Incident: Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified - Disastrous Software Failure

Published Date: 2012-11-29

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident happened in November 2012.
System 1. PS Vita - Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified game [15840]
Responsible Organization 1. The development team responsible for creating Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified [Article 15840]
Impacted Organization 1. Gamers who purchased Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified for the PS Vita were impacted by the software failure incident [15840].
Software Causes 1. Lack of save feature in solo missions leading to player frustration and repetition [Article 15840] 2. Dumb enemy AI causing unrealistic behaviors and lack of challenge in gameplay [Article 15840] 3. Control issues including restricted movements, awkward touch screen usage, and vulnerability to enemy fire [Article 15840] 4. Bugs in multiplayer mode leading to crashes and connectivity issues [Article 15840]
Non-software Causes 1. Lack of save feature in solo missions leading to frustration and repetition for players [Article 15840] 2. Poor game design decisions such as cramped multiplayer maps and lack of strategy in gameplay [Article 15840] 3. Bugs causing crashes and connectivity issues, impacting the overall gaming experience [Article 15840]
Impacts 1. Lack of engaging single-player content with repetitive and dull missions, leading to a disappointing gaming experience for players [Article 15840]. 2. Artificial intelligence issues with enemies displaying a mix of stupidity and supernatural skills, affecting the gameplay and immersion [Article 15840]. 3. Control problems, including restricted movements, cumbersome touch screen usage, and lack of save feature in campaign missions, causing frustration and hindering player progress [Article 15840]. 4. Multiplayer mode suffering from cramped maps, spawning issues, lack of strategy due to small scale battles, and frequent crashes, diminishing the overall multiplayer experience [Article 15840].
Preventions 1. Implementing thorough quality assurance testing to identify and address bugs, glitches, and other flaws in the game prior to release [Article 15840]. 2. Incorporating player feedback and conducting beta testing to gather insights on gameplay experience and potential issues [Article 15840]. 3. Ensuring proper game design considerations, such as level layout, enemy AI behavior, map size, and control responsiveness, to enhance the overall player experience and prevent frustration [Article 15840]. 4. Providing adequate save features or checkpoints in the campaign missions to prevent player frustration and repetition [Article 15840]. 5. Conducting rigorous testing of the multiplayer mode to address issues like map size, player spawn locations, and connectivity problems to enhance the multiplayer experience [Article 15840].
Fixes 1. Improve single-player gameplay by introducing a more engaging storyline and diverse mission objectives to enhance player experience [Article 15840]. 2. Enhance enemy AI to provide a more challenging and realistic combat experience in single-player operations [Article 15840]. 3. Address control issues by refining movement mechanics and touch screen integration for smoother gameplay [Article 15840]. 4. Implement a save feature or checkpoint system in campaign missions to reduce frustration and repetition for players [Article 15840]. 5. Expand and optimize multiplayer maps to allow for more strategic gameplay and reduce overcrowding, enhancing the overall multiplayer experience [Article 15840]. 6. Resolve bugs and crashes to ensure a stable gaming experience for players, including connectivity issues and system freezes [Article 15840].
References 1. Anonymous sources within the gaming industry [Article 15840] 2. Review and analysis of the game "Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified" itself [Article 15840]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring unknown (a) The software failure incident related to Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified on the PS Vita is specific to the game itself and not necessarily indicative of a recurring issue within the same organization. The article does not mention any previous incidents of a similar nature happening within the organization responsible for the game. (b) The software failure incident related to Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified on the PS Vita is a standalone case and not mentioned to have occurred at other organizations or with their products and services. The focus is on the disappointment and flaws of this particular game on the PS Vita platform.
Phase (Design/Operation) design, operation (a) The software failure incident related to the development phase, specifically design, can be attributed to various factors introduced during the system development of Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified. The game was criticized for its lack of depth in solo modes, repetitive and uninteresting single-player missions, poor enemy AI, linear levels, and control issues exacerbated by dull gameplay [Article 15840]. (b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase, specifically operation or misuse of the system, can be seen in the multiplayer aspect of the game. The multiplayer mode, which is usually a key component of the Call of Duty experience, was deemed disappointing due to questionable design decisions such as cramped maps, spawning issues, lack of strategy, and frequent crashes that locked up the system [Article 15840].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) within_system: The software failure incident in the article is primarily attributed to factors originating from within the system. The failure is described as being caused by various bugs, missing features, egregious flaws, dumb enemy AI, control issues, buggy multiplayer, lack of save feature, repetitive and annoying single-player campaign, and design flaws within the game itself [15840]. These internal issues led to a disappointing user experience and overall failure of the software.
