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On Launching Major Videogames Outside Xmas
Thanks to the Hollywood Reporter for its column discussing major videogames originally due to launch in time for Christmas 2003, but which didn't quite make it. In the course of discussing these titles, which include James Bond 007: Everything Or Nothing, the article notes: "Game publishers, in general, recognize that the Christmas rush... is a huge marketing problem. This past Christmas, they say, there were too many good games coming out at the same time and quite a few didn't sell well." A spokesperson for Microsoft elaborates on this: "My prediction is we'll be spreading out the releases and shipping some in early September and others in January and February of 2005... But we can only do that with really great games that can stand on their own." Is weak sales when launching outside the holiday season a genuine problem, or just a self-perpetuating myth?
Sometimes when friends or loved ones say something to us it tends not to register, so we must rely upon the candor of strangers. With that in mind, let me reassure you that you are, in fact, a dumbshit.
There were too many good games this past Christmas?!
Name one!
The last good game I bought/played was Counter Strike (which I unfortunately haven't played for ages due to lack of a really good server to play on). There have been no amazingly enjoyable MMORPGs, RPGs, strategy games or FPSes. I don't expected to be excited about a game until Half Life 2 or DoomIII come out.