Incident: FIFA 18 Career Mode Bug Causes Game Crashes for Players

Published Date: 2017-10-05

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident with Fifa 18's Career Mode causing games to crash happened in September 2017 [64283].
System 1. Fifa 18's Career Mode system [64283]
Responsible Organization 1. The software failure incident in the Fifa 18 game, specifically in the Career Mode causing games to crash, was caused by a bug within the game itself [64283].
Impacted Organization 1. Players of EA's Fifa 18 game were impacted by the software failure incident [64283].
Software Causes 1. The software failure incident in the Fifa 18 game was caused by a bug in the Career Mode that led to games crashing when players tried to start a match with newly transferred players in their squad [64283].
Non-software Causes 1. The bug in Fifa 18's Career Mode causing games to crash was suspected to be related to the process of transferring players between teams [64283]. 2. Players reported that the game crashed whenever they tried to start a match with newly transferred players in their squad, leading to an error message and the game quitting back to the console or desktop [64283]. 3. Some players expressed frustration at the state of the game upon release, questioning why such a significant issue was not identified during playtesting [64283].
Impacts 1. The software failure incident in Fifa 18's Career Mode caused games to crash for players, leading to frustration and disappointment among fans [64283]. 2. Players were unable to start matches with newly transferred players in their squad, as the bug would trigger an error message and quit the game back to the console's homescreen or desktop [64283]. 3. The workaround suggested by affected users, which involved using substitute players instead of the bugged ones, compromised the game's playability and user experience [64283]. 4. The incident resulted in a flood of complaints on EA's support forum, indicating a widespread impact on users [64283]. 5. The failure led to questions about the quality assurance process at EA, with users questioning why such a significant issue was not identified during playtesting [64283].
Preventions 1. Thorough Playtesting: Conducting more extensive playtesting before the release of the game could have helped identify the bug causing games to crash in Fifa 18's Career Mode [64283]. 2. Quality Assurance Processes: Implementing robust quality assurance processes during the development phase to catch and address issues like the one experienced by players in Fifa 18 could have prevented the software failure incident [64283]. 3. Early Detection and Response: Having mechanisms in place to quickly detect and respond to software bugs post-launch could have mitigated the impact of the issue and prevented widespread dissatisfaction among players [64283].
Fixes 1. Implement a comprehensive testing process to identify and address bugs before the release of the game [64283]. 2. Release timely patches to fix reported issues in the game [64283].
References 1. Forum member Bokata who first posted about the issue in the support forum [64283] 2. User cvtrwm who posted about the issue in the support forum [64283]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization, multiple_organization (a) The software failure incident related to the bug in Fifa 18's Career Mode causing games to crash has happened again within the same organization, EA Sports. Players were still experiencing the issue even after the first patch was released, indicating that the problem persisted despite attempts to address it [64283]. (b) The software failure incident of the bug in Fifa 18's Career Mode causing games to crash has also affected multiple users beyond the initial report. The forum was inundated with messages from other players experiencing the same issue, showing that it was not an isolated case but a widespread problem affecting multiple users [64283].
Phase (Design/Operation) design, operation (a) The software failure incident in the article is related to the design phase. Players reported a bug in Fifa 18's Career Mode that causes games to crash when trying to start a match with newly transferred players in their squad. This issue was suspected to be caused by the process of transferring players between teams in Career Mode, indicating a problem introduced during the development phase of the game [64283]. (b) The software failure incident in the article is also related to the operation phase. Users experienced the game crashing when attempting to start a match with newly transferred players, which affected the playability of the game. This issue was a result of the operation or use of the system, as players were directly impacted by the bug during their gameplay [64283].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) The software failure incident related to Fifa 18's Career Mode crashing during matches due to a bug is within_system. Players suspect that the issue arises from the process of transferring players between teams in Career Mode, causing the game to crash when starting a match with newly transferred players in the squad [64283]. The bug is specific to the game's internal functioning and gameplay mechanics, indicating an issue originating from within the system itself.
