Episodic Video Game - Disadvantages

Disadvantages

• After buying all episodes, the total cost for consumers may be more than that of the typical game.
• Some developers choose the episodic model because they lack the resources to complete a full-length game, and hope the sales of episodes will fund further development. If earlier episodes fail to sell, then funding for future episodes may suffer or disappear, forcing developers to renege on promises of future episodes and cut storylines short. Notable episodic series that have been aborted early include Sin Episodes, Bone, and Insecticide.
• Certain game designs would find it counter-productive to use this method as opposed to plainly producing a full-fledged sequel or series of titles, simply because the nature of the game is difficult or impossible to split into episodes. Examples include sandbox titles such as the GTA and Sims series.
• Most episodic content is distributed primarily or exclusively over the internet, to offset the potential extra costs of distributing more physical copies to retail (e.g. 5 hard copies for 5 chapters over 4 years as opposed to shipping a single item once). This is a disadvantage to consumers with limited or slow internet access, who might have to wait for a physically published collection of episodes or never get anything at all. It is particularly onerous if the game's chapters are all available only through online systems (e.g. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 for Wiiware/PSN/XBox Live Arcade).
• Some content will always need to be created up-front, for example rendering technology. This makes bespoke engine software unsuitable in its complex modern form.
• A player trying to progress through a series of episodes may find the technological advances over time distracting; in extreme cases, they may even be put off by the primitive techniques used in episodes produced years before.