The GameGrin GrinCast! Episode 39 - Lionhead Studios and The Myth of the Perfect Game Launch
This week on the GrinCast we talked about the unfortunate closure of Lionhead Studios alongside the cancellation of Fable Legends, and what's next for the future of Microsoft's gaming division.
We'll also be discussing the myth of the perfect game launch. With video games becoming more and more complex, will we ever see a launch where nothing goes wrong? Should developers and publishers push back their games to ensure a perfect launch? Or has Early Access made people more accepting of bugs and issues?
All this and more on this weeks GameGrin GrinCast.
As always if you have any comments put them in the box below or contact us on our new Twitter handle @GrinCast.
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COMMENTS
Emseypenguin - 09:13am, 11th March 2016
Okay so it comes across that I really hate you Dominoid, so sorry! Love you muchly (more than penguins even).
AAMinistry - 10:49am, 11th March 2016
Great podcast! Diablo 3, however, is a great game. I think the problem with flawed game releases is that the biggest titles are so heavily driven by the publisher that they rarely seem to get the time to be thoroughly tested. Companies need (read: want) to push their latest title from a marketing point of view, that they tend to throw out pre-alpha footage at E3 etc and get gamers all worked up about the game. Marketing 101. The problem then is that they need to get that game to market as soon as possible to capitilise on the hype. The shorter the time between reveal and release, the greater the hype. I like to call this the CoD constant. Couple this with the fact that (some) games are so complex that it would take years of testing to find every major bug and problem (this is especially true of brand new IP). But hand it over to gamers and you can be sure these bugs will rear their heads quicker than you can say Arkham Knight. And, of course, this seemingly unquashable impatience of gamers these days just fuels this fire. It's painfully ironic in fact. Many of the same people who moan about delayed releases are exactly the same caps lock warriors who will savage a game with bugs. Cake and eat it. Also the loss of Lionhead saddens me greatly. Like losing an old friend. Fable and Fable 2 were definitely 2 of the main reasons I owned Xbox and Xbox 360. Such a shame. Oh and I am a console gamer with a gaming PC. Because I am a gamer, not a hardware zealot! Just my thoughts :)
VodKaVK - 11:10am, 11th March 2016
I think you raised great points there! However, I think that there is a timely sweet spot when to release a game to cash in on the hype and is not necessarily right after reveal, you need to let the news propagate and people get excited. But that's just a nuance. However, I dont think people get up in arms for delays, really, unless it happens repeatedly and disingenuously. So I don't see the incompatibility of people wanting to play the lastest release as soon as possible, but also not wanting issues. It's having your cake and eat it, indeed, but people know this, I think.
AAMinistry - 10:58am, 11th March 2016
Also, I did carefully organise the last post into a couple of nice paragraphs but apparently white space is ignored so apologies for the Berlin Wall of text there!
Emseypenguin - 11:37am, 11th March 2016
Ian! I'm so glad you listened to the pod :D Thanks so much for commenting etc. I'm definitely gutted about the Fable franchise being lost in the void. :(
AAMinistry - 12:15pm, 11th March 2016
Part of me thinks the franchise should be handed to someone to try and take it forward but then sense takes over and I know it's unlikely to be as good as Fable or Fable 2 again. I look forward to the next podcast. That was an enjoyable listen!
GarySheppard - 02:58pm, 11th March 2016
Thanks for the kind words AAMinistry, it's really appreciated! Glad you enjoy listening as much as we enjoy recording it.
Emsey, I don't believe you. I'm going to sulk for at least a week now.
trbickmore - 01:38pm, 11th March 2016
Did we forget to mention Fallout 4? - a game that took YEARS to be even confirmed and still came out a buggy mess?
Calmine - 08:53pm, 11th March 2016 Author
I would of been a fool not to take advantage of that intro when editing. You're right Bixy we didn't discuss Fallout 4 and that's one particlur game that players will defend.