It's been a year since the new wave of video game consoles was fully unleashed on the world, and so far there seems to be one thing in common: If you want a good multiplayer experience, stick with the last generation.
But don't blame the hardware makers so much, because it's the software that's not playing nice.
The news as of late is that 343 Industries has been apologizing profusely for the ruinous matchmaking on its recently released, high-def redux of the Halo saga.
343 honcho Bonnie Ross said Monday in a message to gamers on Xbox Wire that while the Nov. 11 release of Halo: The Master Chief Collection was meant "to create a tribute to Halo fans around the world," things had not gone very well, with multiple, unforeseen problems plaguing the multiplayer component.
"I personally apologize for this on behalf of us all at 343 Industries. Our team is committed to working around the clock until these issues are resolved," Ross wrote.
"While our team works on continual improvements and towards solutions, my commitment to you is that we will take care of all owners of Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Our primary and continued focus is first on fixing the issues at hand. Once we've done that, we will detail how we will make this right with our fans."
Ross said there were problems both on the server side and with the game itself, so patches were on the way. But this is an all too familiar refrain for gamers during this generation.
There was talk during the last round of consoles that regular system and software updates would benefit both players and publishers. No longer were we going to be stuck with buggy games and hardware that couldn't keep up with the times.
When the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 were revealed, the online components expanded even further, and there was talk of doing away with physical discs altogether. Those same software updates would address any potential problems.
That was partially true, but now we have a problem plenty of people feared: We're essentially getting broken games, pinned to a release date more than a schedule of readiness.
The reliance on software updates has led to a trend in which software publishers care more about tentpole sales than assuring those games are ready. Titanfall, Destiny, and Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare have all had multiplayer hiccups of some sort, from matches failing to being unable to connect online at all. Some of these problems are still being addressed.
It's easy to write off gamer frustration as a sort of entitlement complex, as gamers indeed are increasingly used to getting things instantly. When an online matchmaking component doesn't work immediately, it's a go-to argument that players simply are spoiled by the process.
The problem here is that when you're shelling out $60 for a game, you expect the thing to work. Leaning on updates to fix a faulty product after you essentially let your customers beta test your title online, is a very poor business model, to say that least.
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Explore all your optionsAnd this is only addressing the AAA titles. Imagine all the broken software that gets through and is never written about!
Bad development has always been a problem in video gaming, but this infectious attitude every major studio seems to have of sell-it-now, fix-it-later is more than off-putting.
As we cruise into the Christmas shopping season, we're seeing a market saturated with choices that are sure to disappoint once a player takes a game given as a gift into its online arena. If someone — a parent or a spouse or whomever — just shelled out four bills to buy the box to play it and it doesn't work, that disappointment affects more than just the player.
Then the industry will have a really hard time patching the problem.
— Joshua Gillin writes about video games for tbt*. Challenge his opinions at jgillin@tampabay.com.