This is the sort of thing that, if fixed early enough in the development cycle, actually net brings forwards development. Because every time someone needs to test the game they hit the delay.

(which makes it all the more strange that it wasn't fixed)

> This is the sort of thing that, if fixed early enough in the development cycle

Is it? It didn't become noticable until GTA got a bunch of DLCs.

Sure someone might have spotted it. But it would take more time to spot it early, and that time is time not spent fixing bugs.