Opinion: Are Developers Pushing Games Out Too Fast?

I’m sure many of you have played flawed or even broken games, but has the issue been exacerbated with the launch of next gen titles? I believe so. The launch of Call of Duty Ghosts and Battlefield 4 has brought forth a slew of problems gamers have managed to avoid as the previous console generation matured.  As a result, gamers are wading through a tarnished mishmash of deluge that has recently hit the market.  Games are simply being pushed out too fast without adequate quality control. 

Arguably the two most massive first person shooter franchises, Call of Duty Ghosts and Battlefield 4 have always had a modicum of quality attached to them.  Unfortunately for gamers, both franchises have launched titles that are not only lacking in desired features, but are fundamentally flawed to the point of rendering a title unplayable at times.  Servers often suffer from lag, glitches in maps result in stuck players, guns not appearing at the start of rounds, long load times, and the occasional loss of XP/save game data can be found in both games just to name a few issues I’ve personally experienced. With both franchises committed to a new title every year, gamers are often left wondering if games would have benefitted from additional development time.  In the case of these two next gen titles, the answer is a resounding yes.  In my opinion, both titles would have greatly benefitted from at least another 6-8 months worth

Glitches such as these are becoming far more prevalent in AAA titles that require a significant initial investment from interested gamers.  In addition to the game, both franchises offer a $50 seasons pass for additional content throughout the year for a game that many consider unfinished.  Developers continue to generate new content without patching or fixing the current issues plaguing their existing title.  The subsequent disdain and anger has led to studios offering refunds for their products or, in the case of Battlefield 4, player appreciation month in an attempt to quell the community’s anger. 

Gamers are not interested in paying full price for what are essentially Alpha builds of these AAA titles.  Developers should not adhere to strict yearly releases as they have during the maturity of previous generation consoles.  This is a new generation and fluidity in the development schedule will provide gamers with a solid, cohesive, finished piece of work deserving of AAA status.  I hope these broken foundations are not an indication of gaming titles to follow for next gen consoles. Developers: Take more time or risk losing long time fans of your well established franchises.