Re: SIMMS in SB AWE 32
In the past though, especially with DOS and early Windows games, patches were definitely more because the games were buggy and released too soon, or they had to release them or run out of development funds. However, that has now changed...
With regard to the Xbox 360, it is just a case of consoles finally being designed with broadband connections seen as a standard part of the console's connectivity. Therefore giving games developers the possibility to patch their software. Before this any bugs in console games had to remain in them. But now they can patch and fix problems, but also improve and keep working on a game after release. For this reason I see the ability to release game patches on consoles a good thing.
People moan about patching, saying it just shows the games were not ready and rushed out too early. I don't see it that way any longer. Continued support and after sales improvements to the software you buy is a great thing.
And these days, especially on the PC, we see new features and additions being included with big updates and patches. Thus adding more value and life to a game. More so with online gaming features. Less and less games released recently require patching before they will even run (which was the case years ago).