10 Ways The Gaming Industry Can Improve

2. Hefty Patches

Another issue that robs the player of the complete experience, patches are used to iron out the kinks of largely unfinished releases.

Games are hard to make. They require long hours, time away from loved ones and immense concentration to effectively realise the dream of the studio. Releasing a complete product is an astronomical challenge, so developers are often given a pass if there's a few rough edges. However, it seems so many developers take advantage of that kindness and release the game unfinished alongside an obscenely large patch that also must be downloaded to ensure the experience is a smooth one.

Take Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5, for example. THPS5 (while completely underwhelming) has more patches than a schoolyard football, and though the game has seen developments it's still nothing close to the quality of the four games that preceded it.

Covering up blemishes is understandable, admirable even, but knowingly allowing a game to hit shelves, aware that it requires a substantial patch to even run is a cheap, shady way to hit a deadline. Cyberpunk 2077's frequent delays prove that fans will wait for quality, so pressure from publishers only serves to worsen not only the product itself but the developers' relationship with its audience.