How “feature creep” is ruining software, gadgets, and video games

Many modern technology products aim to meet as many needs as possible, whether it’s smart refrigerators that stream movies or browsers with built-in weather trackers. The idea of ​​having all of this “core” functionality in one product seems comforting at first, but it often leads to a larger problem known as “feature creep.”

Versatility at the expense of comfort

“Feature creep” refers to the practice of stuffing too many features into a single product. It’s a common problem found in many devices, software applications, and even video games. While the idea that the product could be Too many While features may seem like an odd criticism, there are several ways in which an abundance of add-ons can become detrimental.

First impressions are everything, and this is especially true with technology. Clean menus and an easy-to-understand user interface are essential to making the product effective and easy to use. But as more features are added, these menus inevitably become more complex and harder to navigate. This additional complexity is sometimes necessary to implement quality-of-life improvements and other essential features, but feature creep often results in a product becoming too complex for its own good.

Adding too many features to a program can easily result in a cluttered and confusing interface. New users will get frustrated by the wide range of menu options and tools, and even longtime users will have a hard time keeping up with the constantly redesigned menus to fit new features.

Adobe Photoshop is a notorious example of this problem, having added a huge number of image editing tools and image settings over the years. Although the majority of these additions were useful, Photoshop also had meaningless features that took up menu space and made the program seem more complicated than necessary.

Finding specific features can also become a challenge due to feature creep. When you’re scrolling through long toolbars and menus filled with dozens of options, it’s hard to decide which features you need. Likewise, these cluttered menus can lead you to miss hidden features in your operating system or forget basic functions in popular applications.

These issues are not limited to everyday applications and systems. Feature creep is a very prominent issue in many video games, often affecting gameplay and presentation. A lot of games try to replicate more popular titles by adopting recognizable mechanics like crafting menus, loot drops, and leveling systems. Unfortunately, these mechanics aren’t always well implemented, leading to bloated experiences filled with long tutorials, incomplete systems, and cluttered user interfaces.

At worst, feature creep can result in the product getting frequent updates that don’t actually improve the overall user experience. Some examples include inconvenient features like Smart Download on YouTube, invasive pop-ups like Windows 11’s short-lived QR code ads, or half-baked extras like PS2 games emulated on PlayStation 5. Regardless of whether any of these Features may start out as good ideas, but their haphazard implementation makes their products worse.

Loss of product point

Many examples of feature creep start as misguided attempts to design a product for multiple markets, resulting in devices that double as entertainment centers and Blu-ray players with built-in web browsers. The presence of these features is not always a problem, but these extraneous additions should not distract from the main priorities of the product.

Regardless of the features added to entice consumers, people want their devices to perform specific functions. As with simple appliances, smart refrigerators are meant to keep your food cold, and Alexa-enabled washing machines are used to wash clothes. Any feature unrelated to these core functions is a welcome bonus at best, but unnecessary extras are often overlooked by consumers.

This doesn’t mean that unnecessary features are always a sign of feature creep. In many cases, additional features can improve the main function of the product and set a new standard for future models. Despite the many nonsensical blemishes found in smart refrigerators, they also have useful features like maintenance alerts and wide-angle cameras that allow you to see the inside of the refrigerator through your mobile phone.

Accessibility features are also a worthwhile addition, because they provide more options for users who have trouble using a product with its default settings. Apple’s iOS 18 includes accessibility features like easier navigation with Eye Control and Swipe Typing, plus motion sickness settings and new voice commands for hands-free use. Video games have also begun to adopt accessibility features such as color blindness settings, voice feedback options, and controller settings for different hand positions.

Added features should improve the product in meaningful ways, either by improving the product’s core functionality or eliminating the annoyances of outdated models. Having a few simple features that don’t fall into any of these categories isn’t a problem, but it can lead to feature creep when manufacturers and developers constantly fill their products with unwanted additions and poorly implemented ideas.

More work for unwanted features

Feature creep is not only bad for consumers but also for developers. It should come as no surprise that additional features take longer to implement. Depending on the product, the additional development time resulting from feature creep can lead to delays lasting months or even years. In many cases (especially video game development cycles), issues caused by feature creep can turn into indefinite delays and eventually lead to the cancellation of major projects.

Even after a product is released, feature creep creates unnecessary complexities for post-launch support. Technical issues are more likely to occur as the number of features increases, requiring more patches and software updates. Likewise, development priorities are distributed to ensure that each feature is updated and maintained over time. This often results in important user requests being neglected in favor of general bug fixes or adding more unnecessary features.

Because of these issues, many products and services that suffer from feature creep end up supporting uncommon and obsolete inclusions. Although it may seem bad every time Microsoft announces the removal of another feature from Windows 11, these radical changes help reduce feature creep and allow future updates to focus on more important functionality.

Feature creep is one of the most common issues in tech products. Even the best developers and manufacturers fall into this trap, which is why many popular apps and devices constantly receive features that no one wants.

Next time you’re shopping for a tech product, avoid feature creep issues by staying away from “all-in-one” packages. When it comes to hardware or software, it is better to choose quality rather than quantity.