A couple of points about this argument. As far as I know, all platforms, pc, xbox, and PS3 all use the same code for the game, probably C++ with a bunch of calls to the direct X libraries. Direct x is what makes the game work on any pc no matter what the hardware. It's a universal language that all hardware must adapt to. "Draw a box"... okay, I'll draw a box. "Put a texture on it." ...okay, I'll put a texture on it. And so on. It's all about the DirectX libraries, no matter what the hardware or platform. So basically the only difference between pc, xbox, and PS3 is the input from whatever controller you're using. All they have to do is fix the bugs in the master game code file and then port all the changes to the different platforms as a patch. (this is also why the PC version is forced to use the same clunky UI as the console version. Because they don't want to have to patch two versions of the same game.)

I could be wrong about this. I'm not a professional game designer or anything. But it would provide a logical answer as to why all the patches will be released at the same time.

As to the debate about beth developing for PC versus console, all I can say is, if you had a chance to make hundreds of thousands off a game as opposed to making millions, what would you do? The answer is obvious. Develop and cater to consoles. That's where the big money is. My only complaint is that they can adjust the UI for the PC version to something less clunky, but they don't. Not sure why, other than the reason I stated above: it's easier to patch one game and release the patch to every machine than to patch several games and chase the same bugs on every different platform.

No, thats about the sum of it; in a simplified form. It's really not that hard to have multiple versions of source code on the go at the same time (SourceSafe is a tool that manages this stuff), they don't do it because of cost/benefit anolysis and their bottom line. The truth is that Bethesda are a console focused developer -- the PC sales are a bonus nothing more. People need to understand that game development is no longer done in the tool shed at the end of the garden; its a multi billion dollar industry and it comes with all that baggage.

The most damaging thing that can happen to Bethesda is loss of reputation. Continually releasing poor performing releases will slowly erode that reputation, and that will eventually hit the bottom line. But again, some suit with an abacus has crunched the numbers and made a decision.... and that's final.

Yeah, you're pretty wrong about this. First of all, PS3 supports OpenGL, not DirectX, so it's a completely different set of APIs. As such, most graphics-related fixes will need to be implemented twice - once for PS3 and once for PC/Xbox. And in some cases three times since the PC version makes use of some API calls only available in DX10 and later, whereas Xbox supports 9.0c I believe.

That said, even if they all used DirectX, and the same version of it, you're still off-base. DirectX is the interface to the hardware, but the implementation underneath is different for each platform. You can treat DirectX as a black box for little hobby projects most of the time, but for a game like Skyrim, or any game anybody would ever pay money for really, there are going to be differences in the implementation of the interface that will leak into the code making use of it which will need to be accounted for in targeting each platform. As such, no, it is not a given that a patch for a particular issue on one platform will solve it for each platform. Often that might be the case for non-graphical issues concerning game logic and such, but there is so much uncertainty in what goes on underneath the hood that you really can't say for sure if you haven't looked at the source. And even then you'll be wrong most of the time

If you don't think developers at Bethesda Softworks are working 80-hour weeks right now, think again.

In short, programming is hard.

And in some cases three times since the PC version makes use of some API calls only available in DX10 and later, whereas Xbox supports 9.0c I believe.

"I guess the real question here is do we take advantage of DirectX 11's big new features and the answer is 'not specifically,'" he told IGN in an interview. "Our graphics work centers around doing things that will look the same regardless of platform, and sometimes that implementation will be different on the 360, PS3, and PC."

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/The-Elder-Scrolls-Skyrim-Todd-Howard-RPG-DirectX-11,12495.html

Yeah, you're pretty wrong about this. First of all, PS3 supports OpenGL, not DirectX, so it's a completely different set of APIs. As such, most graphics-related fixes will need to be implemented twice - once for PS3 and once for PC/Xbox. And in some cases three times since the PC version makes use of some API calls only available in DX10 and later, whereas Xbox supports 9.0c I believe.

That said, even if they all used DirectX, and the same version of it, you're still off-base. DirectX is the interface to the hardware, but the implementation underneath is different for each platform. You can treat DirectX as a black box for little hobby projects most of the time, but for a game like Skyrim, or any game anybody would ever pay money for really, there are going to be differences in the implementation of the interface that will leak into the code making use of it which will need to be accounted for in targeting each platform. As such, no, it is not a given that a patch for a particular issue on one platform will solve it for each platform. Often that might be the case for non-graphical issues concerning game logic and such, but there is so much uncertainty in what goes on underneath the hood that you really can't say for sure if you haven't looked at the source. And even then you'll be wrong most of the time

If you don't think developers at Bethesda Softworks are working 80-hour weeks right now, think again.

In short, programming is hard.

SourceSafe is a piece of [censored], and I hope for the sake their sanity they don't use it. That's said, it's a version control system. It has nothing to do with developing for multiple platforms. I don't know how they manage their releases but I can tell there doesn't exist in the world tooling that allows you to develop for an arbitrary number of platforms without cost.

If you don't think developers at Bethesda Softworks are working 80-hour weeks right now, think again.

In short, programming is hard.

A couple of points about this argument. As far as I know, all platforms, pc, xbox, and PS3 all use the same code for the game, probably C++ with a bunch of calls to the direct X libraries. Direct x is what makes the game work on any pc no matter what the hardware. It's a universal language that all hardware must adapt to. "Draw a box"... okay, I'll draw a box. "Put a texture on it." ...okay, I'll put a texture on it. And so on. It's all about the DirectX libraries, no matter what the hardware or platform. So basically the only difference between pc, xbox, and PS3 is the input from whatever controller you're using. All they have to do is fix the bugs in the master game code file and then port all the changes to the different platforms as a patch. (this is also why the PC version is forced to use the same clunky UI as the console version. Because they don't want to have to patch two versions of the same game.)

I could be wrong about this. I'm not a professional game designer or anything. But it would provide a logical answer as to why all the patches will be released at the same time.

As to the debate about beth developing for PC versus console, all I can say is, if you had a chance to make hundreds of thousands off a game as opposed to making millions, what would you do? The answer is obvious. Develop and cater to consoles. That's where the big money is. My only complaint is that they can adjust the UI for the PC version to something less clunky, but they don't. Not sure why, other than the reason I stated above: it's easier to patch one game and release the patch to every machine than to patch several games and chase the same bugs on every different platform.

the patch is done, the console versions have been submitted for approval (as they have to be), and all 3 platforms will have the patch out the week after Thanksgiving. That's all it says, why is that difficult to understand?

That's all it says, why is that difficult to understand?

Just saw it on reddit.

What the .......... Bethesda?

Give us the damn patch now!PC players have nothing to do with to [censored] always long taking console patch certification!

[censored] pisses me off.We always have to wait for the damn trashboxes aka consoles.

EDIT:If the PC patch is not finished,OK but please don't hold it back just because of the consoles. >.<