Until a large unified force speaks with their dollars there really is no reason for any of these companies to change.~J.A.Laraque

Arkham Origins Glitches

Recently it was reported that Warner Bros. Montreal will not be releasing any patches that would address several bugs and glitches with Batman: Arkham Origins because they are busy working on DLC content.  Even though I read this on a number of reputable gaming news sites I just could not believe it and hoped that it was misunderstood or overblown that was until I read this statement on the game message boards for Arkham Origins.

“The team is currently working hard on the upcoming story DLC and there currently are no plans for releasing another patch to address the issues that have been reported on the forums,”

I personally had some issues with BAO, but nothing that was game breaking, but there have been many confirmed reports of small glitches and minor bugs to game breaking issues including corrupted save files.  It is one thing to be told that it may be a while to get a patch, anyone who has played an MMO knows what that feels like, but to have a company just come out and say they are not working on these fixes because they are too busy working on something else to charge you for is just ridiculous.

I’ve had a love/hate relationship with DLC because while it can extend longevity to a game, it can also cause companies to milk gamers for every dollar they can. The same goes for online patches and fixes. The idea is great, but it is almost as if it is now an excuse to rush a product out because you can just patch it later.

One of the worst experiences I personally faced with this was when WWE Raw was released for the original Xbox. The game had horrible game breaking issues from day one and these affected a large amount of the player-base and yet we had to wait weeks before a patch was finally released. It seriously felt like they released it knowing many people would not be able to play it, but felt it was fine because they could always patch it later.

Sadly, many companies know they can get away with this. In Everquest, there was a running joke about how so many of us were beta testing every content patch or expansion and this trend continued in World of Warcraft as well as many other MMO’s.  As much as we complained, we still paid for the subscription and purchased the new games so the real question is, why should these companies change? The same goes for Arkham Origins, just take a look at this quote.

“If we do move forward with creating a new patch, it will try to address the progression blocking bugs for players, not the minor glitches that do not prevent one from continuing to play,”

And.

“The issues that are not progression blockers will unfortunately no longer be addressed. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused for some of you, and want to thank you for having been patient.”

Does that read like something a company that is really trying to win over fans would say? If we feel like fixing our bugs we will only fix the big ones and the little ones, no, we have no interest in doing that, and by the way, thanks for your money and we know you will by the next game so whose kidding who. This is pretty much what is being said.

Unfortunately, as angry as this has made many players other have already beat the game with little or no issues and are eagerly awaiting new content. In a way this is smart because these companies know how gamers love to fight with one another so you have those who beat BAO and want the content telling everyone else to “stop crying” and so in the end the company wins because when the DLC comes out it will sell and the next installment of the game will also sell. I would not be surprised that in case of emergency they will release a mini patch to fix a few things if there is too much of an uproar.

This is shameful, but the popularity of a game plus the fact that many gamers still have their games purchased for them created a splintered community. You might hear some outcry on the forums and comment sections now, but the same and worse has happened in games like Everquest and while they complained they did not quit. Until a large unified force speaks with their dollars there really is no reason for any of these companies to change.

What worries me is there have been companies that have been known for releasing great games and if there needs to be a fix it is addressed quickly. As much as people used to complain about Blizzards long development times, their RTS games were worth the wait, but look what they have become now. They still make good games, but you see the differences between now and before Activision. If we allow these practices to continue then we have to expect other companies to also slack off. If they can save money by releasing a striped down game and selling more DLC’s or rush a game out and patch it later then why shouldn’t they do so if it won’t hurt their bottom line. In the end,  only new IP’s  and independents will try hard because they have to prove themselves and win us over while fan favorites can do as they please because we will by their game anyway. I’m looking at you EA.

Even if you bought Batman: Arkham Origins and never had an issue and can’t wait for the DLC at least consider the brazen attitude by these statements. Maybe you are not effected today and don’t care, but what happens when you go to play your next favorite game and it is full of issues and the company laughs in your face while trying to pick your pocket. This trend needs to stop and only we can stop it.

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