May/June the new Fall?

[Purple Santa]

Anyone else notice the onslaught of big titles that are coming out in the end of May and June? I was checking on my Gamefly account searching what will be coming and found these:

May
Infamous
Bionic Commando

June
Prototype
Ghostbusters
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
Guitar Hero: Smash Hits
Overlord II
Red Faction Guerrilla

Last year at this time, I think the big release was Alone in the Dark. How things have changed in a year. Anyone else think this is a bit ridiculous?

The reason so many titles are sold in the Fall is for the holiday season with increased purchasing from consumers. What's going on with this onslaught? How is it possible some of the bigger titles are going to sell well?

So for the new "fall" season, what is everyone else buying/renting?

[AgtFox]

May and June saw a lot of releases last year (moreso June):

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Ninja Gaiden II
Penny Arcade Adventures Episode I
LEGO Indiana Jones
Bourne Conspiracy
Battlefield: Bad Company

Also, Batman: Arkham Asylum has been delayed to "end of summer" and Red Faction Guerilla needs to move to June.

You also need to remember that companies are figuring out they need to start spacing releases out and not jam them all in the fall. Games like Mirror's Edge really hurt from a sales perspective for coming out when it did (IMO).

[Gorvi]

I think publishers are slowly realizing that there's a whole calender out there. Remember, MGS4 and Ninja Gaiden 2 were last June as well. Out of that list, I was interested in both RFG and BC until I played the demo and heard some "meh" impressions respectively and Overlord II may get a look from me once I play the first. InFAMOUS will probably be bought both for the Crackdown like feel it looks to have and the Uncharted 2 beta (which I'll realistically probably barely touch) and Prototype looks like it has potential too, but I'm waiting for reviews on that.

Not bad overall, but it's not amazing really either.

[AgtFox]

I played both demos last night (RFG and BC). RFG was kind of fun, although I wish I could pull the camera out a bit (maybe you can, I don't know). BC on the other hand, if the multiplayer beta is anything like the single-player with controls/feel it will be a BAD game.

[Purple Santa]

May and June saw a lot of releases last year (moreso June):

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Ninja Gaiden II
Penny Arcade Adventures Episode I
LEGO Indiana Jones
Bourne Conspiracy
Battlefield: Bad Company

Also, Batman: Arkham Asylum has been delayed to "end of summer" and Red Faction Guerilla needs to move to June.

You also need to remember that companies are figuring out they need to start spacing releases out and not jam them all in the fall. Games like Mirror's Edge really hurt from a sales perspective for coming out when it did (IMO).
I know publishers have talked about spacing out the release of their bigger games recently. That's why I'm really surprised. I forgot about MGS 4 and NG II. But I'm believing Infamous, Prototype etc represent a bigger splash of "hopefuls" than there was last year. It could be I just caught more of the marketing on the titles and more buzz leading to more of an interest to the titles coming out.

Not bad overall, but it's not amazing really either.
Well didn't mean to imply they were going to be amazing. Just there are some big titles for publishers or big "hopefuls" as I will call them. I'm glad I rent. I couldn't afford to buy and try half of those titles. I was curious to see what everyone else is doing.

[Kielaran]

The seasonal onslaught is slowly dying. As bigger titles get slated for the fall, more obscure or less flashy titles have to find an alternative window. Look at last fall, Tomb Raider would have probably sold much better in the summer than when pitted against the fall lineup. On top of that, a few months ago EA sent out a press release about trying to release games more evenly throughout the year. It seems others have the same idea and it is actually coming true. The days of the summer drought are over.

As for the lineup for this summer, I may get Ghostbusters at release, but will be waiting on the rest. I would wait on it as well, but the co-op in it may get the better of me.

