Microsoft Europe marketing boss wants publishers to lessen focus on Q4 and Christmas releases |
Ó
Microsoft Europe's David Gosen has questioned the gaming industry's seasonal approach to game releases in a recent interview with MCV. According to Gosen, the focus on Q4 and Christmas releases has put the sustainability of new IP into question:
We still have a very seasonally-focused business. You only need look at last Christmas, when nearly 200 titles were released in the space of three or four weeks. There was that crazy week, third week of November.
The big brands reached the top and everything else was left by the wayside. It's becoming harder and harder to establish new IP in that environment. You have to ask if that's sustainable.
Gosen pointed out that there have already been precedents that should convince suppliers to take more risks when choosing release dates for major titles:
Of course Christmas is still the key selling period, but we need to look at de-seasonalising. We launched GTA IV at this time last year, and CapcomÂ’s Resident Evil has shown that you can be successful. As more publishers do this, weÂ’ll create a second or third release window, and that will be great news for the industry.
Great news for my wallet as well, since I won't have to buy all the major releases I want in one big go.
It also seems like this has already begun to happen. Metal Gear Solid 4 got a June release but still managed to sell over two million units in the first month. Similarly, Halo 3 got a September launch and managed to reach first-day sales of US$ 170 million in the US alone.
Then again, we have to keep in mind that all of the titles mentioned above are already well-known franchise names. We'll see how this year's crop of new IP -- inFamous and Prototype, which are launching in May and June, respectively, spring to mind -- fare in the sales charts. If they do well, maybe Gosen's wish will come true after all.
Related articles:
Via MCV
41 Jumps PSP homebrew - PSP live TV v0.3
19 Jumps PSP homebrew - PSP Live TV v0.4
17 Jumps Buy two, get one free at Best Buy
10 Jumps Atlus now mass-recruiting debuggers
10 Jumps PSP homebrew - QMixer v1.0
Contact Us:
The QJ.net Network |
 |
| Site | Feed |
| QJ.NET | RSS |
| Nintendo DS | RSS |
| PlayStation 3 | RSS |
| PSP Updates | RSS |
| Wii | RSS |
| Xbox 360 | RSS |
| MMORPG | RSS |
| Personal Computer Games | RSS |
| iPhone - iPod Touch | RSS |
| QJ.NET Forums | RSS |
Add QJ.NET
User Favorites - December
User Favorites - December
Categories
Archives
Accessories
Add-ons
Applications
Artwork
Batteries
Cheats
Deals
Emulators
Events
Featured Articles
Firmware
Flash Applications
Flash games
Game Demos
Games
Hacks & Exploits
Homebrew Applications
Homebrew Demos
Homebrew Development
Homebrew Emulators
Homebrew Games
Homebrew Themes
How-To
Humor
Imports
Interviews
Magazines
Mods
MY QJ
News
Off Topic
On Shelves This Week
Opinions & Analysis
Podcasts
Previews
PSP Go
PSP Minis
PSP Slim & Lite
QJ How-To Series
QuickJump QuickGuide
QuickJump QuickPeek
Reviews
Rumors
Scans
Screenshots
Site News
Titles
UMD Movies
Videos
Weekend Warrior
Wi-Fi
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
Comments [refresh]
This would be great! Especially since I don't have to drop $600 on new games thru Sept-Dec. And MAYBE, just maybe, they will start to release games at the beginning of summer, so that I can play them when I finally get a reprieve from college. Oh wait... this is my last summer of college before finding a full time job... oy. Too late for me, maybe it will help all the other kids out there.
Microsoft's hurting for quality releases this year to stir interest in their console. I think they know Sony has them beat in the software dept this year. So, I think he's just trying to stir-up some interest in the odd developer or two that could actually advance their release date. (In hopes to get an early limited-time exclusive, etc. for Xbox.)
