Polytron bringing back Fez patch, won't fix save issues
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After seeing major issues with a patch released for Fez on XBLA, Polytron and Microsoft decided to pull the patch from servers, returning the game to an earlier version. But now Polytron has posted that the patch is coming back, and it will not, repeat not, be fixing the issue where players may lose their save.
Why's that? It's a numbers game, says Polytron. The patch fixes multiple issues with the game (including framerating and loading problems, death loops, and more), and the save corruption issue affects less than one percent of players overall. Because sending out another patch to fix the first patch would cost Polytron "tens of thousands of dollars" to get the game re-certified by Microsoft, the patch is coming back, and any players thus affected by the save issue will just have to deal with it.
Polytron points to this as a major drawback with Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade service, in that the company charges exorbitant fees to developers to release even free updates and content. "Had Fez been released on Steam instead of XBLA," posts Polytron, "the game would have been fixed two weeks after release, at no cost to us." Does that mean a Steam version is in progress? "Only a few months left to our XBLA exclusivity!" says the company on Twitter.
Why's that? It's a numbers game, says Polytron. The patch fixes multiple issues with the game (including framerating and loading problems, death loops, and more), and the save corruption issue affects less than one percent of players overall. Because sending out another patch to fix the first patch would cost Polytron "tens of thousands of dollars" to get the game re-certified by Microsoft, the patch is coming back, and any players thus affected by the save issue will just have to deal with it.
Polytron points to this as a major drawback with Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade service, in that the company charges exorbitant fees to developers to release even free updates and content. "Had Fez been released on Steam instead of XBLA," posts Polytron, "the game would have been fixed two weeks after release, at no cost to us." Does that mean a Steam version is in progress? "Only a few months left to our XBLA exclusivity!" says the company on Twitter.
Related Posts:
- Maybe Go Ahead and Download That Fez Patch After All - giantbomb
- New Fez Patch Would Cost "a Ton of Money", Broken One Back Online - IGN
- Fez Won't Be Fixed Because Microsoft Wants a Ton of Money - kotaku
Replies:
Fez actually kind of looks like a pretty good game.
I was already skeptical about Fez and what I've heard of it. Playing only confirmed my fears. It's pretty awful at trying to be a game. At least other "RETRO" indie games try to have some semblance of gameplay; Fez is basically a $15 art show.
someone stole ideas that have been already done and put a poor excuse for art on it. even games that aren't trying to be art are more like art than fez. fez is another example of why game developers(indie and not indie) should stop trying to make their games look "retro." old video games didnt even LOOK like that. yes you can see the pixels but they actually did they most they could with those pixels, not just make some lazy graphics and be like "oh its a cool looking thing i think its very artsy"
I realized this not too long ago, indie developers are a lot like photographers. When they do something small, they think they are destined for something. "Hey look, I took a black and white picture of a law chair!" "Hey look, I can do all pixel stuff and call it cool!" It's just my opinion.
dude photographers arent even like that, good photography has a purpose and actually looks good. i think you mean teenagers who use instagram daniel
Yes, I was referring to teenagers. Actual photographers are good, not instagram crap.
they want that
I think Fez's perspective-based platforming is a pretty novel idea; I just wish the levels, which make or break platformers, were more complex and challenging.
While the game's aesthetic is pretty simple, the game in action--with its look and sound combined--does feature a pretty neat little atmosphere. It's atmosphere doesn't feel like "generic retro platformer #62."
Well, I downloaded the free demo on Xbox Live, tried it out, and didn't like it.