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions, human_actions (a) The software failure incident in the Fifa 18 game was due to a bug in the Career Mode that caused games to crash. Players reported that the bug occurred when trying to start a match with newly transferred players in their squad, leading to an error message and the game quitting back to the console's homescreen or desktop [64283]. (b) Players suspected that the process of transferring players between teams in Career Mode may have been the cause of the issue. One player mentioned that the bug was not related to their console but was a Fifa bug, and they expressed frustration at not being able to use certain players due to the issue. Additionally, a user questioned why such a significant problem in the game mode was not identified during playtesting, suggesting potential oversight in the development process [64283].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) software (a) The software failure incident reported in the article is related to a bug in Fifa 18's Career Mode that causes games to crash. Players suspect that the issue may be caused by the process of transferring players between teams in Career Mode [64283]. (b) The software failure incident is specifically attributed to a bug in Fifa 18's Career Mode that causes the game to crash when players try to start a match with newly transferred players in their squad. This bug is not related to hardware but rather to a software issue within the game itself [64283].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The software failure incident reported in the article is non-malicious. Users reported a bug in Fifa 18's Career Mode that caused games to crash when trying to start a match with newly transferred players in their squad. This issue was affecting multiple players, and they were seeking a fix from EA Sports [64283].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) poor_decisions (a) The software failure incident related to the Fifa 18 Career Mode crashing issue can be attributed to poor decisions made during the development and release process. Despite EA Sports releasing a patch after the game's launch to address issues, players were still experiencing the bug that caused games to crash [64283]. Additionally, users on the support forum expressed frustration over the error-ridden and unplayable state of the game mode, questioning why such critical issues were not identified during playtesting [64283]. These instances highlight how poor decisions in quality assurance and testing processes can lead to software failures.
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) development_incompetence, accidental (a) The software failure incident in the article can be attributed to development incompetence. Players complained about a bug in Fifa 18's Career Mode that caused games to crash. Despite EA Sports releasing a patch to address the issue, gamers were still facing the problem, indicating a lack of professional competence in resolving the bug [64283]. (b) The software failure incident can also be considered accidental as it was not intentional but rather a result of unintended consequences. The bug causing games to crash in Fifa 18's Career Mode was not something deliberately introduced but was an accidental issue that affected the gameplay experience for users [64283].
Duration temporary The software failure incident related to the bug in Fifa 18's Career Mode causing games to crash can be categorized as a temporary failure. This is evident from the fact that players were experiencing the issue even after EA Sports released the first patch to address the problem after the game's September launch [64283]. The ongoing complaints and messages from users on the support forum indicate that the failure was not permanent but rather temporary, likely caused by specific circumstances or factors that were not completely resolved by the initial patch.
Behaviour crash (a) crash: The software failure incident reported in the article is related to a crash. Players of Fifa 18's Career Mode were experiencing a bug that caused the game to crash whenever they tried to start a match with newly transferred players in their squad. This crash resulted in an error message and the game quitting back to the PS4 or Xbox One homescreen, or to the desktop for PC users [64283]. (b) omission: There is no specific mention of the software failure incident being related to omission in the provided article. (c) timing: The software failure incident is not related to timing issues where the system performs its intended functions but at the wrong time. (d) value: The software failure incident is not related to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident is not related to the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. (f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident reported in the article is specifically related to a crash, where the system loses its state and fails to perform its intended functions, leading to the game crashing for players in Fifa 18's Career Mode [64283].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence property (d) property: People's material goods, money, or data was impacted due to the software failure. The software failure incident in the Fifa 18 game caused frustration among players as it led to games crashing in Career Mode. Players reported that the bug occurred when trying to start a match with newly transferred players in their squad, resulting in an error message and the game quitting back to the console's homescreen or desktop. This issue affected the playability of the game as players had to resort to using substitute players instead of the superstars they added to their squads, impacting their gaming experience and potentially the enjoyment they derived from the game [64283].
Domain entertainment (a) The software failure incident reported in the article is related to the entertainment industry. The incident involves a bug in EA's Fifa 18's Career Mode that causes games to crash, affecting players' ability to enjoy the game [64283].

Sources

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