I’ve moaned before about day one patches and how they’re pretty damned ridiculous. Make sure your game is good enough to release before you release it. Yes, I understand that there are tight production schedules, and it’s not possible to test for absolutely everything – but in this case, I really feel a rant is justified. Polyphony digital has confirmed that Gran Turismo 6 will be on the receiving end of a rather large day one patch..and the game isn’t even out for another 3 months.
While it was generally accepted that the game would be getting a patch to fix its usually terrible audio after release, Kuzunori Yamauchi has confirmed that it’ll be getting more in the way of patches.
“It’s the same every time. Everything’s very tight. It’s an incredibly tight schedule. As to being able to include everything we want to on day one, we probably won’t be able to. I think for the 12 months following the release we’ll continue to update the software. Because in Gran Turismo 6 we’re preparing a lot of different things we haven’t even touched on yet.”
Yes, Gran Turismo has become more of a service than a traditionally boxed product, and the GT5 you can play now is a very different beast to the very nearly broken game that it was upon release. Gran Turismo as a service is something else Yamauchi talked about with Eurogamer.
“I think you’re sort of right in that we’ve really changed how we make games now. Even now when we’re near the end of development [on Gran Turismo 6] we’re still creating features that will be provided in this game in updates later on. I think it’s a possibility that one day these types of update will be continuing for our titles. More recently, the speed of our output is much, much faster.”
Yamauchi saying that Polyphony has increased its output is taking the piss a bit, I think. I do love that they\re continually evolving their product and support their games post-release probably more than anyone else – but announcing a huge day one patch 3 months before release just tells me they have no idea of their end goal, or the game’s being released too early.
Last Updated: September 18, 2013
Uberutang
September 18, 2013 at 13:35
Gran Turismo, like any decent simulation type game is now a platform, not a ‘off the shelf, offline’ product. You cannot offer simulation in a box, it would be limiting.
M-m-m-monster John
September 18, 2013 at 13:43
RaceRoom has made this more obvious. Except that RaceRoom has a million updates and only three of them have changed something so far.
I’m all for it, it improves the experience, but why can’t they just sell a working game?
Nick de Bruyne
September 18, 2013 at 13:44
I totally disagree, you can very much provide a solid product in the box and then focus on expansions, extra content and more — but the way Polyphony is doing things falls more on the ‘oh well its not complete but Sony wants us to release, so start packing it in boys, its going out the door in a few mins’ kind of mentality.
They either need to adjust their scope of what they want to release first, or they need to learn to work much, much faster to get complete ideas out the door. What makes me sick is that they boast ‘a bajillion cars and tracks’, so it looks good (and of course better than the competition’ in the adverts, but then they dont add in a bunch of stuff that should be standard.
I still think that the biggest issue with the latest GT games is just their targets are too big. They need to make more compact, focused and finished games with only premium cars and tracks, and then after that… start bundling and releasing solid expansions through DLC, and of course tweaks via Title Updates.
Uberutang
September 18, 2013 at 13:46
RFactor2 is basically sold as a ‘service’ you pay a access fee per month/year that gets you updates/tweaks etc. (life time option is available)
I am not sure if this would work on console, but the die hard racing guys on PC seem to go for that model.
I think it depends on if you want an continually evolving product, with user mods etc or a static product.
Nick de Bruyne
September 18, 2013 at 14:51
The major difference here is between saying ‘simulator’ or ‘simulator-type-game like you mentioned above’. For proper sims I fully understand and agree, especially on the PC platform. But GT is a video game first, and a simulator second and this is what it seems to forget, and this is why its sitting in this awkard middle area between the proper sims like iRacing and RFactor2, and then the more solid videogame sims like Forza.
Its putting itself in the jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none area. So its either a decent sim, but not as good as the sims. Or its a video game with good sim physics, but a lacklustre campaign mode, hud, features like premium cars etc.
Make no mistake, its still good, and still very popular – its just obvious to me that they can tighten their ideas up and release way more solid games.
M-m-m-monster John
September 18, 2013 at 14:58
Being a racing sim fan myself I think the reason why this is, is because there are very few people out there who do not know or understand that GT isn’t a hardcore sim.
Polyphony sells to the majority in the end, that’s how they’re successful. And the majority is convinced that GT is a pure sim.
Spathi
September 18, 2013 at 15:03
But what is a “hardcore sim”? Gt Academy proves that GT is close enough to real life racing that the GT Academy winners are disqualified from the rookie series. Some PC sims makes driving the car even more difficult than it is in real life.
M-m-m-monster John
September 18, 2013 at 15:08
No doubt there. I’m personally not full of crap enough to really draw lines but GT isn’t quite the “real racing sim” they say it is.
