Why Are Video Game Release Dates Always Annoyingly Crammed Together?

CraveOnline: "PS4 and Xbox One console owners have been awoken from their slumber, with the Video Game Drought of 2015 finally coming to an end and there finally being some new releases to whet their appetite. It has been a long time coming - such was the extent of the drought that at one point I even considered picking up Rory McIlroy's PGA Tour 2015 - but now we have Until Dawn in our grasp today, followed by Mad Max and the hugely anticipated Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain next week."

[objdadon]

Nothing annoying to me about getting to play games upon games no matter the time frame.

[NickAwesome]

I couldn't agree with you more

[fitfox]

same reason theres a target right across the street from walmart.

[Hoffmann]

"Why Are Supermarkets, Drugstores and Restaurants Always Annoyingly Crammed Together?"

[Hoffmann]

Why are people not seeing the benefit?

Buy one game at a time, spend as much time with it as you want, buy the other one later and benefit from it being patched out already and itsa price went down probably as well.

(I am super rarely buying games at launch now anyway)

[vickers500]

Call me crazy, but there's an extra feeling of excitement when playing a game on launch day, and buying a game months later when it's cheaper kind of drains that excitement and makes it feel less new and special. It's more of a psychological effect than anything, but for some, such as myself, it is a thing. Plus, you spend so much time thinking about a game, waiting for a price drop, sometimes you lose interest/hype for it and stop wanting it all together.

And if it's a social game with mp, it's more exciting and adventurous to discover the game with other people, to experiment with the game and its mechanics, whereas when you get it later, everyone has already figured everything out and knows what the best, most efficient way to play the game already is.

This doesn't apply to everyone obviously, but it does to some.

[n4rc]

MP needs to be played early! lol.. ill typically buy my online games at launch but have started putting off my single player purchases..

so many free games plus what i already have... gonna be the same game minus some issues (hopefully) and cost

[Overwhelming]

I don't think the matter is about time to play videogames in the summer. It's the buying habits. Most people's holidays are in that period and most have extra expenses with trips/travels, eating out, going out more at night, etc. Also, many people travel and wwon't bring their PC/consoles with them. It's just a fact that games released in the summer sell less at launch. And publishers are all about that launch sales, just like in the movies the first weekend or two are the most important and how they judge the film's success.

Of course, people don't just buy games at launch. A good game can be launched in the summer, that doesn't prevent it to be bought in the fall by those who didn't buy in the summer at launch, but whatever. Launch sales are the key. "Slow burner" sales aren't valued as much. Specially by those companies that need the returns to work in their next projects.

[chrisco84au]

3rd parties release for the Christmas rush, a good, sound and proven strategy.

Microsoft only beleive there are 3 months in a year. A strategy that works for 3rd parties, not so much for exclusives. Proven time and time again.

Lucky Sony owns a calendar and provides us year round enjoyment. Another proven strategy, with the current gen lead and previous gens proving time and time again.

History repeats, with the same results.

Now, fanboys, on 3. ATTACK!!!!!!!! (Uncontrollably of course)

[yeahright2]

kill him with fire!

[chrisco84au]

Burn common sense. Burn!!!!!

[uth11]

To maximize sales potential, why else?

[MasterD919]

Don't forget how many games have been shuffled around or pushed-back to get the dates they now have. Frankly, we're overdue for a lot of the big-name games. I say let the competition begin. Hopefully, this will change Publishers marketing strategies, but it does happen every year...

[yeahright2]

Thankfully for gamers like me this is a non issue as my backlog is so massive I always have something to play.
I'm usually going at a game I was on the fence about so got for cheap or a freebie from plus/gwg. When a title I'm interested in drops, the back log goes on hold until I finish up with it.

[The_BlackHeart__]

Somebody should ask that to Phil Spencer and the XBox division in general.