Plenty of games get hyped up, with fans eagerly counting down the days for their release, only for disappointment to hit. We’ve seen quite a few games released with bugs that made the gameplay experience more or less unplayable. However, some games seem to get by even with the bugs present. That’s due to the amount of content it provides, and it’s also a reason why some studios might let some bugs slide at launch. Bethesda is one of those studios that seemingly lets bugs remain in some games rather than avoid endlessly delaying the game.
A new interview on Videogamer.com with Skyrim Lead Designer and Systems Designer Bruce Nesmith offered some insight into the development production of these behemoth RPGs. According to Bruce, developers know that there are bugs in the game. These bugs are logged, and you will never see a bug-free release. However, the developer did note that Bethesda Games could have a higher degree of polish.
[Games are] so large, so complex, particularly Bethesda Games, because you have so many working elements that are trying to interact with one another, that to have a bug free release is impossible. There is no game on the market that is bug free.
I will be the first person to say that Bethesda Games could have a higher degree of polish. They have benefited, and when I was there I benefited, from providing such a wide and vast array of gameplay that a certain amount of lack of polish could be forgiven. Having an NPC run in place in front of a wall for a little while became acceptable because of the 17 things you could do with that NPC, whereas most games you’d be able to do two. – Bruce Nesmith
One of the reasons you’ll see bugs in something like a Bethesda game release is how complex these titles are. Bruce noted that you have so many elements working together that releasing a game without some bugs is impossible. There comes a point in development where you have just to decide to publish the game.
It’s an interesting problem, because when you’re in marketing, what you’re looking to do is manage expectations. The players expectations are that the game is flawless, that it has no bugs. That is their expectation. You don’t have to like it, but it’s there. And you aren’t going to achieve it. So what marketing has to do is say, how can we get as close as possible to that expectation. How can we make it so these guys don’t hate us for what’s wrong and love us for what’s right? – Bruce Nesmith
Of course, with developers already knowing that there are some bugs featured, Bruce mentioned that it would be an interesting problem to have if they decided to release the bugs featured in the game. This would make it hard for the marketing department as they already have to manage player expectations.
This department has to figure out how to ensure players don’t go into a game with higher expectations than the studio can deliver. Likewise, Bethesda’s marketing team might already have this problem for the next major installment of The Elder Scrolls franchise.
