14 DAY TRIAL // In late 2014, both Assassin’s Creed Unity and Halo: The Master Chief Collection launched in severe broken state, with a large number of fans unable to enjoy them at first, and both Ubisoft and Microsoft working overtime in order to deliver the patches that have made the titles playable.
The two titles did not suffer from the same problems, but initial justification for their issues was linked to their complexity and the fact that the companies were unable to test out all the features before the launch took place.
In 2015, both games are receiving new content, with 343 Industries delivering content updates for Halo: The Master Chief Collection and free content, and Ubisoft delivering a free DLC, called Dead Kings, which was initially included in the Season Pass and is now given away to buyers.
The video game companies that were severely criticized when the botched launches took place are saying that they are trying to compensate those who were affected and to make sure that nothing similar happens in the future.
Fans cannot be compensated for their disappointment
I do not particularly love either Assassin’s Creed or Halo, but I can understand the kind of impact that being unable to play or to enjoy the game had on the communities built around those universes.
And I do not believe that free content or future rewards are adequate ways to compensate those affected.
Basically, Ubisoft and Microsoft are only trying to buy the goodwill of fans and to make sure that they keep buying future installments.
They are trying to erase the consequences of launching broken titles from existence.
A true fan should forgive but should not forget, and that means that he should remain reticent about pre-ordering future titles in the same series that have disappointed him and wait for a few outside opinions before they commit to a purchase.
It would also be a good idea to be vocal, criticize the company on its social media accounts and explain what it did wrong and how it affected the community.
Compensation is a good idea but a truly rational gamer would want companies to put those resources into the development process for future titles in order to make sure that they no longer have similar problems.
