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Why are photo-modes always a day-1 patch update? (hidden dl strategy)

Wollan

Wollan

Mostly Positive
Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,816
Norway but living in France
The games themselves are polished and complete out the gate but for some reason the developers/publishers leave out one little corner-stone feature that's usually related to social-media to be part of the day-1 patch update itself.
Particularly I've seen this be par for the course in Sony 1st party games i.e. Horizon, God of War, Spider-Man...etc but maybe it's happening elsewhere as well. Do you know of other examples?

Look at the Spider-Man PS4's day-1 patch for Photo Mode:

It's beautiful!
People are going to have so much fun and the game will receive even more attention with quality media being shared. No way the developers didn't spend months and months on this. It's difficult for me to believe that this was a day-1 patch corrective-action or something they started developing close to going gold (when they start planning updated-binaries towards the day-1 patch). There's usually only a small month between going Gold and the game being available in stores and for some reason the complete photo-mode feature is always there waiting in the day-1 patch. It has been happening on a very regular basis now for some years and I doubt it's by chance. For some reason it concerns photo-mode or some other social-media aspect that's not crucial to the direct gameplay experience itself. Why is the complete photo-mode in that patch and not merely an update to the photo-mode feature itself assuming it's needed. It must have been months in the making and ready to go for a while.

It seems like it's becoming a pretty common thing and maybe a (not-so)hidden strategy of making sure people become part of the platforms online infrastructure with a personal account. Or is that reaching?
The feature patch is free and is available day-1 so can't say I'm personally hurt in any way but it's definitely a little nudge for offline-peeps to come online. A little bit sneaky. Do you think it's intentional strategy?

giphy.gif

Gif credit to HStallion .
 
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angel

angel

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,333
Because they're not essential, so they do them after the game ships.
 
LinkStrikesBack

LinkStrikesBack

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
16,370
Even massive single player games want to be games as a service nowadays.
By firing you to connect to the internet to get one features day 1, they normalise the idea that content will periodically be up for download.

That's my guess based on nothing anyway.
 
sredgrin

sredgrin

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
12,276
Who is interested and knows about photo modes in games that's already not the type of gamer that's heavily invested in the infrastructure you're saying this is the goal for?
 
Doctor Shatner

Doctor Shatner

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
182
angel said:
Because they're not essential, so they do them after the game ships.
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This, even if the code is done and likely shippable, you're gonna use every bit of test resources on making sure the disc build is as good as it can be for the main modes/features.

Regardless of why, looks great, love me some photo mode in games.
 

Deleted member 8408

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
6,648
This is some serious reaching.

Photomodes are a non-essential part of the game likely used by a very low percentage of users. Hence it will be one of the last things added to the game, often post-launch.
 
Shark

Shark

Member
Oct 28, 2017
8,126
Raleigh, NC
Why would anyone make a thread and then explicitly state they can't be convinced otherwise?

Edit: OP edited their original post. Crisis averted.
 
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Decarb

Decarb

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,643
When you take a good picture, your first instinct is to share it. How are you gonna do that without going online?
 
Kolx

Kolx

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,505
GoW wasn't a day 1 patch, and why do you find it hard to believe devs work on more improtant things until going gold while leaving the non essential like photomode after that?
 
DrDeckard

DrDeckard

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
8,109
UK
I believe it's a good way to gather data on sales etc? If the majority of people connect they can log gamertag and such for the titles?
 
Shark

Shark

Member
Oct 28, 2017
8,126
Raleigh, NC
Kolx said:
GoW wasn't a day 1 patch, and why do you find it hard to believe devs work on more improtant things until going gold while leaving the non essential like photomode after that?
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Also, how many people here know how long a photo mode actually takes to create or how many resources it takes up?

When did this paranoia of every company trying to pull a fast one on the consumer start?
DrDeckard said:
I believe it's a good way to gather data on sales etc? If the majority of people connect they can log gamertag and such for the titles?
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The best way to gather data on sales would probably be sales data and not who did or didn't patch their game.
 
Viceratops

Viceratops

Banned
Jun 29, 2018
2,570
Shark said:
Also, how many people here know how long a photo mode actually takes to create or how many resources it takes up?

When did this paranoia of every company trying to pull a fast one on the consumer start?

The best way to gather data on sales would probably be sales data and not who did or didn't patch their game.
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In this instance, when that puddle was removed.
 

Nuclear Muffin

Banned
Oct 29, 2017
4,721
Photo Modes require an internet connection to get any real usage out of anyway. Most people will not be connecting USB sticks and transferring to their PC; they will just upload directly to Twitter.

So if you're coming in hot and struggling to make release date, why not push back a mode that basically requires Internet for people to use (and market your game with hashtags) for a day 1 update anyway?
 
benny

benny

Member
Oct 26, 2017
381
Kolx said:
GoW wasn't a day 1 patch, and why do you find it hard to believe devs work on more improtant things until going gold while leaving the non essential like photomode after that?
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I'm also interested in hearing the explanation for this.

Sometimes a low priority feature is just a low priority feature and not an manipulative Orwellian master plan to influence the masses.
What's even the end goal? Photo mode is something a subset of the subset of enthusiasts take part in, which I don't think they need to be prompted to connect their PS4 so they can be informed when the next DLC comes out.

It's a neat feature for both enthusiasts and game developers because having in-game photographs can highlight aspects of the environmental art that would ordinarily be missed by most but can be framed to celebrate the artistic achievement. I believe the game developers that work on this feature (and probably do this on top of all the other bug fixing they already do at the end of the development cycle) is just motivated by that.
 
