ESO: The Problem with Update 25
ZeniMax are allegedly addressing some major performance issues with the forthcoming Update 25 for The Elder Scrolls Online. If this latest patch improves loading times, the game’s overall performance and makes updating the client faster, then it will be well received by players. However, Update 25 requires players to reinstall the entire game client due to technical reasons. Furthermore, the patch is not going to be available prior to release on Monday February 24th, so player’s cannot download the necessary files in advance. Unfortunately, as soon as the patch server comes online, all players will have to reinstall the full ESO client and wait accordingly. Considering the disparity between internet connections in the US and Europe, player experience will vary greatly. Some will download the client in hours where others will have to simply leave their PC running and wait all day. Considering the popularity of ESO and the estimated size of its player base, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are queues or connectivity issues.
At present, the game client for ESO is about 90GB. Hardly surprising, considering how much the game has grown since its launch in 2014. This is a substantial download by anyone's standards and it is worth remembering that there are still many players that have ADSL internet connections which are throttled to a maximum speed and that come with a data cap. Simply put, reinstalling the entire game is a major headache for them. It has to be done and I’m sure most players will doggedly go about installing Update 25, while “grinning and bearing it”, as the expression goes. But for many it may mean several days on not playing while the download is undertaken in stages. There are also bound to be some players who have a particular permutation of hardware, that results in a fully reinstalled client that won’t launch for some obscure reason. And then, for those who manage to install the download without any hitch, there is the entire issue of addons and how they will inevitably be broken.
I therefore think that ZeniMax has potentially failed to grasp what a big deal totally reinstalling the game client is. Players do appreciate that the patch is ultimately beneficial to them but the logistics of installing it come with an element of risk as well as inconvenience. It may take a long time to download and install, there’s the risk of errors and there could even be financial implications if they find themselves exceeding their data cap. Hence offering a free cosmetic pet (in this case it’s a Crimson Torchbug) doesn’t really strike me as the best way to placate paying customers. Perhaps an allocation of crowns would be more tangible. At the very least I would have liked a more empathetic post on the Official ESO website. The existing one acknowledges that reinstalling the game is a pain but still happily goes along with the notion that it isn’t a big deal. Well, sorry to contradict you ZeniMax but it is.
