I don't like games having constant updates

[TentaclesMod]

Weird opinion. I don't like single player games having constant updates. I'm not even talking about early access games, those I usually just wait until they are out of early access even if it takes a decade. I'm talking about games that are supposed to be finished but keep getting updates, often substantial ones for years after they are done.

The reason why I don't like it is because I feel like if I play and finish it and then it's updated with something significant, then I played an inferior version of the game, and I can't just be replaying a game every time it updates. I mean, I can, but I don't want to, there's so much stuff that I haven't played yet and I don't want to use the time that I could use in brand new experiences in replaying for the sake of two new dungeons or whatever, unless I really like the game or it's one with very short playthroughs but many possibilities to each one, that's the one exception.

Anyway, do any of you agree with this? Or do you have opposite views and why?

 

[Muklas]

Yes, I like games that are actually done on release.

 

[Strategist's iconStrategist]

The biggest issue to me with the constant update culture is that it encourages developers to say "fuck it" and release the game unfinished to meet deadlines. That's just a blatant disrespect to the customer's time and monetary investment in your product.

I also don't like the trend of developers going in and altering their games after release to adjust to controversy or public pressure. I think something like that happened with Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth, not sure about the details.

 

[moonbits]

Doesn't bother me at all.

A game can always be fixed, improved or added new things.

The definition of done could be a whole topic all together.

 

[Graw]

I'm talking about games that are supposed to be finished but keep getting updates, often substantial ones for years after they are done.

The reason why I don't like it is because I feel like if I play and finish it and then it's updated with something significant, then I played an inferior version of the game, and I can't just be replaying a game every time it updates.

I generally agree I prefer when games are actually finished on release but i'm fairly ambivalent about large updates being released years later.

Why does it matter if you played an 'inferior version' of a game if you enjoyed it? Like what difference does that make to your enjoyment of the game at the time you played it and why would you feel the need to replay a game just because something got added years later? Between updates, remasters and remakes I can't even begin to imagine how many games I've played over the years have gotten significant updates. I don't feel particularly compelled to replay 99% of them.

 

[RustySK]

You're not alone there. It's at least a small part of the reason I mostly play older games and have never been interested in a single live-service game.

There's this odd psychological pull to the constant update cycle, which is arguably the whole point of it, where until a game is done getting (content) updates, you're never "really" finished with it. Intentionally induced FOMO that's meant to glue you to the product. Puts a strain on the experience at times.

At this point I can sort of divorce myself from it and just banish a game from my head when I want to, but the need for that... I guess you'd call it a skill (?) is a new phenomenon that absolutely doesn't need to exist.

 

[Azazelivae]

Same.

Honestly this only my personal opinion, but, if they think Post-Release still has trouble and stuff, i prefer them to just do an actual big encompassing update rather than doing constant update all the time.

I mean, YES Games nowadays is big (100GB feels like normal nowadays shit's insane), as a someone that used to be a Game Dev (I've been out of shape for years at this point lol, still focusing on my degree atm) i understand that there's gonna be shit slipping up, it just happens, but like Single-Player Games is not MMO you know? if you want to do an update please do it in a Big Revision type of stuff at least like for real.

 

[TentaclesMod]

The biggest issue to me with the constant update culture is that it encourages developers to say "fuck it" and release the game unfinished to meet deadlines. That's just a blatant disrespect to the customer's time and monetary investment in your product.

I also don't like the trend of developers going in and altering their games after release to adjust to controversy or public pressure. I think something like that happened with Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth, not sure about the details.

Oh that's another thing, I hate when the updates outright alter or retcon established elements, and what I hate the most is when all the updates add up to the point that 1.0 and 1.6 or whatever are outright different experiences that require different strategies from so much balance adjustments and such.

 

[Strategist's iconStrategist]

Oh that's another thing, I hate when the updates outright alter or retcon established elements, and what I hate the most is when all the updates add up to the point that 1.0 and 1.6 or whatever are outright different experiences that require different strategies from so much balance adjustments and such.

That happens a lot for Larian games. Divinity: OS 2 is a drastically different game with a year worth of updates than it was on release. That's why I generally wait to buy those games. No point in buying them on release day when they haven't properly balanced the builds or fully fixed all of the bugs.

 

[edenfh]

I don't like it either,sometimes there is changes that i simply don't like or mess with my game, if it's not a problem that completely break the game i simply don't care about updates most of the time. I rather have big updates with lots of fixes than constant ones, at very least i don't need to check it so often, and i rather if there was a rollback option in case i get an update i don't like.

 

[TentaclesMod]

I generally agree I prefer when games are actually finished on release but i'm fairly ambivalent about large updates being released years later.

Why does it matter if you played an 'inferior version' of a game if you enjoyed it? Like what difference does that make to your enjoyment of the game at the time you played it and why would you feel the need to replay a game just because something got added years later? Between updates, remasters and remakes I can't even begin to imagine how many games I've played over the years have gotten significant updates. I don't feel particularly compelled to replay 99% of them.

