GQ Criticized for Controversial Comment About Video Game Patches
Modern game development is an entirely different beast from the early days of console games like Super Mario Bros., with hundreds of people working day after day on some of the biggest titles in the industry. On top of that, developers continue working on games well after their release, touching up the game through patches and updates to fix bugs, balance multiplayer, and even add or remove entire parts of a game as Bungie has with Destiny 2's content vault. However, a new article from GQ has taken aim at the game industry's post-launch development cycle, saying patches reflect a lazy game development.
The article in question comes from British GQ and is primarily focused on Netflix's award-winning series Stranger Things in the wake of season 4's critical success and the Duffer Brothers using selective editing to address plot holes in earlier seasons. An example the Duffer Brothers provided in a separate interview was editing an in-episode date from season 2 to match up with another character's birthday in season 4. Matt Duffer described these choices as a «George Lucas'd» episode, comparing it to re-edits Lucas did on the original Star Wars trilogy from the mid-90s onward.
The Last of Us PS5 Remake Reportedly Developed Without Crunch Time
GQ was straight to the point with its comparison to video game development and post-release patches, touching on the subject at the start of the article. The article says the launch of the Xbox 360 opened the door to a new age of digital development where studios could address things like weapon balancing in multiplayer or random bugs following a game's release, effectively extending the game's lifecycle. GQ goes on to say, though, that «innovation is often fuelled by laziness» and how
Read more on gamerant.com
