yeah, but how rare is that compared to today, where almost every bloody game is ridiculously broken and needing major day 1 patches... an day 2 patches, and day 7 patches.

[–] ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Or even worse, the disk doesn't even have the damned game on it to begin with. It just sets up to start the game download.

[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago

Or no disk at all. Just a slip of paper with a CD key written on it that you have to type into steam.

[–] NaoPb@eviltoast.org 1 points 9 months ago

True.

[–] BorgDrone@lemmy.one 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

NES games were ridiculously simple and had a tiny amount of code compared to today’s games. The less code you have, the fewer the number of bugs.

[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Always a corporate apologist.

"Things were easier back then! You have no idea how hard it is for them to finish a game before releasing it!"

[–] BorgDrone@lemmy.one 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

Let me guess, you haven’t written a single line of production code in your life?

Writing code is hard, writing bug-free code is neigh impossible. To give some perspective: the seL4 kernel is a formally proven microkernel, meaning they can actually prove is conforms to it’s specification. It took 3 years to write and prove this. It comprises 8,700 lines of C code and 600 lines of assembler. 9,300 lines or code in 3 years.

It is only feasible to do this for small bits of very critical code, like a microkernel. Even NASA doesn’t write code in this way.

If you wanted to do this, a game like Super Mario Bros. would probably not even be for sale, as they would still be working on it. It would probably sell for a couple of million dollars per copy.

Commercial software has in average 1 to 5 bugs per 1000 lines of code. Very critical and well tested software (think the software controlling aircraft) has maybe as little as 1 bug per 10,000 lines (and this will cost an absolute fortune to write and test).

Games have millions of lines of code and are certainly not critical. The idea that games can be bug-free is beyond absurd. Even a low number of bugs is a ridiculous ask. Or are you saying you’re willing to pay $10,000+ for a game?

[–] A_Random_Idiot@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Ah yes, the Corporate White Knight twisting the argument and defend the poor downtrodden multi-billion dollar companies from the horrors of deserved criticism.