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions, human_actions (a) The software failure incident in the article is primarily related to non-human actions. The failure is attributed to various bugs, missing features, dumb enemy AI, control issues, small maps in multiplayer mode, and crashes occurring in the game [15840]. These issues point towards technical flaws and design shortcomings rather than human errors. (b) While the article does not explicitly mention any failure due to human actions, it does criticize the game for its questionable design decisions in multiplayer mode, such as cramped maps and spawning players in the middle of action, which could be considered as human actions contributing to the failure [15840].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) software (a) The software failure incident in the article is primarily due to software-related factors rather than hardware-related factors. The issues mentioned in the articles, such as short and aggravating single-player campaign, dumb enemy AI, control issues, buggy multiplayer, cramped maps, crashes, and connectivity problems, all point towards software-related issues like bugs, design flaws, and poor implementation rather than hardware-related issues [15840].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The software failure incident described in the articles does not seem to be malicious. The failure is attributed to various factors such as missing features, bugs, control issues, poor AI, cramped multiplayer maps, crashes, and connectivity issues. These issues point towards a non-malicious failure caused by design flaws, poor implementation, and technical shortcomings rather than intentional harm by individuals [15840].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) poor_decisions (a) The software failure incident related to poor decisions can be observed in the article. The failure of Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified on the PS Vita was primarily due to poor decisions made during the development and design of the game. The article highlights various issues such as the lack of save feature in solo missions, dumb enemy AI, control issues, buggy multiplayer with too-small maps, and questionable design decisions in the multiplayer mode [Article 15840]. These poor decisions led to a disappointing and frustrating gaming experience for users, ultimately resulting in the failure of the software.
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) development_incompetence, accidental (a) The software failure incident in the case of Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified can be attributed to development incompetence. The game was criticized for various bugs, missing features, and egregious flaws that contributed to a disappointing user experience [Article 15840]. The single-player campaign was described as short, aggravating, and lacking a save feature, with dumb enemy AI and control issues exacerbated by dull, linear levels. The multiplayer mode was also criticized for being a stripped-down waste of time with too-small maps, leading to a buggy experience. These issues point towards a lack of professional competence in the development of the game. (b) Additionally, the software failure incident can also be considered accidental. The article highlights that crashes occurred on a fairly regular basis, locking up the system and making it tough to stay connected to games. Connectivity issues, crashes, and bugs were mentioned as problems that tarnished the highly regarded Call of Duty franchise and resulted in a disappointing experience for players [Article 15840]. These accidental factors further contributed to the failure of the software.
Duration temporary The software failure incident related to the game Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified can be categorized as a temporary failure. The articles describe various contributing factors that led to the failure of the game, such as repetitive and annoying single-player campaigns, missing features, dumb enemy AI, control issues, small multiplayer maps, cramped multiplayer battles, crashes, and connectivity issues [Article 15840]. These factors indicate that the failure was due to specific circumstances and design flaws within the game rather than being a permanent, inherent issue with the software itself.
Behaviour crash, omission, value, other (a) crash: The software failure incident described in the articles can be attributed to a crash. The game, Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified, is reported to have crashes occurring on a fairly regular basis, locking up the system [15840]. (b) omission: The software failure incident also involves omission. For example, the game lacks a save feature in solo missions, leading to frustration and repetition for players who get sent back to the very start of missions upon death without the ability to save progress [15840]. (c) timing: The articles do not mention any specific instances of timing-related failures in the software incident. (d) value: The software failure incident includes failures related to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. This is evident in the description of the game's single-player mode being repetitive, dull, and lacking in interesting content, with poor enemy AI and control issues exacerbating the player experience [15840]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not exhibit behaviors indicative of a byzantine failure. (f) other: The software failure incident also involves other behaviors such as multiplayer maps being too cramped, leading to chaotic gameplay devoid of strategy, and bugs causing crashes and connectivity issues, ultimately tarnishing the overall gaming experience [15840].

IoT System Layer

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

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence theoretical_consequence, unknown (a) unknown (b) unknown (c) unknown (d) unknown (e) unknown (f) unknown (g) The articles do not mention any real observed consequences of the software failure incident. [15840] (h) The potential consequence discussed in the articles is that the software failure tarnished the highly regarded Call of Duty franchise and was a massive disappointment for the PS Vita system. It was seen as a blown opportunity for the Vita to have a headline game and franchise that could have energized the system. [15840] (i) unknown
Domain entertainment The software failure incident discussed in the articles is related to the entertainment industry. The incident specifically pertains to the failure of the game "Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified" on the PS Vita platform, which is a gaming console designed for entertainment purposes [Article 15840]. The game's issues included a disappointing single-player campaign, lackluster multiplayer experience, various bugs, missing features, control issues, and overall poor gameplay quality, all of which are relevant to the entertainment industry.

Sources

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