We are all familiar with the all too common phenomenon of unfinished games. Heroes IV (as you'll recall) was not just released in an unpolished version, it was actually not finished, as the multiplayer feature (scheduled to be in the game) was not released until later. Some fans argue that Heroes V was also more than unfinished, and that it would have been much worse had it not been for the fan-based "save Heroes" campaign urging the developers to give the game more time before its release.

There are several reasons for this trend: Firstly, there is great pressure from marketing sections of gaming companies to keep to set schedules and release their products as soon as possible and on schedule, in order to cash in on them. In some instances, this coincides with unforeseen delays, causing games to be released before they are finished. Secondly, games are becoming more and more complex, opening the door for more complex flaws and bugs to appear. Thirdly, myriads of players have the ability to detect bugs that a handful of developers and testers have not. It is therefore a fact that when the games hit the shelves, more bugs will be discovered.

Some games receive more stick than others when it comes to polishing before and after release, and the swiftness of their response to problems. One such game is Call of Duty: Black Ops by Activision Blizzard and Treyarch. Since its release in November 2010, the PS3 and PC versions of this game have been plagued by faults, and fans have inundated the message boards with frustrated (and growing) complaints. After the game was patched to address some of the more serious issues, Eurogamer reported that the experience actually seemed to get worse. Despite Treyarch's claim that some of the problems stem from the users' systems and routers, this has not been proven to the satisfaction of the customers.

Now, the consumer advice and lobbyist group Gamer's Voice, on behalf of computer and video game consumers in the UK, have actually gone to the step of filing an official complaint with the Office of Fair Trading. The complaint reads:

"This complaint is on the basis that Activision UK Ltd are in breach of the Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended) which states that when a consumer buys goods they must be: as described; of a satisfactory quality; and fit for any purpose made known at the time of sale to the seller. It is clear that Call of Duty: Black Ops for the PlayStation 3 and PC is not 'as described'; of a satisfactory quality or fit for purpose i.e. to entertain, which was stressed at the time of its release."

They also compare games to other products, saying that buying a game that doesn't work properly is: "akin to buying a fridge-freezer only to find that the freezer component doesn't work.". The Norwegian Consumer Council agrees with GV, and has already recommended that buyers return Black Ops and demand a full refund, a right given to them by the Norwegian Act of consumer purchase. As it says in the open letter from Gamer's Voice: A game is a product like any other. A defective product may be returned for a full refund. Time will tell if the UK counterpart, OFT, will come to the same conclusion.

So, what does this have to do with UbiSoft, or for that matter, Heroes VI? Well, nothing, necessarily. Not if the game is released in a fairly polished state. If it is, then UbiSoft will have broken the trend and ensured that Quality Control is boss. They will have thought about what the customers are buying rather than whether they will actually pay for it. At the end of the day, that's all that matters; we gamers are too loyal, we endure things that normal customers would not. We buy games even if they're not quite finished. This has caused the industry to fall into decline, and spew out semi-completed products for the sake of quick profits, rather than spending time on making sure that the gaming experience will actually be pleasurable for the user.

My message to Ubi is clear: Spend time developing the game. As much time as you need to make it as good as it can be. Send out a Beta version to let the myriads of fans help you test it. Push back deadlines if you need to. If you release a game which is anything but playable, I swear by any gods and dragons of Ashan that can hear me: I will return it and take my money back.