Also, knowing I will get a lot of flak for this, I still have to throw it out there: I didn't mind the BC demo. I think a lot of people didn't 'get it.' It took me a few matches, but once I was able to nail a chain of 4 or 5 swings on the hanging pipes, it made me realize that there was a good swinging mechanic, but it takes a fair amount of practice to get it down. On top of that, trying to swing through the weapons without hitting the ground was a lot of fun. It isn't something amazing, in fact, I found it pretty generic, but much better than people are saying. Still, 20$ purchase at most.

[Doogie2K]

I always found it odd that companies would insist that things that came out in fall necessarily sold more than things that did not come out in fall, in the face of both logic and statistics. Good to see we've got some baby steps here.

Also, on the subject of May/June last year, might as well toss GTA IV into the mix. Yeah, it technically came out April 29, but close enough.

[menage]

I would like some more spreadage even. I haven't seen a decent game I really wanted since SFIV

[Deadend]

I played both demos last night (RFG and BC). RFG was kind of fun, although I wish I could pull the camera out a bit (maybe you can, I don't know). BC on the other hand, if the multiplayer beta is anything like the single-player with controls/feel it will be a BAD game.

You kidding? Bionic Commando MP was the game I wanted Lost Planet to be.

RFG should end up being cool, even though it was very easy to die in the demo.

[LarsenNET]

I'm interested in Bionic Commando and Punch-Out. I'll Goozex both, have my way with them and send them off to the next person.

[Superman's Dead]

...not global warming, then, eh?

Fantastic.

And now I have to decide if lugging my 360 and a TV and paying for Gamefly during the busiest summer in my life is worth it for Prototype...

[Purple Santa]

I would like some more spreadage even. I haven't seen a decent game I really wanted since SFIV

I agree. I mean there is all this talk about spreading out the releases but if it's not the mass of games in Oct-Dec it's now May-July. That still leaves another 6 months to release games. I can guess pushing games out in June so it can make the last fiscal quarter of the fiscal calender. Big release with big profits for end of the year spectacular financial splash...or so they hope I guess.

[menage]

I agree. I mean there is all this talk about spreading out the releases but if it's not the mass of games in Oct-Dec it's now May-July. That still leaves another 6 months to release games. I can guess pushing games out in June so it can make the last fiscal quarter of the fiscal calender. Big release with big profits for end of the year spectacular financial splash...or so they hope I guess.

Ah well, at least I'm buying out their backlog for 20% of the price at the moment. :D

[Variable Gear]

Anyone else notice the onslaught of big titles that are coming out in the end of May and June? I was checking on my Gamefly account searching what will be coming and found these:

May
Infamous
Bionic Commando

June
Prototype
Ghostbusters
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
Guitar Hero: Smash Hits
Overlord II
Red Faction Guerrilla
May and June saw a lot of releases last year (moreso June):

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Ninja Gaiden II
Penny Arcade Adventures Episode I
LEGO Indiana Jones
Bourne Conspiracy
Battlefield: Bad Company

All of those games are niche titles, besides Guitar Hero: Smash Hits and Lego Indiana Jones. Why were the other titles released during the summer? Because they could not compete with the titles that were being released during the fall and winter in terms of sales. Therefore, it's unwise to call this period "the new fall," because the games released during this period, by and large, aren't destined for greatness. They are fated to sit at the bottom of the bargain bin in three months or less.

[menage]

All of those games are niche titles, besides Guitar Hero: Smash Hits and Lego Indiana Jones. Why were the other titles released during the summer? Because they could not compete with the titles that were being released during the fall and winter in terms of sales. Therefore, it's unwise to call this period "the new fall," because the games released during this period, by and large, aren't destined for greatness. They are fated to sit at the bottom of the bargain bin in three months or less.

Ehm

Batman/ Metal Gear niche titles? Just as niche as Fable 2 and Fallout 3 (if there was a niche title that sold well this would be it). And they sold buckets. Why did Rockstar release GTA and Capcom Resi 5/ SFIV in this period as well? Because they realize gaming doesn't stop in January. Not because they are destined for the bargain bin. It's not like games only sell to the masses and we only buy Lego and Guitar hero in November right?