You know, more and more these days I find myself repeating the same thing out loud to myself when playing games. Things like:

" At what point did the developers think this was a good idea!? "

Or

" What were they on when they put this in??"

Etc. Hopefully you get the point. Sure, games are getting bigger, with higher budgets and cutting-edge graphics. But this also means that there is alot more room for errors to be made somewhere down the line.

So, join me, as I attempt to explain what Games developers are doing wrong.


Over hyping your game



Main Offenders:
Too Human
Fable 2
Halo 3 ( And every future Halo-related game )
Assassins' Creed

There's a difference between advertising and hyping. Of course you need to advertise, how else would people know about your game?

I know it's hard for you. You've made this thing, which you think is the best of it's kind, and you want to boast its greatness to everyone. But, please, restrain yourself. I've seen so many games get shot down so much more because it was overhyped and didn't deliver the goods.

Maybe your game is all that you say it is, and maybe you will be praised for letting everyone know it. But maybe not. Just keep your mouth shut and let the consumers be the judge of how good your game is.


Not getting your game properly checked and tested for bugs



Main Offenders:
Fallout 3
Oblivion
Gears Of War 1/2

For me at least, nothing is more annoying then having to restart my game because of a glitch. It's one of the main reasons why I stop playing certain games; not because they are bad games, quite the contrary, I was enjoying them but I just lost alot of game progress because the designer messed up. So I give up.

Picture this : Your a wasteland raider. Your exploits are known throughout the land. Nothing dares stand in your way, and anything that does, doesn't live long enough to regret it. You find a nearby raider base; perfect, you need some supplies. After making quick work of the inhabitants, you jump across a desk to claim your prize. But wait. You haven't landed on the other side yet.
No, your stuck in the desk. You move around as much as you can, mashing everything to try to free yourself, but to no avail. You are stuck. You, the greatest pirate the wasteland has ever known, is stuck in a desk.

It's a bit of an understatement to say that its an immersion killer. In games like the one I exampled above, Fallout, one of the greatest things is to get immersed into the world. But when glitches and bugs are thrown at you, it is like a slap in the face and you are brought right back onto your couch, in front of your 360.


Adding one, inexplicable , frustrating level / mission



Main offenders:
Star wars : The force unleashed
Any and all Call Of Duty's ( Veteran difficulty )
Comix Zone
Puzzle Quest

We've all been there. Your enjoying your game, thinking " Wow, this game has been pretty solid so far, I hope nothing comes and fucks it up" and then something totally does.

I'm talking about the parts that make you stand up and scream at the television, as if it had any part in the gayness you have just experienced. The parts that make you throw your controller across the room, and then when your friends ask what happened, you say " I dropped it ".

Sure we feel silly afterwards for getting so angry ( either after we've beaten the level or just said " Fuck this game" ) , but at the time, you cannot come up with an explanation as to why the developers would think that this part would be fun to play. Why did they suddenly take a turn from the awesome gameplay I've been enjoying so far, to this pile of asscrap?

So, come on developers, keep your game either totally awesome, or just crap the whole way through. Preferably the first one.

Pissing off the fan(Boys)



Main Offenders:
Left 4 dead 2
CoD : MW 2

Whether you love em' or hate em' ( I hate them ) Fanboys are a significant source of moneys for developers. Getting them angry could mean they will start petitions and boycotts, resulting in BILLIONS of potential dollars going down the drain.

So, show a little respect for your fans. Give them a free map every once in a while, call them and see how they're doing, but, most importantly, don't make promises you can't ( Or won't ) keep.

Not making your next game another new LOST game.



Come on.