It adds this small nagging feeling that I "missed" part of the experience. It's not the worst thing, but it does increase the more substantial the updates are. Also, I have to say only content added within the existing playthrough bothers me. A post-main story dlc doesn't bother me in the slightest because I can just jump where I left off.

 

[destinyduelist]

If the game is finished, and say I finished playing it and I loved it a lot, and the devs release an update for said game that adds a ton more post game content, why would I hate it? If I loved playing through the game I get more of what I love now.
This is especially true for Terraria, I fucking love Terraria even after beating it vanilla 10 times I can't stop playing Terraria I LOVE TERRARIA!!!!

 

[Strategist's iconStrategist]

If the game is finished, and say I finished playing it and I loved it a lot, and the devs release an update for said game that adds a ton more post game content, why would I hate it? If I loved playing through the game I get more of what I love now.
This is especially true for Terraria, I fucking love Terraria even after beating it vanilla 10 times I can't stop playing Terraria I LOVE TERRARIA!!!!

Counterpoint: You play through a shitty version of the game with various game breaking bugs and crashes and after you finish it, they release a large patch that fixes all of the problems. Bonus points if the old saves are no longer compatible with the new version of the game.

 

[fake-kun]

I miss when day 1 patches weren't a thing.

 

[MemeAlert]

Eh who cares. Games are getting bigger and longer to make and you're surprised something like this exist?

 

[fake-kun]

Eh who cares. Games are getting bigger and longer to make and you're surprised something like this exist?

Maybe that shouldn't be the case in the first place.

 

[diapered]

Yea, a single player console game I think should be done on release: it should be like a book or a painting. That said, I played games when there was a distinction between console games and computer games (you expect updates/patches) and nowadays there really isn't one...

That happens a lot for Larian games. Divinity: OS 2 is a drastically different game with a year worth of updates than it was on release. That's why I generally wait to buy those games. No point in buying them on release day when they haven't properly balanced the builds or fully fixed all of the bugs.

That's crazy. Isn't that a "bait and switch"? What is the point releasing a game if you are just going to completely change it?

 

[Strategist's iconStrategist]

That's crazy. Isn't that a "bait and switch"? What is the point releasing a game if you are just going to completely change it?

I don't know. Maybe they think they can balance the game better with real life player data? But its kind of annoying to be playing with a particular strategy and have it nerfed as if it was an MMO.

 

[destinyduelist]

Counterpoint: You play through a shitty version of the game with various game breaking bugs and crashes and after you finish it, they release a large patch that fixes all of the problems. Bonus points if the old saves are no longer compatible with the new version of the game.

I like to be optimistic and hopeful!!

 

[SorenFireEmblem]

When I sit down and play a game front to back, the last thing I want is the developer to tell me they added several more hours of content to the middle portion of the game that'll take me hours to get back to.
Or, even worse, maybe this is a little off-topic; games that add more with new game editions INSTEAD of updates like the Street Fighter or Persona series. If Atlus really wants me to fork over sixty bucks to play ten more hours of content after having to go again through the first hundred, they can kiss my ass.


The idea of continuous updates isn't awful. A single thing here or there be-it patches or small content updates is fun, but constant weekly "COME BACK TO OUR GAME" garbage will always be a turn-off for me.

 

[Adlias Og]

If a game is in Early Access then in my opinion it should receive updates every 2 weeks/month. In the already released games, in my opinion, it depends on its type. Single players like The Witcher, AC series, Last of Us and other such games should not receive updates adding new plot threads (because by default they should be released with a fully realized plot), but only updates that improve optimization and fix bugs. New content could only come out a year after release and it's in the form of dlc (free or paid it doesn't matter). Multiplayer should receive regular, polished updates in my opinion.

 

[Graw]

It adds this small nagging feeling that I "missed" part of the experience. It's not the worst thing, but it does increase the more substantial the updates are. Also, I have to say only content added within the existing playthrough bothers me. A post-main story dlc doesn't bother me in the slightest because I can just jump where I left off.

Sounds like the fear of missing out to me. Missing part of an experience is ok. There's nothing wrong with that.

 

[_oBSOLEte_]

I don't mind optional updates. But mandatory updates just to boot the game is now directly the uninstall treatment and go to see my fit girl's offline version.

 

[Boog111]

I miss the good ole days when games were complete and play-tested prior to releasing them for sale.

 

[VampireFreak]

I think a game being updated is a sign that the developers care about the game. Look at Stardew Valley, it was a good game at release, but years after the developer keeps adding new content and it has not removed stuff or made it worse. You could have fun the day it was released, and can have extra fun now.

If the developer is AAA, then you're probably not getting any updates and instead being sold DLCs for everything. Which is not better by any given margin.