Windows 95 contained a workaround for a SimCity 2000 memory bug • Hacker News Board

Re: Windows 95 contained a workaround for a SimCity 2000 memory bug

#11

Post by expedition32 » Fri, May 29, 2026, 2:46 PM UTC

limflick wrote: post #9

codingdave wrote: post #3

As a reminder, it was far more difficult to "ship an update" for games in 1995. The web was just getting started. Games showed up on CDs, often bought off shelves, in actual stores.

I always think about how relatively bug-free older games like GTA San Andreas are, since if they ship with some game breaking bug it's pretty much permanent. You could say this about software in general, but with games, especially non-linear ones I'd imagine there'd be more edge cases involved (I've never developed a full game myself, so I can only speculate). In paper mario 64 (20001), there was a game breaking bug…

You can do months of testing which obviously costs money AND delays your game. Or you can ship it and patch later. Make your customers be the beta testers.

Now I personally wait at least 6 months because I can't fucking STAND broken games. However the market has spoken: gamers at large don't give a shit.

Re: Windows 95 contained a workaround for a SimCity 2000 memory bug

#12

Post by no-name-here » Fri, May 29, 2026, 3:23 PM UTC

seritools wrote: post #8

bananaflag wrote: post #5

> Produced with AI assistance. Reviewed by the Make Tech Easier editorial team before publication. I realized this during reading and it's nice of them to confirm it. It's weird to read all those LLM tells while also feeling the text is coherent and makes sense.

just look at that giant 8-line headline, insanity

It's 15 lines long on my smartphone screen. :-D

Re: Windows 95 contained a workaround for a SimCity 2000 memory bug

#13

Post by BizarroLand » Fri, May 29, 2026, 4:56 PM UTC

expedition32 wrote: post #11

limflick wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I always think about how relatively bug-free older games like GTA San Andreas are, since if they ship with some game breaking bug it's pretty much permanent. You could say this about software in general, but with games, especially non-linear ones I'd imagine there'd be more edge cases involved (I've never developed a full game myself, so I can only speculate). In paper mario 64 (20001), there was a game breaking bug…

You can do months of testing which obviously costs money AND delays your game. Or you can ship it and patch later. Make your customers be the beta testers. Now I personally wait at least 6 months because I can't fucking STAND broken games. However the market has spoken: gamers at large don't give a shit.

Unless you are so enraptured by the idea of the game that you cannot live without it, or if you are a streamer who will make money from playing the game on day 1, waiting 6 months for patches is the play.

You will typically save money on the game, other people will review it, flaws will be fixed, and you'll have a better time of it.