How long is too long for a game to have an update...?

[thropper]

This is entirely subjective and there are many, many reasons for a variety of answers...

But a rough rule of thumb for me is between 2-3 months before I start to divest in the game.

Some games I hold out hope longer for, others I give up on more quickly..., but roughly if there is no update in this kind of window it becomes abandoned in my mind and I stop actively waiting for updates.

This may seem a little quick regarding how much work has to go into these games, but at the same time something new is always coming out to draw my attention away...

What are other folks thoughts on this?

 

[mlpatreon2]

3months over the deadline

 

[DisguisedLizard]

4 months is a little too much for an update

 

[Fewmp]

I'd have to say the same thing... over 3-4 months since the last update is where I lose interest. That said, if the game was REALLY good, I'm a little more forgiving for longer updates schedules.

 

[armanigol]

more then 3 months

 

[Tropical101]

4 months is OK if the updates are major - include a lot of new content, story arc etc. If the updates are smaller then probably 2 months for a few scenes/lines is just not worth it

 

[greeeen]

6 months is a breakpoint for me, even if it has a lot of content it´s horrible to not remember anything

 

[armanigol]

4 months is OK if the updates are major - include a lot of new content, story arc etc. If the updates are smaller then probably 2 months for a few scenes/lines is just not worth it

I agree but i would rather big updates then one small every few weeks

 

[Anon1990]

I agree with most posts above. Three month more or less is the maximum. I don´t mind waiting for content but there has to be a balance between update rate and new content.

 

[yibifi2784]

It really depends on the size and quality of the updates, but once it passes 6 months it does get harder to remember what happened in the previous update.

 

[User_7102]

3 months of no contact from the developer to the community.
Life happens and sometimes games are more of a side project. Communication is the MOST important action a dev should take.
Even one sneak peak image can hold my excitement over an extra month.

 

[Joedaddy1980]

Summertime saga is 2.5 years they've had several "mini updates" along the way but it's been about 81% for over a year. I canceled my patreon

 

[thropper]

3 months of no contact from the developer to the community.
Life happens and sometimes games are more of a side project. Communication is the MOST important action a dev should take.
Even one sneak peak image can hold my excitement over an extra month.

You are right! simple communication or a simple "sneak peak" can really make the difference letting us know if the developer is still invested!

 

[baubau176]

I agree with you, 3/4 month are ideal, more if it's a big update but feel bad either if have to wait to much

 

[Anon1990]

Summertime saga is 2.5 years they've had several "mini updates" along the way but it's been about 81% for over a year. I canceled my patreon

Absolut right decision. Summertime Saga is sadly degraded to a cash cow patreon.

 

[armanigol]

You are right! simple communication or a simple "sneak peak" can really make the difference letting us know if the developer is still invested!

Yeah or like the guy from summer story who posts the % every now and then

 

[MichealIsKing!]

I think the biggest issue is communication with the community. 6 months to a year is fine by me as long they are giving progress updates, talking about what they are currently working on, and even showing little snippets of what they are working on. A dev could update monthly and not say a word to the community about what they changed or what they are planning and I'd be way more annoyed than I would be at the infrequent dev who talks. The worst dev though is the one that strings you along and constantly misses their deadlines.

 

[Xorsm]

4 months anything beyond that just slap the abandoned tag on it and be done lmao

 

[Ttest]

2-3 months I guess.

 

[Uncle Loco]

I think it really depends on the game itself. There are some games that go above and beyond the normal expectations for graphics/animations and with those I expect a longer delay of maybe 2 to 3 updates a year. Then you have the normal games which I think it is safe to say 1-3 months an update is good.

I typically pump out updates around 600-700 renders with a few animations and it takes me about 2 months for an update, but I am a solo project with a full-time job so my time to work on the game is limited. I know there are others that have a team working on games and they can get things out faster. I am pretty sure there are others that drag their feet for more cash too.