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In the weeks since the PlayStation 3 version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was released, it has become clear that something is badly wrong. Now the game's publisher Bethesda faces some tough questions, which it must face without delay, and with absolute clarity and frankness. Serious accusations from frustrated fans are growing in volume; that the company knew there was a problem before it released the game.
Trust in the Bethesda brand, one of the most beloved in the business, has been damaged by the company's release of a sub-par product. Doubts must now be raised as to Skyrim's status as the game most likely to scoop all those lucrative 'Game of the Year' awards. This erosion in trust can only be rectified by a full disclosure on what has happened, how it happened, and what plans the company has in place to correct the situation.
Here's what's been going on. PlayStation 3 players with larger save files of Skyrim - for example, those who have played the game in excess of 60 hours - have reported significant slow-down, almost to the point of unplayability. Media sites have visually demonstrated the problem of large saved games set against much faster virgin games. Experts who understand the PlayStation 3's architecture have weighed in on why the problem exists and why it may ultimately be unfixable in such a huge, open world. Players on Xbox 360 and PC versions have also experienced some problems, though not at the scale being reported for PS3.
Bethesda released Patch 1.2, which the company says "improves occasional performance issues resulting from long term play." More fixes are promised, but details are thin.
But the clue to the firm's nervousness about this crisis is in its official response. The word "occasionally" is in stark contrast to the ubiquity of complaints online, and various polls that suggest problem-rates as high as 36 percent. Of course, we can't know how many people are experiencing problems, another opportunity for Bethesda to add clarity to a confused situation.
IGN has reached out to Bethesda for comment. We want to know how this happened, how it can be fixed and, most crucially, if the company knew about the problem before it released the game to a public eager to drop $60 on what was arguably the most eagerly anticipated title of 2011. As of Noon, Monday (Pacific) we have received no response.
We have also reached to out to Sony Computer Entertainment America. We want to know how long the Quality Assurance guys spent playing the game, if they came across the problem, and what correspondence they shared with Bethesda on any lag issues on large game saves. We have received no reply, as yet.
more here
Trust in the Bethesda brand, one of the most beloved in the business, has been damaged by the company's release of a sub-par product. Doubts must now be raised as to Skyrim's status as the game most likely to scoop all those lucrative 'Game of the Year' awards. This erosion in trust can only be rectified by a full disclosure on what has happened, how it happened, and what plans the company has in place to correct the situation.
Here's what's been going on. PlayStation 3 players with larger save files of Skyrim - for example, those who have played the game in excess of 60 hours - have reported significant slow-down, almost to the point of unplayability. Media sites have visually demonstrated the problem of large saved games set against much faster virgin games. Experts who understand the PlayStation 3's architecture have weighed in on why the problem exists and why it may ultimately be unfixable in such a huge, open world. Players on Xbox 360 and PC versions have also experienced some problems, though not at the scale being reported for PS3.
Bethesda released Patch 1.2, which the company says "improves occasional performance issues resulting from long term play." More fixes are promised, but details are thin.
But the clue to the firm's nervousness about this crisis is in its official response. The word "occasionally" is in stark contrast to the ubiquity of complaints online, and various polls that suggest problem-rates as high as 36 percent. Of course, we can't know how many people are experiencing problems, another opportunity for Bethesda to add clarity to a confused situation.
IGN has reached out to Bethesda for comment. We want to know how this happened, how it can be fixed and, most crucially, if the company knew about the problem before it released the game to a public eager to drop $60 on what was arguably the most eagerly anticipated title of 2011. As of Noon, Monday (Pacific) we have received no response.
We have also reached to out to Sony Computer Entertainment America. We want to know how long the Quality Assurance guys spent playing the game, if they came across the problem, and what correspondence they shared with Bethesda on any lag issues on large game saves. We have received no reply, as yet.
more here
