Well-liked but bug-ridden indie title Fez will finally receive a much-needed second patch following Microsoft’s elimination of the hefty fee that was previously required to update Xbox Live Arcade games. “GOOD NEWS EVERYONE: we’re going to patch FEZ on XBLA!” the game’s creator, Phil Fish, wrote on Twitter. He added in subsequent tweets that the patch should arrive in “a few months,” calling it “a Fourth of July miracle.”
Fish released a single patch for Fez shortly after its release in 2012, but that update created more problems than it solved as it corrupted some users’ save files. He never issued a second patch due to Microsoft’s fees, which he said would cost him tens of thousands of dollars. The entire incident stirred up controversy and, as Fish has said, landed the developer in a bit of trouble.
Now Fish can fully fix the game, thanks to Microsoft’s policy change. “We’re constantly evaluating our policies and implementing feedback,” Microsoft told Digital Trends in a statement last week. “While our development policies are confidential, and will remain so, we’re pleased to say that this is just one of many ongoing changes and improvements we’ve made to ensure Xbox is the best place possible for developers and gamers.”
