The release dates for games keep being pushed back, with some games taking many years to finally come out. But what are the actual reasons for this?
With 6 public release date delays, Ubisoft's Skull & Bones is one of the most postponed video games ever. First announced in 2017, the live service pirate game has weathered some major storms and repeatedly changed its course until it finally sailed into the safe harbor of release in 2024. Skull & Bones is by no means the only game that seemed to be lost in development hell. But how does it actually happen that games simply don't get finished for so long?
Why Some Games Are Trapped In Development Hell
Development hell in the context of game development refers to a prolonged and troubled period during which a video game project encounters numerous obstacles, delays, and setbacks, preventing it from progressing smoothly towards completion. This phenomenon is not limited to games and can equally affect films and music. For example, the process of creating the Deadpool movie lasted a whole 10 years.
We've all experienced this somehow. A game gets announced, whether it's a completely new IP or the continuation of a beloved franchise, but it just doesn't come out. Either the developers seem to disappear completely or the release dates keep getting pushed back. It's understandable to ask: How can this happen?
As with many things, the causes of development hell are very diverse. One of the most common reasons is technical challenges that arise during the game's development.
Duke Nukem Forever is one of the games that struggled with some technical difficulties (among other things) during development. Announced as early as 1997, it was supposed to be released the following year.
At the start of development, the team used the Quake II Engine, but later switched to Unreal Engine to incorporate more features. This necessitated a complete reboot of the project. In 1999, the engine was changed again.
Coupled with a creator, George Broussard, who didn't know where he wanted to take the project and a constantly changing team of developers, the development time stretched to over 14 years, and Duke Nukem Forever was only released in 2011.
The scope of games not only fosters technical problems, but also naturally entails high development costs. One of the most prominent examples of this is Star Citizen, which has been in development since 2011. With costs reaching $600 million so far, the space flight simulation is the most expensive video game ever made.
Parts of the game's alpha version have been playable since 2013, but a definitive release date for the game has not been set yet, or rather, not anymore as it has been repeatedly postponed. Eventually, the decision was made to refrain from announcing any official release date altogether.
As mentioned with Duke Nukem, personnel changes and constant alterations to the game's content are often a problem. Additionally, there can be difficulties when game trailers are released, teasing content that hasn't been developed yet.
In the case of Cyberpunk 2077, these initially led to a delay in the release date and unfortunately also to a very rough start, as despite the delay, it seemed very unfinished upon its release.
The initial work on Cyberpunk 2077 began in 2012, with the first trailer appearing in 2013. However, development reportedly didn't start properly until 2016. After this, it became more and more apparent, that the team simply couldn't keep up the promises that were made when the game was first announced during the development time.
The game was released in 2020, but as we all know, development continued afterward until it could be considered a truly finished game.
When multiple of these problems converge, it can result in the development of games being stretched out over several years. The current record holder for the AAA game with the longest ongoing development time is Beyond Good and Evil 2, which broke Duke Nukem Forever's record in 2022.
Announced in 2008, it is still in development hell to this day. Once again, several detrimental factors came together: content was repeatedly changed, the focus of the developers shifted to other games, while the scope continued to expand, and the team constantly changed. When the game will be released has not been announced.
In most cases, a variety of factors contribute to the development time becoming longer. Some games don't survive this process, while others eventually do. However, the final product coming out of development hell doesn't always impress.