10 Ways Gaming Is Better (And Worse) Than Ever

8. Better - Constant Internet Connections Mean Games Get Fixed Immediately

In years gone by - especially back when the Atari 2600 was the "cutting edge" of gaming - there was literally no way for a company to amend any mistake, bug or glitch, once the game had gone to print.

"Great", I hear you say, "It means they had to get it right!"

Very true, but every developer wants to make the the best possible product - it doesn't change how publishers have always approached the business. You can't manufacture time, and sometimes deadlines just come around, no matter what.

It goes without saying that now, if any remote issue is discovered, a developer/publisher can commission a patch that has the thing rectified and working perfectly in days. The likes of Stardew Valley literally had one-man coding powerhouse Eric Barone watching his own Reddit thread for suggestions post-launch, hopping back into the game's guts to touch it up immediately.

That level of symbiotic tinkering and group advice is something that helps many games be the best they can be, and it's also very much unique to the medium overall.