companies being game companies you can't even trust them on that with many releasing content even outside of any passes etc.
 
Not really, I never buy new games and typically only buy games that are heavily discounted or have been out for a year or two and have already been updated/fixed.
 
Vital for games these days due to how many bugs and problems some have. They charge enough money for the games so should support it and care about updating.
 
Yeah, the narrative has moved so far in the opposite direction that fans of games will get angry if a publication reviews based on the base version.

"It'll be better when patch 1 comes out"

"They should review it again once it's patched" etc

I just don't buy games until they're at least 6 months old.
 
Depends on the game/style of game. It will also sometimes dictate the longevity of my play time

If its a singleplayer game, I'm generally not that arsed. I'd much rather it be feature complete and relatively bug free on release. I tend to only play through SP games once then it will like not be touched again. So bar any gamebreaking issues that require attention i'm not bothered.
If there is promise of DLC its rare I come back to it and complete the additional content. I might fire it up to see whats what but I usually never get round to finishing any additional questline stuff. By that point i've moved on.
Simulation type games are different, I play for the ongoing experience not just the onetime playthrough of the story.

Multiplayer games though are a bit different. There is only so long a game loop will appeal. It requires fresh content, a bit of spice sprinkled over it now and then to keep the experience fresh and appealing.
My most played game ever is by far and a long way War Thunder. Its something I've been playing since 2013/14. It gets frequent bug and balance updates, along with roughly quarterly+ content updates including vehicles/maps/features. These updates arnt always great. and sometimes complete screw the balance of the game. However its steady continual evolution of the game. The meta changes with most updates and it requires continual adaption of playstyle to be successful. If they stopped developing it, it would likely get quite stale within a few months and I'd probably move on to something else.
 
I've never really been interested in the game update trend.

I come from the days where you buy a game, play it, and then move on. Maybe you'll come back in 6 months or a year when they do an add-on pack.

Take Space Marine 2 for example. I played the single player and loved it. I then played the PvE stuff and loved it. Since the last time I played it I think they've added 3 or 4 new levels and some extra guns and skins etc. My friend is constantly going back to it every time they add something new - but I'd rather just wait until it's all out there and then I'll experience it all in one big lump. I just hate the idea of constantly dipping in and out of something.

I do appreciate the constant flow of DLCs for games like Snowrunner, and more recently Roadcraft. They are games I usually play every weekend for a couple of hours though so it's an ongoing thing for me and I will never finish them, probably lol.
 
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