The games industry is a big, and, at times, very strange business animal.
As gamers we usually see a carefully defined part of how games are made, but every once in a while, a developer or publisher might get things wrong enough to attract media attention.
Of course no company is perfect, and it’s no surprise that companies protect their business interests, but sometimes companies act so irresponsibly that it’s hard not to feel ashamed for them .
And that is exactly what has happened in these recent scandals in the gaming industry, where companies, and sometimes players themselves – but mostly companies – have been caught behaving in a way that not so good.
From outright fraudulent business practices to overly sensitive online behavior, comical quality assurance lapses, and excessive and unethical use of AI, these scandals are a collective lesson in how developers should not, publishers and even the players themselves to behave.
When we watch this from afar, it’s hard not to feel ashamed of everything that is happening.
8. Rockstar uses pirated copies of its own games
Rockstar – which is usually strongly against piracy and takes strict measures to prevent its games from being stolen, such as the use of DRM (Digital Rights Management) technologies such as Denuvo which to the detriment of performance – he was in a shameful position when he discovered the real truth. reason behind Manhunt’s poor release on Steam.
Manhunt has been riddled with bugs on Steam for years, and players have had to use third-party mods to make it work properly. But a YouTuber named Vadim M discovered that Rockstar itself had uploaded a pirated version of the game on Steam. To quickly bypass the game’s security, Rockstar relied on a crackdown by a hacking group called Razor 1911.
After examining the game’s code, Razor 1911’s signature was found within the code, as well as in two other games published by Rockstar, Max Payne 2 and Midnight Club II. The weirdest thing is that the bugs were caused by Rockstar trying to hide the crack instructions from the game’s code, which inadvertently activated another layer of copy protection, which in turn introduced more bugs that – into the game.
7. EA forced Anthem to release after only 15 months of development
game Hymn She was never able to achieve the perfect shape she wanted, despite the multiplayer action game from Bio-products It had great potential in the live service gaming market.
Upon release, the game had several technical issues and lacked content, which prompted EA To indicate that he intends to improve the game significantly. But in February 2021 – that is, a year after this news – it was confirmed EA All development on the game has stopped and the game is effectively dead.
Several analytical articles have been published about the game’s difficult development process over the years, and in May developer V HymnIan Satterdalen, trans Twitter The entire game was developed in just 15 months.
Although the game has been in development since 2012, it was modified several times before the final version went into full production. The final version of the game was developed in just 15 months, with staff working… Bio-products For weeks up to 90 hours, which Satterdelen described as “unprecedented for a game of this size.”
The final result of the game is not a negative reflection on the developers who worked hard on it, but on the game’s senior executives EA Who made the game go to market too soon before it was ready. Plus, they fired the team Bio-products During the process, which is absurd, especially in a time where AAA games take five years or more to develop.
6. Counter-Strike 2 is Valve’s lowest rated game ever
Despite the initial enthusiasm for Counter-Strike 2 after its launch in September 2023, everything went down quickly due to performance issues, crashes, and lack of content compared to the previous version. Counter Strike: Global OffensiveIn addition to a conclusion Valve By removing Global Offensive From the store Steam Completely.
This caused a wave of criticism from players, which led to user ratings Steam For the game Strike counter 2 It reaches a “mixed” level, making it the lowest among games Valve Posted on the platform.
Although Valve He has a successful record with games like Half life andPortal andDota and4 left deadHowever, the game launched accidentally Strike counter 2 It was undoubtedly a huge embarrassment for the company.
I was open Valve For more criticism due to the game being released as part of an update toGlobal Offensivewhich made the positive reviews it received Global Offensive It is counted in favor Strike counter 2which caused the game to receive an undeserved “very positive” overall rating.
Although the game improved significantly in the coming months, the first negative reaction was very disappointing, especially for a shooter that was considered the most anticipated in the years around last.
5. Nintendo uses fan-made emulators (despite claiming that emulation “stifles creativity”)
Nintendo is reportedly contradicting its stance. Although the company has a reputation for making slightly old-fashioned business decisions, its stance against emulation seems silly.
In May of last year, Nintendo said that reporting “stifles innovation,” but that statement was criticized in light of leaked reports indicating that the company used emulators made by fans to develop emulators for the console. GameBoy On a device Change.
In addition, Nintendo has been found to have used emulators and clones in the past ROMs They were downloaded from the Internet to their own products, making their anti-imitation stance seem false.
Of course Nintendo owns the rights to these games and hasn’t done anything illegal, but given its strict commitment to fighting imitation under the pretext of piracy, it might be better It is better to remember how he himself benefited from this technology.
