The Rise of Unfinished Games

Modern AAA game studios increasingly release unfinished or buggy games. This trend stems from several key factors:

The Shift to Digital Games

In the early 2000s, games began receiving post-launch updates over the internet.
This enabled studios to release games in an unfinished state, then patch them later.
Fully digital game downloads accelerated this trend, as physical discs were no longer a limiting factor.

Treating Games Like Software

Many studios now follow the “minimum viable product” approach common in software development.
They release an unfinished game quickly to get feedback, then improve it over time.
This doesn’t work well for AAA games, where first impressions are critical.

Prioritizing Money Over Quality

Publishers like EA often force studios to launch games before they are ready.
Even if a game is unfinished, launching it quickly allows them to make back development costs.
Developer wellbeing is sacrificed, with excessive “crunch” becoming common.

Communication Breakdowns in Large Teams

Modern AAA games have development teams of hundreds of people.
This makes effective communication and coordination extremely difficult.
Key information falls through the cracks, leading to poor execution.

The Indie Opportunity

The failure of big studios to release polished games creates an opening for indie developers.
With smaller teams of just a few people, indies can often better deliver on their visions.
Quality indie titles that outshine AAA games will continue to find success.

The combination of these forces has resulted in a sad state of affairs for big budget games. Still, by learning from past mistakes, the industry can course correct. Players and developers alike deserve better.