Really, it was October-to-early-November last year that killed the wallet: LBP, Midnight Club LA, Fallout 3, Resistance 2, etc. etc. I don't know where he's thinking "3rd wk of November" ??? --Yes, that is Thanksgiving (and Black Friday), ...but all the big games were released at the end of October.
If there is a peak season (whenever that is) then that leaves non-peak times that are perfect for new IP to be released. If you are releasing new IP, you don't want to compete against established ones, you want a quiet time when gamers are hungry for something to sink their teeth into.
There is too much focus from companies to strike in the popular buying seasons in order to move units. A development studio working on a title may be forced into rushing it in order to meet the holiday drop which would then hurt the title and then the sales. Another problem is the amount of games all coming out at the same time like he said which can kill any good game that manages to meet the release but is still new but forced out to meet the window.
I think if enough companies started releasing around a different season it would create a new "holiday season" like how people buying gifts around the holidays turned christmas and hannukah and stuff from religious things to consumer/media driven frenzies). Rather than "christmas is coming buy some games" we could have "you're free from school buy some games" or "you just graduated get a gift". Whatever may happen though, I'd just like to see a new seasonal trend to reduce the amount of titles at once so I'm not planning out my credit card payments like some kind of strategic battle
There is too much focus from companies to strike in the popular buying seasons in order to move units. A development studio working on a title may be forced into rushing it in order to meet the holiday drop which would then hurt the title and then the sales. Another problem is the amount of games all coming out at the same time like he said which can kill any good game that manages to meet the release but is still new but forced out to meet the window.
I think if enough companies started releasing around a different season it would create a new "holiday season" like how people buying gifts around the holidays turned christmas and hannukah and stuff from religious things to consumer/media driven frenzies). Rather than "christmas is coming buy some games" we could have "you're free from school buy some games" or "you just graduated get a gift". Whatever may happen though, I'd just like to see a new seasonal trend to reduce the amount of titles at once so I'm not planning out my credit card payments like some kind of strategic battle
There is too much focus from companies to strike in the popular buying seasons in order to move units. A development studio working on a title may be forced into rushing it in order to meet the holiday drop which would then hurt the title and then the sales. Another problem is the amount of games all coming out at the same time like he said which can kill any good game that manages to meet the release but is still new but forced out to meet the window.
I think if enough companies started releasing around a different season it would create a new "holiday season" like how people buying gifts around the holidays turned christmas and hannukah and stuff from religious things to consumer/media driven frenzies). Rather than "christmas is coming buy some games" we could have "you're free from school buy some games" or "you just graduated get a gift". Whatever may happen though, I'd just like to see a new seasonal trend to reduce the amount of titles at once so I'm not planning out my credit card payments like some kind of strategic battle
I think what he's trying to say is "Slow down, we're MS we make crap, and we can't stand out against so many quality games." He tries to spin it like it's for the sake of new IP development, but um Kingdom Hearts was a new IP in the 4th quarter wheh it was established. Besides isn't that common knowledge for publishers when's a good time to establish a new IP? Is he saying there shouldn't be the holiday season rush where devs have to work OT to push out AAA content? It's what separates the men from the boys, and we find out which studios are truly working hard. Development studios always have some kind of deadline to meet. If they didn't, they'd likely get complacent, and just rely on revenue streams so they can punch out and call it a day. Personally, I love the 4th quarter and the holiday season, it's exciting to decide which great games to get. I understand that some people are high on cocaine and want to buy everything and cram 4000 hours of gaming in 1 week off school/work. But seriously, the games aren't going anywhere so decide on a couple, and you'll probably find those other games later on some clearance sale. But anyway, who's he to say what publishers need to do? They know this stuff, they've been in this game since forever most of them (the successful ones like Capcom, Konami, etc.).
I think damonous said it best. I'm just ranting a little cause' this sounds like some kind of cry for help. And what he's asking for is publishers to slow down so they don't have to examine and understand other games and their target release dates. I call shady BS on this "better for the industry" idea.