PC gaming has a problem: A plague of terrible patches

When I buy a game, it’s a given that I can expect there to be updates and patches at some point. That’s especially the case for games in early access that most likely need bug fixing.

But as developers come under increasing pressure to constantly improve games and embrace “live services,” the floodgates have opened on updates. And, while many game patches provide key quality of life improvements, I’m sad to say that developers push terrible updates that sap the joy out of my favorite games all too often. Hear me out.

Upgrades are generally good

Don’t get me wrong! I’ve been conditioned by games as much as any other player to expect things like improvements to player balance, new items, and in-game events. I’ve also enjoyed the benefits of new storylines and the exciting new environments that updates have brought me – especially in MMOs.

There are fine examples of that in my game library. The Lord of the Rings Online and the Elder Scrolls Online are two games whose updates have kept me enthralled and connected with the communities for over a decade now. To be sure, the developers have released updates at the right times and with the right kind of content.

More importantly, these updates are community focused, where developers have listened to player feedback; they accentuate the base game rather than changing it too much. There’s still a smorgasbord of new content in them too.

Redeeming “meh” games

Apart from just providing extra content, developer updates have turned many “meh” games into much better games – No Man’s Sky and Fallout 76, for example.
Personally, I’d rather eat a plate of fried grasshoppers than play through the unpatched versions of these games again (and no, I’m not going to that “fancy” restaurant again, so please quit asking!).

Take No Man’s Sky as an example. On release the game’s planetary environments were too similar and the gameplay too monotonous to get me excited.

But thanks to a bunch of excellent patches that have enhanced everything from the variety of the plants and animals on planets, to the combat, ships, game modes and, most importantly, multiplayer, No Man’s Sky is now a riveting game (pardon the pun) for everyone to enjoy.

Hello Games

Hello Games

Hello Games

Other titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Final Fantasy XIV have also had transformational updates that have really improved the original game releases. Patch 1.5 for Cyberpunk really hit the mark for me, redeeming Night City as a cool place to hang out, with a much-needed injection of extra dialogue for NPCs, improved AI for crowds, traffic, and improved vehicle handling.

Alas, yes folks, I’ll be the first to admit that updates do and should have a place in my gaming life, but the caveat is: They’ve got to be the right kind and be delivered at the right frequency!

Why I’m calling for a ban on bad updates

What no one talks much about is the fact that updates can also ruin games. I call these updates “game demolishers.” One game in my library that has fallen befoul of game demolisher updates is Battlefield V. Patch 5.2 introduced an effective range for weapons which meant that, when before every weapon was lethal at any range, now only the top-level weapons could hit faraway targets.

While that may be a truer-to-life mechanic, the change made only a handful of weapons worth using, thereby stifling the speed and intricacy of the gameplay.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Granted I was just singing the praises of updates, I’m not so much calling for them to stop altogether because of a doozy like we saw with Battlefield V. Instead, there needs to be a rethink of the kind of updates put out.

I mean if it’s a No Man’s Sky or Fallout 76 kind of disaster at release, then by all means developers should go ahead and update as much as possible. But if developers hit the jackpot with a gem like Metal Gear Solid 5 at release, do we really need an update that adds unexpected microtransactions? No!

One last point…

I would also love to see a slowdown in the frequency of updates.

That point needs some clarification, obviously. For me I like to leave the games I’m playing to try out newer titles and then go back to playing them later. It’s a real buzzkill returning to a game to find it has changed so much that I need to relearn how to play again.

Returning to Gloria Victis to find everyone galloping around on steeds, after there being no mounts before, had this level 100 archer completely befuddled!

Another important point: Frequent updates are making the spouses of game designers teary-eyed. Why? because their partners are working themselves to the bone to render crazy horse eyes in MMOs.

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Dominic Bayley / IDG

Dominic Bayley / IDG

I’ve framed that in a humorous way, but it’s no joke. Our friends over at PC Gamer wrote a column about the long hours and poor conditions that staff at some big-name developers have had to put up with, all because they are overstretched with meeting demands for frequent game updates.

The article cites an investigation by Polygon which highlights the reality of what it’s really like to put out weekly patches and fortnightly updates for Fortnite, and it doesn’t sound great. Indeed, it seems there’s no breather for workers anymore after they release a top-quality game.

It’s got me thinking… Do I really want to be getting my gamer jollies off the back of someone else’s backbreaking labor? Maybe I should be playing games with fewer updates instead. Goose Goose Duck, anyone?

Author: Dominic Bayley, PCWorld Australia Editor

Based in Australia, Dominic Bayley is a hardcore tech enthusiast. His PCWorld focus is on PC gaming hardware: laptops, mice, headsets and keyboards.

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