WHy does it take blizz so long to realese patches?

[Crazycab]

This is something I never quite understood. With cataclysm they were supposed to be releasing patches more frequently since we only get a few bosses in a raid. I mean it's taking the same amount of time to release patches with less content then it did to release raids like uldaur. If you think about it, if they release a patch every 6 months that is $90 (if you pay $15 a month like me) worth of content that should be there. Are there patches really worth that amount of money? I have been playing this game for years but for what am paying there should be twice as much content in there patches to keep me busy in that entire 6 months...

[mightyquinn]

Cause they aren't Trion

[Jinivus]

Were you not here for ICC?
Not sure why you feel you're entitled to patches every 3 months because you pay a subscription fee...

[Saffa]

Takes so long because in the real world changes to something like WoW need testing - code is not amended and perfect every time. A seemingly small change can have unforeseen knock-on effects. Perhaps you would not mind playing on a patch that was released fast but full of bugs. I, on the other hand, would much rather wait until as many bugs as possible have been discovered and corrected. Then again, I am an ex-programmer and have some idea about what goes into changing even comparatively small programs. Changes to WoW are very complex, let them get on with it and be grateful that patches are released at all

[Crazycab]

Cause they aren't Trion

That is true. I want to know how a company with less than a million subscribers that makes way less cash then blizz can afford to release patches so frequently with a shit load of content. I don't play rift nor will i probably ever play rift but I give trion a ton of respect for this.

[HawynLegend]

Let's see you pump out raids, dungeons, and gear while trying to balance the game in the same amount of time they do.

[Porimlys]

The time between 4.2 and 4.3 hasn't felt that long to me, considering the wide breadth of content coming in 4.3. Of course I'm one of those people who has really enjoyed 4.2 and Firelands, so you know, time flies when you're having fun.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Because they make a point of making patches big. And making sure the stuff the include actually works when launched.

[Crazycab]

Were you not here for ICC?
Not sure why you feel you're entitled to patches every 3 months because you pay a subscription fee...

Of course I feel entitled to patches because I pay an subscription fee. It is the only reason TO PAY an subscription fee for an mmo. Why the hell would I pay $15 monthly to play the same dungeons and raids for 6 months when I could get my moneys worth playing something that does? Are you satisfied with the content patches that we receive? Am I the only one who expects more from blizzard?

[Puremallace]

Were you not here for ICC?
Not sure why you feel you're entitled to patches every 3 months because you pay a subscription fee...

How about 5months? 4.2 was in July and 4.3 is maybe mid December?

[obscurede]

This is something I never quite understood. With cataclysm they were supposed to be releasing patches more frequently since we only get a few bosses in a raid. I mean it's taking the same amount of time to release patches with less content then it did to release raids like uldaur. If you think about it, if they release a patch every 6 months that is $90 (if you pay $15 a month like me) worth of content that should be there. Are there patches really worth that amount of money? I have been playing this game for years but for what am paying there should be twice as much content in there patches to keep me busy in that entire 6 months...

There is a notion that if the patch is there on the ptr for atleast 3 months, then the patch is bound to atleast 90% bug free when it goes live. And besides, the 4.3 is one of the biggest patches they are releasing to date. Hence they have to get it to a satisfactory level. Also, it has been claimed that Deathwing final battle is badly undertuned, so I guess they have to work on that aspect as well. I m seeing that the main reason that they want to release the patch so delayed because swtor is to be released on 20th next month. Hence, to avoid the loss of more subs, I assume that the patch is taking so long.

[CrunkJuice5]

Why the hell would I pay $15 monthly to play the same dungeons and raids for 6 months when I could get my moneys worth playing something that does

then quit bitching and go play something else then

[stuck4cash]

That is true. I want to know how a company with less than a million subscribers that makes way less cash then blizz can afford to release patches so frequently with a shit load of content. I don't play rift nor will i probably ever play rift but I give trion a ton of respect for this.

Blizzard could pump out 10 times the content too if they wanted. The problem is that it wouldn't be new, it'd be more of the same or full of bugs or both.

Blizzard adds multiple new bosses mechanics each time, adds things that require large amounts of recoding (flying, vehicle combat, new abilities, etc). An item with stats takes 5 minutes to create but an item that has a new animation, new texture, new abilities (it can change you into a flaming druid) or does something completely new (allowed you to go into 3rd person and shoot a boss for extra damage if you hit certain areas or something crazy like that) then it takes a lot more than 5 minutes to do.

Blizzard likes to add quality rather than quantity and it's worked for them well so far.

[Puremallace]

Blizzard could pump out 10 times the content too if they wanted. The problem is that it wouldn't be new, it'd be more of the same or full of bugs or both.

Blizzard adds multiple new bosses mechanics each time, adds things that require large amounts of recoding (flying, vehicle combat, new abilities, etc). An item with stats takes 5 minutes to create but an item that has a new animation, new texture, new abilities (it can change you into a flaming druid) or does something completely new (allowed you to go into 3rd person and shoot a boss for extra damage if you hit certain areas or something crazy like that) then it takes a lot more than 5 minutes to do.

Blizzard likes to add quality rather than quantity and it's worked for them well so far.

Your deathwing fight is a direct copy and paste of the Akylios fight in Rift. Try another argument because you will lose this one.

Those tentacles looks familiar?



The reason the content drags so slow is because
1. You guys pay for it even if it takes a year between patches and everyone knows this
2. You have come to expect it to take this long as proven by the post in this thread
3. The actual Blizzard team that made WoW so great is over on Titan and what you are playing now is being run by the C team. B team is on expansions

[Caiada]

I'm pretty sure it's ethically wrong to release enough content to keep people playing continuously. Wrong and impossible. The obvious solution, if you're only interested in running the current content and not in anything else the game offers, is to subscribe from the start of a patch until you're bored of it, then just unsub until the next patch is out. Money problem solved.

[tj119]

To make people like you, OP, suffer. They enjoy reading the mass QQ, they need entertainment too.

[Karteli]

Because they make a point of making patches big.

Oh really? Like so big they take months to complete, or do you mean bigger than 4.1?

OT: Most of Blizzards development money is being funneled into other games, so if you are wondering why a billion dollar company doesn't invest a billion dollars back into their product, well that's a better question.

It didn't help that the top developers of WoW were moved over to Titan, leaving others in charge.

The 7th year anniversary gift alone should give you an indication of how much effort is being put into those little quality of life things.

[CrunkJuice5]

The problem is that it wouldn't be new

you must have not played for very long,blizzard isnt exactly known for making new content


you know za and zg,those instances were already in this game before they got put in.they just wernt 5 mans

[buffity]

I somewhat agree but not in the sense that we need large content patches every month. In my opinion, they should be add a new dungeon or raid every month or so. Something so i'm not doing the same thing over and over and over and over again... You all speak of quality throughout all of blizzards releases yet I see much better quality in the years of vanilla and tbc rather than now. Not like what I say matters here so I dont know why im typing this.

[Crazycab]

then quit bitching and go play something else then

Why is everything that is criticizing blizzard called bitching with you people? I know blizzard is capable of greater content patches then we are currently getting. And if we are getting a raid with recycled landscapes a bosses then I expect them to be released earlier.