Wherein I wax prosaically about everything Nerdly: comics, games, books, TV, RPGs, movies, technology and more.
Why do I proudly embrace the word 'Nerd'? Because in my opinion a nerd is simply someone who doesn't let society decide what they should like. A nerd is someone who likes what they like and doesn't give a damn what anyone else thinks about their hobbies.
Why do I proudly embrace the word 'Nerd'? Because in my opinion a nerd is simply someone who doesn't let society decide what they should like. A nerd is someone who likes what they like and doesn't give a damn what anyone else thinks about their hobbies.
Publishers (Finally) Discover Calendar Does Not Begin in November
Posted 02-28-2009 at 06:39 PM by DoctorFinger
Notice anything different lately when you walk into your local game store? In what has to be the shock of all shocks, we're in the end of February and there are actual new games, good games, on the shelves. Be still my beating heart, but it looks like publishers have finally learned that you can release games outside of November and December.
While this news may come as a shock to some outfits (EA, I'm looking at you) other companies have known this for years. Nintendo regularly releases their biggest blockbusters at all times of the year. Blizzard used to make a point of dropping their games in early to mid summer (a habit they seem to have abandoned since WoW).
But it seems like in the past year something changed. Games like SFIV, RE5, Killzone 2 and Ghostbusters are all hitting the stands between now and June. The thought of which would have been seemingly impossible just a couple years back. Hell, just thinking about the Great Game Drought of Early 2006 terrifies me. What caused this change? The emergence of mega-blockbusters.
Even more so than movies, games are now stratified into layers. The games I listed above are almost guaranteed hits, but even they don't want to mess with some of the big boys that drop during the holidays now. Halo, Mario, Gears of War, God of War, Call of Duty and GTA wll just flatten eveyone in their paths, so rather than fight the beasts the smart devs moved their A titles away from the AAA titles.
Movie people talk about how the summer movie season actually now begins in early- to mid-April, with mid-level blockbusters opening earlier and earlier to get some distance from the tentpole releases. Game developers are now beginning to see the wisdom of this strategy. That this change isn't retreat, or admitting defeat, but giving your product the best possible chance to succeed in a vicious marketplace.
While this news may come as a shock to some outfits (EA, I'm looking at you) other companies have known this for years. Nintendo regularly releases their biggest blockbusters at all times of the year. Blizzard used to make a point of dropping their games in early to mid summer (a habit they seem to have abandoned since WoW).
But it seems like in the past year something changed. Games like SFIV, RE5, Killzone 2 and Ghostbusters are all hitting the stands between now and June. The thought of which would have been seemingly impossible just a couple years back. Hell, just thinking about the Great Game Drought of Early 2006 terrifies me. What caused this change? The emergence of mega-blockbusters.
Even more so than movies, games are now stratified into layers. The games I listed above are almost guaranteed hits, but even they don't want to mess with some of the big boys that drop during the holidays now. Halo, Mario, Gears of War, God of War, Call of Duty and GTA wll just flatten eveyone in their paths, so rather than fight the beasts the smart devs moved their A titles away from the AAA titles.
Movie people talk about how the summer movie season actually now begins in early- to mid-April, with mid-level blockbusters opening earlier and earlier to get some distance from the tentpole releases. Game developers are now beginning to see the wisdom of this strategy. That this change isn't retreat, or admitting defeat, but giving your product the best possible chance to succeed in a vicious marketplace.
Total Comments 5
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As you mention EA because of their newsworthy realization, it makes me wonder how mny other big names were still not getting it. Out of this comes two hopes for me. #1, that EA works with those new IPs it is trying to develop and starts bringing them out at intervals which kill the gaming droughts. #2, that the rest of the developers out there see EA doing this and decide that they need to follow suit or be outclassed by EA.
It will be interesting when we reach the gaming nirvana that is every Fall and look back to see if the realizations actually changed anything. |
Posted 03-02-2009 at 11:33 AM by Kielaran
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I think there have been certain series that have always avoided the fall period and done very well, like God of War for example. GTA4 also wasn't hurt at all by releasing mid-year.
The numbers on Fear 2 may be interesting. If it sells decently then I think the publisher can be happy that they delayed it past the original November release where it would have been destroyed by Resistance 2, Gears of War 2, Dead Space. |
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Posted 03-02-2009 at 03:25 PM by Chris_D
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If I remember correctly, the last Tomb Raider was released either the same week or one week off from some AAA title and they were definitely punished for it. There was a lot of clamour about saying it would have done two or three folds better if it were released in the summer.
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Posted 03-02-2009 at 07:54 PM by Kielaran
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I remember a while back when Ubisoft released the first (revamped) Prince of Persia and Beyond Good & Evil within a week of one another - and directly against Ratchet & Clank 2, FFX-2 and Mario Kar GC. It was the worst timing possible, and BG&E was killed because of it. You'd think they would have learned their lesson back then.
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Posted 03-03-2009 at 06:55 AM by DoctorFinger
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PoP kicked ass though.
Quote:
Ratchet & Clank 2, FFX-2 and Mario Kar GC.
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Posted 03-04-2009 at 12:30 AM by Xerxes
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Recent Blog Entries by DoctorFinger
- The Great Holiday 2009 Exodus: Bold Maneuver, or Looming Mistake (07-30-2009)
- Escape From NY Meets Left 4 Dead (05-18-2009)
- Publishers (Finally) Discover Calendar Does Not Begin in November (02-28-2009)
- MLB Hall of Fame Rant (01-12-2009)
- The Punisher: Sci-Fi Channel's Original Movies (11-10-2008)