Spathi
September 18, 2013 at 15:16
I agree with you, GT isn’t a super sim. My point is I’ve played Live for Speed, GTR2 and rFactor. It is almost as if in the Hardcore Sims it is more difficult to drive the car than in real life. More difficult doesn’t mean it is more realistic. People seem to get the two mixed up.
M-m-m-monster John
September 18, 2013 at 15:22
There I agree with you once again. People tend to think because you keep crashing out around corners at 60kmph it’s super realistic.
You should try your hand at RaceRoom. It’s a bit like Battlefield…gets better the more you play it.
M-m-m-monster John
September 18, 2013 at 13:47
Yes yes. Mine’s a summary of this….kind of…
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
September 18, 2013 at 14:49
A wild Nick has been spotted.
Nick de Bruyne
September 18, 2013 at 14:52
OO
Airborne
September 18, 2013 at 13:45
Sir Rants-aLot!!! Is that you? Nope! Its Geoffrey…
Admiral Chief of Rivia
September 18, 2013 at 13:53
Day one patchers laugh like this
SaintsRowLee
September 18, 2013 at 14:11
Mirrag, Admiraal!
Admiral Chief of Rivia
September 18, 2013 at 14:30
Aweh, gaaaanit
Marcus
September 18, 2013 at 13:54
So what’s next, you buy a game then download the second part of the game and a week later you can start your game? Is that the future? A bug fix sure, but knowing you release a game that needs patches to make it a good game. STFU and GTFO!!!
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
September 18, 2013 at 13:55
No the future is buying a mini CD that only has the authentication protocol on it that links you to a server to download the whole game.
M-m-m-monster John
September 18, 2013 at 13:56
Haaaaave you met Steam?
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
September 18, 2013 at 13:58
Steam FTW!
M-m-m-monster John
September 18, 2013 at 13:59
Twice!
Marcus
September 18, 2013 at 13:57
I would rather eat chicken mayo out of my own ass.
M-m-m-monster John
September 18, 2013 at 13:57
I’d pay to see that.
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
September 18, 2013 at 13:58
I would not
M-m-m-monster John
September 18, 2013 at 14:00
Censored, of course, but I think it could go down in the history books.
Marcus
September 18, 2013 at 14:01
I should really think before I type.
Tbone187
September 18, 2013 at 13:56
It’s already like that with pc titles…Got so frustrated with my Hitman purchase, I eventually downloaded the crack to play the freakin thing hassle free…
SaintsRowLee
September 18, 2013 at 13:56
Dear Game Developers.
Please develop a game with the following mind-set:
The Internet is a lie. It is a figment of your imagination.
THERE IS NO INTERNET!
Regards
Gamers the world over.
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
September 18, 2013 at 13:59
Hoor hoor!
M-m-m-monster John
September 18, 2013 at 14:00
*Tired and irritated gamers the world over.
Zubayr Bhyat
September 18, 2013 at 15:14
Broke, Tired and irritated gamers the world over*
Gerhard Davids
September 18, 2013 at 13:59
This is just a simple abuse/misuse of patching.
The Noble TiMsTeR
September 18, 2013 at 13:59
Lazy dev teams, I never thought Polypony was one too.
Spathi
September 18, 2013 at 15:22
Sorry, I had to down vote you. They aren’t lazy, Kaz is just super crazy and ambitious. I feel for the employees.
M-m-m-monster John
September 18, 2013 at 15:23
Ambitious in the way that would’ve gotten you hung a few hundred years ago.
The Noble TiMsTeR
September 18, 2013 at 15:41
Now that wasn’t nice. Down vote me 🙁 kidding.
M-m-m-monster John
September 18, 2013 at 15:43
Take that!
The Noble TiMsTeR
September 18, 2013 at 15:47
and take this… suck it beeatch!
Spathi
September 18, 2013 at 15:47
Reversed… 😀
FYI, PD has been updating GT5 for the past 3 years. I know they are getting paid, it isn’t like they are doing us a favour, but I really think they are trying their best. They just need some direction I think, as Nick said.
John
September 18, 2013 at 14:47
“and it’s not possible to test for absolutely everything”
Wow. I don’t even agree with that. Not possible to test everything before releasing? Are you kidding me? Anything less is pathetic!
M-m-m-monster John
September 18, 2013 at 14:59
Hi John
Zubayr Bhyat
September 18, 2013 at 15:12
Forza 5 is also going to require large DLC on release. It looks like this is how releases are going to work from here on end.
oVg
September 18, 2013 at 17:57
I do not do day 1 patches. So no Xbone for me.
Brian Murphy
September 18, 2013 at 18:20
“the GT5 you can play now is a very different beast to the very nearly broken game that it was upon release”
That’s odd, I played GT5 for damn near 4 days straight when it first launched (and a couple hundred hours in the first year), and I never had a single issue with its performance. Care to elaborate?