I wouldn't says that Cars and games are that bad a compare. Cars are getting more and more tecnical and with more and more software tecnology in them. I know of cars where you can no longer just change the tires and brakes yourself, you need to stop by an autorised workshop, where they link it to a computer and with a press on a button, confirms that a change/fix has been made. (speaking of which, I just read that Apple will implement a new feature in their new phones, so if you fix your phone at unautorized workshops, it shuts down).
But imaging how it'll be like when/if Apple/google or whomever begins to make cars, using advanced technology. Then you'll likely also see 'patches'.
'Oh, our automatic parking system didn't work properly, if there's snow, your local garage can fix that with the newest patch'. We're already seeing our smart TV's requiring updates, our phones have updates/bug fixes, my pellet heating stove runs on a software that requires occasionally updates/issue fixes, so it's not just the gaming industry that does patching, but basically everything that uses advanced software to work.
(speaking of my pellet heater, we had many issues with it. Software issue, change of motor, the tube that transport the pellets to the heater was build wrong etc. The service guys then told us the manufactors had moved the production from a cheap european country back to denmark, due to a loooong list of bugs and issues regarding production, surprisingly the company said it was because this way, they could ship them right from production, because they couldn't keep up with the high demand).
But sadly I think the days when things were build to last and when products weren't put on the market before producers knew it was working 100% as intended, are long gone. Also you had the issue back in the 80' and 90', you couldn't just patch games for consoles or pc's as the internet wasn't that common, and consoles weren't even connected to the internet, thus you needed a 100% approved game before release.
Think about how many cars have been pulled back these past years, due to severe issues like engines bursting in flames etc.
You see examples of houses not being build properly, due to timelimits. I know of examples with cooling carts for trucks, falling apart due to the fact that they speeded up production, meaning they weren't build properly.
It's sad, 'coz I think most people are willing to wait for a good product, but the phrase Time is Money just seems to weight heavier than long lasting products that are properly made. It's amazing to think that structures build hundres of years ago, still stand, I only wonder how many structures build within the last century will still stand in 200 years..
But Cjlee is right about first impression are vital. Would you go back to a constructor/craftsman who's work let you down the first time..
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Oh your house fell apart?? Well, I can build you a new one, jsut give me a month..
Also you get what you pay for. Sometimes there are a connection between why someone is alot cheaper than the other, and why some can finish a job in a shoorter amount of time. But this doesn't seems to be coporate knowledge these days..