Top 10 Video Games That Suffered from Rushed Development
Stupid tight deadlines had to go and ruin everything. Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the Top 10 Video Games That Suffered from Rushed Development
For this list, we're looking at those games that could have been much better had they been given the proper care but suffered due to a rushed development cycle. Keep in mind, these games don't have to be terrible, unplayable messes. So long as the game's quality suffered in some degree due to rushed planning, then it is eligible for consideration. Since we really don't really know what happened between Konami and Hideo Kojima, we're including it here.
Special thanks to our user Skerlly Fc for submitting the idea on our interactive suggestion tool: WatchMojo.comsuggest
Top 10 Video Games That Suffered from Rushed Development
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Stupid tight deadlines had to go and ruin everything. Welcome to Watchmojo.com, and today we're counting down our picks for the top ten video games that suffered from rushed development. For this list, we're looking at those games that could have been much better had they been given the proper care but suffered due to a rushed development cycle. Keep in mind, these games don't have to be terrible, unplayable messes. So long as the game’s quality suffered in some degree due to rushed planning, then it is eligible for consideration. Since we really don’t really know what happened between Konami and Hideo Kojima, we’re including it here.
#10: “Battlefield 4” (2013)
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Before 2013, the “Battlefield” series had already made quite a name for itself as the more mature alternative to Call of Duty. As a result, EA saw dollar signs, and wanted to release the fourth entry before the next COD was could get on the shelves. As a result, Battlefield 4 game was released buggy as all hell, and it received considerable backlash from critics and the gaming community for its constant crashes and glitchy gameplay. Plus, it just wasn’t all that different from Battlefield 3 – not enough time had passed between the two.
#9: “Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords” (2004)
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The first “Knights of the Old Republic” game was a huge success, so expectations were sky high for this sequel, released only one year after the original. While Bioware did hand the reigns over to the well respected RPG masters at Obsidian, it didn’t really work out this time. Their development window was too limited, as the game needed to be out for Christmas, and Obsidian’s COO called the process “extremely aggressive.” The game was released to favorable reviews, but was criticized by fans for it’s outdated look, persistent glitches and a confusingly abrupt ending.
#8: “Final Fantasy XIV” (2010)
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The second MMORPG in the “Final Fantasy” series, “XIV” was met with disappointment by fans and critics alike, and is now a fine example of what not to do when developing a video game. Planning actually began in 2005, five years before it would be released, but a whole mess of problems occurred, such as using an old physics engine by an inexperienced development team. The game was released completely broken, as the company didn't have time to finish, and the backlash was so bad that Square Enix replaced the entire development team and started again.
#7: “Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly” (2002)
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“Enter the Dragonfly” was the first Spyro game to be released on the sixth generation, but rather than take advantage of that opportunity, inexperienced developers Check Six Games and Equinoxe Digital had to rush through the development to release an average game that couldn't quite make do on its promises. It really wasn't entirely their fault, as Universal Interactive forced the teams to finish early so that the game could be released in time for the 2002 Christmas season. And, as harsh as it sounds, that’s why you haven’t heard much more about Check Six Games or Equinox Digital recently.
#6: “Enter the Matrix” (2003)
Developed by Shiny Entertainment, “Enter the Matrix” was the first video game based on the “Matrix” universe, something that fans had been clamoring for for a while. The game had to be completed in time to coincide with the release of the film's sequel, “The Matrix Reloaded,” so the team was extremely rushed in what they could accomplish. While the martial arts action and bullet time gameplay was top notch, the game was criticized for its poor controllers, blocky graphics and ultra bland environments. Suffice it to say, 2003 was a disappointing time to be a Matrix fan – blue pills for everyone.
#5: “Dragon Age II” (2011)
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And here are our old friends Electronic Arts to ruin yet another game. The lead designer of Bioware, Brent Knowles, left the company during development for the game, citing that Bioware “was not the same” that it once was, and coupled with the short development time, the game suffered as a result. While still good, it was not up to typical Bioware standards and was criticized for alienating fans. EA wouldn't learn their lesson about rushing games, as “Mass Effect 3” was released one year later, and its writing team suffered due to the limited time frame.
#4: “Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness” (2003) The first Tomb Raider game released for the PlayStation 2, “Angel of Darkness” left many fans feeling empty and unfulfilled. What is it about companies not using the promise of a new console!? Eidos pushed Core Design into releasing the game to coincide with the movie “Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life,” and because of this, key moments in the narrative and locations in the game had to be cut for time. The game released to poor reviews and sales, and Core Design closed shortly afterwards, as most of the team had left.
#3: “Assassin's Creed Unity” (2014)
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Here it is, the prime example of the pitfalls of an annually released series. Development for this game began soon after “Brotherhood’s” release in 2010, but you certainly wouldn't know it judging by the game. In order to correspond with the series’ annual release schedule, “Unity” was revealed incomplete, resulting in various internet memes and poor reviews. While the city itself was gorgeous, the excess amount of bugs and performance issues tarnished the franchises reputation; the backlash even affected the sales of the follow up game Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, prompting Ubisoft to give the Assassin’s a long needed hiatus.
#2: “Sonic the Hedgehog” (2006)
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In order to commemorate this little blue guy’s fifteenth birthday, “Sonic the Hedgehog” (also known as Sonic 2006) was released to gamers, but it suffered from severe problems. The game not only had to be released for the Christmas season AND the series' fifteenth anniversary, but the development team was split in half, resulting in fewer people doing the same amount of work. The company ignored bug reports in order to meet their fast-approaching deadline, and the game was released full of glitches, bugs, and long loading times. Sonic definitely deserved a better birthday than this. Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. “Halo 2” (2004) “Harvest Moon 64” (1999) “SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny” (2009)
#1: “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” (1982)
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The worst of the worst, “E.T.” is one of the most notorious video games in existence. In order to meet the 1982 Christmas season (it's always Christmas!), designer Howard Scott Warshaw was given an impossible deadline of five and a half weeks to begin and complete the game in full. The results were as bad as you'd expect, and the game is not only considered to be the worst of all time, but it was a financial disaster that significantly contributed to the infamous video game industry crash of 1983. I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say that that deadline was a bad move. Do you agree with our list? What video game do you think suffered from a rushed development? For more caring top tens published every day, be sure to subscribe to Watchmojo.com.
