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As you all know, Thief 3 has lots of bugs. So they have begun
the process of patching console games with the X-Box Live feature

'Aven't played Thief 3 yet. What sort of bugs? Game-stopping ones, or minor glitches?

The former are pretty heinous, and unforgiveable (Ultima: Ascension, anyone?), while the latter, I think, are pretty forgiveable... as games get more and more complex, it gets harder to find everything wrong.

So they've finally started patching games with Live, eah? Eventually consoles will simply disappear. Further proof that the Computer is the superior gaming device!

What's the source? Last I heard, there was a patch in the works for the PC version, and a possible recall for the X-Box version, since X-Box policy is not to patch anything but online content through X-Box live.

Also, I don't know about "lots of bugs", but the one that's causing all the fuss is related to the game resetting difficulty to "Normal" if you reload a saved game or cross loading zones too often. Other than that, and perhaps the 3rd Person positional sound bug, the game appears to be relatively bug free.

I will agree, however, that co-development for the X-Box fucked up Ion Storm Austin, both for Thief 3 and Deus Ex 2. However, of the two, Thief 3 is the much better game, and is worthy of the mantle of Garrett.

Is there any reason for that policy of "no patches over live"? Just because? To keep that fine line between PC and Console alive?

So they've finally started patching games with Live, eah? Eventually consoles will simply disappear. Further proof that the Computer is the superior gaming device!

Actually, it simply nullifies one of the PC's advantages, thus proving that the CONSOLE is the superi--*... the supe--*... damn, I can't even say it. Nevermind.

InnocentBystander wrote:Is there any reason for that policy of "no patches over live"? Just because? To keep that fine line between PC and Console alive?

Because not everyone who owns an Xbox would have Xbox live, which as I recall requires both a broadband connection and a monthly fee. People who play for single player content only (or single-system content), who required a patch would have to sign up for X-Box live as well as getting a net connection for it, which they may or may not have.

It also provides incentive for programmers to fucking get it right on release.

Uraniun235 wrote:It also provides incentive for programmers to fucking get it right on release.

Users of PCs have become accustomed to video cards being released without working drivers, beta software being released for retail and then slowly patched until it finally works months or even years after the fact, etc. They're knowledgeable enough to roll with these kinds of problems and work around them.

Console users, on the other hand, have to be treated like the kind of people who can't figure out how to program a VCR, because .. well, many of them are that kind of people. So no patches: it has to be totally plug 'n play.

Darth Wong wrote:

Uraniun235 wrote:It also provides incentive for programmers to fucking get it right on release.

Users of PCs have become accustomed to video cards being released without working drivers, beta software being released for retail and then slowly patched until it finally works months or even years after the fact, etc. They're knowledgeable enough to roll with these kinds of problems and work around them.

Console users, on the other hand, have to be treated like the kind of people who can't figure out how to program a VCR, because .. well, many of them are that kind of people. So no patches: it has to be totally plug 'n play.

And releasing a product that works right the first time is a bad thing why?

It'd miss christmas which is the greatest sin for any game developer....and that the developed get lynched for late releases by whiny fanboiz.

Stormbringer wrote:And releasing a product that works right the first time is a bad thing why?

Gaming, as a whole, is constantly in development. New hardware is constantly coming out, new games are constantly being made. In order to stay competative, you have to choose how much time is spent in making the game, and how much is spent in making the game work RIGHT on release. PC developers have more leeway in the latter, which gives them more power in the former, to a degree. Console developers are very limited by time in those regards.

Consider: The more complex a game is, the more likely that any one change or fix will require considerable testing. Most console games are on average much shorter/less complex than their PC cousins. This is slowly changing, however, as consoles themselves become more complex and PC-like in function. It's quite likely that two or three generations down the road for consoles, the line will become so blurred as to be almost nonexistant.

Sad thing is, I knew that this was coming back when Morrowind came out. Morrowind had its fair share of bugs for XBox and PC, and the fact that PC users got tons (and I do mean tons, I have over 200 mods on my install) of custom content, plus the expansions (which was remedied by a Gold Edition of Morrowind for XBox), well, I'd imagine the XBox users felt just a little gypped. Now, Thief 3 has a bug which dumbs down the AI. I don't know just how that one got past QA, but now that the shit has hit the fan, what is Microsoft going to do? Rescind its order against LIVE patching? Recall all of the disks and send out replacements with a patched version (major cash drain), or just give the X-Box users the finger?

<rant>I'm almost hoping it's the last one, simply because I'm still bitter about NEVER GETTING THE KOLA CELL LEVEL FOR SPLINTER CELL PC! Stupid fuckers gave THAT out on XBox live, and put it in the PS2 and Gamecube version, but ohhh no, DON'T GIVE IT TO THE PC GAMERS! THAT WOULD RUIN EVERYTHING!!!!

Stupid fuckers.</rant>