Oblivion Patch Announced for 360

The blockbuster hit Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is due for a patch according to Bethesda Softworks. The patch is currently in the testing stages and will be available for the Xbox 360 and PC soon. Peter Hines of Bethesda said: "We are working on a patch/update for both the PC and Xbox 360. It will address a number of issues that we have found and ones that have been reported to us and confirmed. It is our plan to first release it as a beta patch for the PC when it has cleared our initial testing cycles internally. We are also looking into the localization issues that have come up in Europe and are working to address some of those issues. A European Patch/Update will be available after the English versions." The announcement that the patch will be available for the Xbox 360 is revealing, as it may be setting a precedent for other 360 games. In March, a patch was released for Dead or Alive 4, making the 360 the first game console in history to offer a patch for a game. The following release of the Elder Scrolls patch may be a further indication that patches for the 360 may be a more common event than first thought. However, there is a detractor in this new development and it comes from Microsoft. Their concern has to do with game developers releasing games that may not be fully functional or ready for public distribution because any issues can always be addressed with the release of an update or patch. With Microsoft riding high on the success of their Xbox 360, they are concerned that issues with game software will mar the image of the 360. Developers, who are hot on the trail of the 360 boom, may try to rush their products to market without properly addressing software integrity and see the patch solution to smooth things over. Until recently, game developers did not have the luxury of making patches for console games because all program code was burned onto game disks. However, with the first advent of patches for 360 games, pressure to release new material at breakneck speeds will take their toll on quality control. In this scenario, patches will become a necessary evil in a next-gen game™s life cycle.