Mikebison

Mikebison

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
11,036
They're probably the last thing to get added. It's as simple as that. No grand conspiracy.
 
GMM

GMM

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
5,484
While photo modes have become much more wide spread over the last few years, only a very limited section of enthusiast player actually use them.

You can be almost sure that such modes are marked as low priority tasks or afterthoughts, after all the developers have a good game to build first and foremost within what could be a harsh deadline.
 
OP
OP
Wollan

Wollan

Mostly Positive
Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,816
Norway but living in France
Decarb said:
Yeah but what are you going to do with that USB stick if you're not online?
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Games have had photo-modes for several console generations. With social media the value of it has definitely been multiplied by a 100x but I did enjoy arranging beautiful photos in Gran Turismo on PS2 or making the perfect chase movie in Driver on PS1 even if I didn't end up sharing it. Pokemon Snap etc.
 
Hieroph

Hieroph

Member
Oct 28, 2017
8,995
I hate this. I'm actually starting to become glad I'm skipping the launch and waiting for a more complete GOTY edition (because I'm getting DQ11 instead).
 
enzo_gt

enzo_gt

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,299
Low priority thing that doesn't need to hold up the rest of the game going gold and they can take their time on after it does?
 
Piichan

Piichan

Member
Oct 28, 2017
901
Tokyo
Probably also related to embargoes. There's people playing the game right now, but not allowed to talk about it. If it had a photo sharing mode before launch, people might (maybe mistakenly) break those embargoes.
 
8byte

8byte

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt-account
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
9,880
Kansas
Very much reaching.

As development winds down on the main game, people shift from the main team to other projects, typically as the game gets closer to gold.
 
Easy_D

Easy_D

Member
Oct 28, 2017
2,275
Game goes gold, build sent to be print, Devs have a bit of free time, add photo mode, gets patched in for launch
 
Mechaplum

Mechaplum

Enlightened
Member
Oct 26, 2017
18,835
JP
So because of two games doing it(that you know of), you're calling it a trend and a conspiracy?
 
Bramblebutt

Bramblebutt

Banned
Jan 11, 2018
1,858
I'm willing to wager that photo modes are developed primarily as a tool for Marketing and implementing them is just a matter of porting it to the consumer skew. It's probably one of the easiest and safest post-release projects to work on, honestly, which is why they're so prevalent now after devs realized there's an audience for it.
 
HardRojo

HardRojo

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,145
Peru
Hieroph said:
I hate this. I'm actually starting to become glad I'm skipping the launch and waiting for a more complete GOTY edition (because I'm getting DQ11 instead).
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Hydeus said:
It's a trap to hide that they don't have time to finish their game.
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It's hard to tell what is and isn't sarcasm anymore, I hope these 2 are or else I guess I'll simply have to give up and accept detecting sarcasm on the internet is like spotting a needle in a bigass puddle.
 
Derrick01

Derrick01

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
7,289
This is actually an improvement over recent sony games. Horizon and God of War got theirs weeks later, I remember because when they came out I was already done with the games and expressed annoyance because I didn't feel like starting a new game yet just for photo mode. Same with Uncharted 4 I believe although that was months later I think.
 
Gunny T Highway

Gunny T Highway

Unshakable Resolve - One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
17,029
Canada
It is a feature the core development team does not focus on in order for a game to ship. So most times it is made in the weeks following up to release after the discs have already been burnt.
 
ItIsOkBro

ItIsOkBro

Happy New Year!!
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
9,519
strategy for what... to download a patch that i would download anyways?
 
ashtaar

ashtaar

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,518
......... Isn't the percentage of internet consoles at least in the 90s? I guess all the submarine residents who skipped Xbox One are screwed.
You can still take photos via the PS4 firmware but the feature that requires internet and is mainly a marketing tool is part of a dark conspiracy to make every connect their consoles to the internet so that China can launch a takeover of the world ?
 
SunhiLegend

SunhiLegend

The Legend Continues
Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,573
Horizon launched with a photomode, GOW wasn't ready for launch and arrived a few weeks later.
Spider-Man I'm guessing was the same situation as GOW, wasn't a main priority, unable to get it in when the game went gold, but with Spider-Man they were able to get it done in time for a day 1 patch.
With Horizon the developers themselves said the photomode was not a main priority, was originally going to be included in a post launch update before they decided to work on it more and get it ready for launch.

Derrick01 said:
This is actually an improvement over recent sony games. Horizon and God of War got theirs weeks later, I remember because when they came out I was already done with the games and expressed annoyance because I didn't feel like starting a new game yet just for photo mode. Same with Uncharted 4 I believe although that was months later I think.
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Horizon and Uncharted had photomode day 1, with Uncharted you had to download a patch whereas Horizon it was in the base game.
 
headspawn

headspawn

Member
Oct 27, 2017
14,620
I'd like to think there is no malice in it and it's because it was a non-essential feature that they knocked out towards the end of development and they added it because a) fans love it, b) it's turns into free fucking advertising for your game. c) it probably isn't a massive investment to implement.
 
NickMitch

NickMitch

Member
Nov 1, 2017
1,297
I rather think it's a way of smoothing over the fact that EVERY fffffnnnggg game needs a one day patch because of release date shenanigans, and adding a little "extra/flair" makes the day one patch seem more attractive. Also it adds another layer of opportunity to tweet or post something - to promote the game.
 
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