One of the most annoying things about modern consoles is the firmware update. I know of no gamer that enjoys sitting down to play a game, turning it on and being told that he must immediately download and install a firmware update. Sony has even found a way to make this process more painful by making most updates mandatory, slow and the only thing the console can do. Even with that track record, Sony has managed to make firmware updates even more annoying.
This past week has seen the launch of Sony’s new portable gaming system, the Vita. We have already discussed one of the more bizarre “features” of the Vita. So it really comes as no surprise that the latest unannounced feature is a day one firmware update. That’s right folks. As soon as you open that brand new Vita, you won’t be presented with the ability to play games until you take time to download and install updates. Why? Why was this not taken care of prior to launch?
What makes this even worse is that you cannot do anything with the Vita until the firmware is updated. As CheapyD from Cheap Ass Gamers found out, you cannot even tie your Vita to your PSN account until you download the update.
I pine for the days when a console worked right out of the box. When the console did not require an internet connection to function. Those were great days. Now is the time of Beta releases of games and consoles as if they were the final products. We are no longer customers but paying beta testers preparing the game for its “Greatest Hits” release, if it ever gets one. You would think that with all the money that game companies pour into these games and consoles they could afford a better development pipeline that can catch these issues earlier so that they can be fixed prior to launch.
