http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/08/09/paradoxs-plan-to-finally-squash-its-bug-problem/#more-119176
Good article. Can't say more right now because I'm too busy watching TV (the U.S. is going for the gold).
It's not the bugs that bother me because I know they generally get fixed quite quickly. What bothers me is when they include enhancements in expansions that I feel ought to have been in the base game. Europa Universalis 3 is a notable example. When I was playing it in earnest back in the day, I'd ask for help on the forum about this and that, and pretty much every time I'd be told to just buy In Nomine or whatever. Ask almost any Paradox fan and they'll say that vanilla EU3 just isn't worth playing but EU3+expansions is amazing. That pisses me off.
That was a good interview.
Paradox established a reputation as a company that published buggy games with v1.0 but they also established a reputation that saw them issuing patches and game upgrades years after the bugs were squashed. Often they implemented game balance tweaks even three years after a game went out the door - just to improve the game.
Not every gamer "got it" or if they got it even wanted it, but you could trust Paradox to do the right thing. My question is whether that strategy will change as they move forward.
I get what they do and it's clear to me that it is intentional. I'm only one gamer but I stopped buying Paradox games because of the 10 year wait one must endure before any new game they publish is playable. I just don't see how they survive in today's business market and economy.
I'm thinking there are a lot of gamers out there from all genres who share one thing in common. If a game company can't make a game that is awe inspiring and working at least 98% right out of the box, not too many people are going to give them time to "make it up" with customer support and patches.