Delays Hurt Video Game Business

George Bailey writes "Wired.com has an article (No Room for Slacking in Game Biz) dicussing the damage game developers cause themselves via delays in releasing games to market. To quote from the article: 'As the games become more complex and sophisticated, less of them seem to meet release dates that companies initially tout. A few years ago, the fallout was usually just disappointment among fans. But as the video-game industry matures and surpasses Hollywood in size, more is at stake -- like marketing campaigns delayed and intricate positioning against competitors disrupted. What's more, missing a promised release date can bleed buzz, precious in an industry where many young buyers have to take the time to squirrel away $50 for a typical purchase.'"

Duke Nukem' Forever!

[chill]

You mean people aren't holding their breath waiting for DNF to get released? The YEARS of delays have damaged the possibility of sales? Gasp! Say it isn't so!

-Charles

Derek Smart

[xeeno]

Need I say more?

Fallout

[centauri]

fallout was usually just disappointment among fans

No way, the first Fallout was great! The second one was way too buggy, though, and I'm not just talking about the ants and the radscorpions.

Come on...

[Bendebecker]

This story has got Dukenukem Forever written all over it. One can learn all the things listed in the article just by reviewing its developemental history. Throw in an analysis of Daikatana ad you've mastered the issue.

Re:What about old gamers?

[The_K4]

Or you'll realize that there are *gasp* more importatnt things to do with that $50 like putting gas in the car so you can go to work and earn more gas money...to be used getting to work...HEY something's just not right here!

Re:Duke Nukem' Forever!

[n0nsensical]

I'm beginning to think Duke Nukem Forever was just one big joke from the start. There is no game development company 3D Realms. It's 2 guys with a website seeing how long they can fool the world into thinking they're actually working on a game, and how many vaporware awards they can win.

Re:What they should do...

[darkpixel2k]

That's what Bungie is doing with Halo 2.

Of course I bitch to high heaven that I won't buy it when it eventually comes out because they keep delaying it, but we all know I'd sell a kidney to get a copy...

100,000 man hours?

[MonkeyCookie]

So 100,000 people could complete a game like Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance 2 in an hour! :)

Wow!

Entire article summary in second-last paragraph

[mewsenews]

Still, everyone involved agrees on one thing -- slips in release dates ultimately matter less than shipping an awesome game.

dur, really? thanks for this insightful article

The real problem...

[morganjharvey]

precious in an industry where many young buyers have to take the time to squirrel away $50 for a typical purchase.

See, this wouldn't be a problem if they were just taking the money out of their mother's purses like they're supposed to.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:100,000 man hours?

[miu]

Sure thing, and this can be applied to things other than software development. I hear the South Koreans have a new system where 9 women can bring a baby to term in a month.

North Korea is reputedly working on a way to have 100 men dig a hole 100 feet deep in 1 minute.

Re:What about old gamers?

[Rallion]

I can't compete with a 15 year old who can play the game 8 hours a day!

Buddy, your problem is that you've somehow come to believe that 8 hours a day is a lot.

Why sleep when you have so much item-hunting to do?

Re:hmm...

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

I take it a step further - ignore the game release dates altogether and buy them after they've been out for a month - the previously priced 50$ video game is now $10.

You're so right : I've just bought Xenon II for the Atari ST (excellent gameplay under the STonX emulator) and they actually payed me to buy it!

Re:hmm...

[Anath]

Duke Nukem Forever? I'm guessing it'll cost around 300 NuCredits a month after it comes out in 2085..

Should be great though!, I can't wait!

Re:hmm...

[wideBlueSkies]

>>It's fucking ready when it's fucking ready - deal with it.

Which is what the guys from 3D Realms keep saying.

wbs.

Lets go into business you and I..

[Anonymous Coward]

I am starting a little business that does market research into massively multiplayer online role play games betas. I have the capital but I need a partner in the "know" if you "know" what I mean. I'm sure we can come to a mutually satisfactory agreement on compensation. And because I am a family man myself, I encourage you to discuss this propostion with your wife.

Re:Duke Nukem' Forever!

[kfg]

And the funniest part about it is they waved the joke in our faces by telling us what the joke was right in the title of the "game."

How long will you have to wait for it to be released. . . ?

KFG

Re:A DEAN HAIKU

[ShadowBlasko]

Theres once were some games called Duke Nukem,
With lots of Blood, Gore, Guts, and Pukem.
But the constant delays
For infinite days,
Made us all so damn mad we've rebuked em.

(And just for the sadism's sake, as it is near Valentines day, I'll go ahead and shoot myself in the foot and post this logged in)

Ahhh! Urrrghhh!

[dmaxwell]

Must...resist...urge....to...make..Duke Nukem Forever post!

Re:Games with bugs...

[GigsVT]

You would think with all the xtra time

Yeah, don't you hate it when people half-ass things because they are too lazy to make it presentable to other people?

Re:hmm...

[PacoTaco]

What's this "buying" thing you guys keep talking about?

Re:hmm...

[Kierthos]

Oh, so you've played Star Wars: Galaxies then?

Kierthos

Re:hmm...

[dandelion_wine]

Cut down on packaging costs, yes, but $10-20 per box??!

How much does cardboard cost where you come from, son?

The Thing

[Brightest Light]

Around sometime last year, I downloaded a copy of The Thing soon after it came out (I try before I buy) so anyhow- I play through the game, get to the end, kill the end boss monster thing of DOOM, and right as it dies.....*POW* the game crashes. I'm glad that I can download games and try them before paying, if I had paid $50 for The Thing, and it had crashed on me just as I was beating the game, I would have been VERY upset. (Note that this was a very common bug that was soon patched.)
Patch or no, failing to catch bugs like that is simply unacceptable. I pay for games that are worth my money.

Re:hmm...

[Slur]

Now come on, do you really need an excuse to "polish the helmet"? I'd think you'd just do it when the mood strikes you. At least, that's my tendency.