It's been, aside from perhaps PlayStation Network outages, the biggest criticism pointed in Sony's direction: where are the major fall first-party games? The platform holder's obviously promoted plenty of third-party content during the all-important holiday period, but it's been less forthcoming with its own exclusives, delaying the likes of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End and even The Order: 1886 into quieter periods of the year.
But as a slew of blockbusters face commercial turbulence this Christmas, has the platform holder proved that it's once again ahead of the game? Sales of major titles like Titanfall 2, Dishonored 2, and even Watch Dogs 2 are way down – and while fatigue may be partly to blame, it seems that oversaturation is an issue as well. It's a problem that Nathan Drake's aforementioned adventure didn't encounter back in May – and nor will Horizon: Zero Dawn in late February.
After receiving so much stick from fans and pundits alike, though, isn't it time we threw our hands up and admitted that Sony got it right? Or do the commercial implications not concern you at all; would you simply prefer to play the platform holder's biggest games during the busiest time of the year? Let us know which side of the debate you fall on in the comments section below. And, while we're here, have a very Happy Thanksgiving if you're in the USA.
[source bit.ly]
Comments 33
Yeah, I wish more publishers would release games earlier in the year. There's been quite a few games in Q4 that I want to play like Watch Dogs 2 and Titanfall 2, but they're getting lost among all the others. There's just too many for one quarter, and not enough time to play them.
I'm tired of all the big games releasing from Sept - Nov. and the other 9 months being relatively quiet.
There's more games releasing now than ever. They're gonna have to spread them around if they don't want to face serious competition from 5 big games all releasing at once
Yes they always had it right with this, why the eff would you release so many of your own products in such a short time frame when you can do with one or two (DQ:B,WoFF and The Last Guardian) and spread the rest all throughout the year and just promote those titles AND big name partners instead, i really never understood how people were moaning about this considering the landscape. Sony are set to continue this trend and and show the competition how they do it next year too with Gravity Rush in January, Horizon in feb/march, and Persona sometime in 2026!
Yeah I said all along that it was the best strategy but yet Sony continued to get hammered for announcing delays and Microsoft got praised for launching Gears 4 despite sales proving that it wasn't the best thing for them to do.
Despite how much the medium has progressed, many in the hardcore bubble still haven't learned from wanting a game out yesterday but then complain that said game is broken or lacks features.
Sony aren't that smart, many will be playing this falls releases next spring, there's plenty to get through.
Sony have won this gen. Multiplats sell best on PS and they have tied up key third party support. They are in cruise control. No need to have their exclusives go up against the big multiplats and get eaten up.
I really hope we start seeing more publishers spread out game releases.
Yup from the beginning I always think releasing big 1st party game at fall is stupid, why the hell sony release game in the fall to compete with cod and battlefield when it can have the sale all for itself if they release the game on the beginning of the year. Bloodborne, infamous 2nd son and uncharted wouldn't sell as much as it is if they release it in the same month as cod. Look at microsoft, how their strategy releasing 1st party game only in the fall paying off? All of their game sold way less, halo 5, tomb raider and even gear 4 sold less compared to its predecessor, they only win, what, 10.000 unit in the last 3 month of the year while they're steamrolled in the first 7 month in the beginning of the year.
Only some games can stand the holiday rush period, cod, bf, and pokemon.
I've always hated how most big blockbuster games come out at around the same time. Hopefully, this is a start that this tradition is at its end.
okay, so why are all these "blockbusters" coming out only in the fall. There has got to be a reason for it or this is clearly a psychological trend on the developers side and they aren't realizing how ridiculous it is. Certainly I would think a summer release would be really good considering kids are out of college and getting jobs which in turn they can spend money. O.o
@Jake3103 I couldn't agree more. With so many amazing games all coming in a relatively short time, I have the option of buying them all at full price now and only playing some of them, or buying one or two now at full price and waiting until I am done with those to buy the others, typically at 30%-40% less than launch price. It seems so simple to me, try and spread releases out, even if you have to delay them.
Release more games during the summer drought! Arkham Knight did ok, right? So did no man's sky...sales wise
I dunno if Sony is "ahead of the game" so to speak, but it seems like they haven't really taken alot of sales damage in the holiday season. Game wise, anyway. Aren't those NPD reports saying Microsoft's winning at the moment?
As for oversaturation, I've always thought it was just common sense for a healthy amount of games being spread throughout the year. It doesn't need to be a packed month, just maybe one good title either every month or two. I've never liked packed months even if there was only one game I wanted, like Rayman Origins some years back. That game was sent to sales purgatory due to the titles surrounding it (Uncharted 3, Modern Warfare 3, L.A. Noire, Skyrim, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, seriously Ubi, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Zelda: Skyward Sword, Batman: Arkham City....).
I only care that they release games when they are truly ready. If games are released around the same time it just means I need to pick what I wait on. Of course I don't play multiplayer games, so that would change my approach if I did. I tend to wait for sales on titles unless I have the money and see something I want right away.
As a business standpoint I don't know why some don't spread them out. EA releasing two online shooters around the same time doesn't seem smart. It was bound to hurt one of the games, which is sad since it seems like both are deserving from what I have read.
Autumn...just saying
@DerMeister in 1 country where sales have been marginally higher the past few months then yes, MS is winning charlie sheen style.
being selfish, i would rather have horizon now so i can play it, since none of the other games the last few months have interested me - i bought TF2 but it didn't last long for me. looking long term, i would rather it have better success though, so the studio can continue to make new games.
Honestly, this is why I'm glad Sony keep delaying all their games. What's the point of releasing everything in a three month period before Christmas? I love that they keep pushing games into quieter months. Spring is the perfect season for me to dedicate some quality time to a game like Horizon, whereas if it released in October or November it'd be fighting for attention.
I would rather have games sooner than waiting. If a games good I buy it. Does not matter when its released now or 6 months time.
From a Business and revenue point of view it can alter when games are released. If the financial year ends december 31st then they want heavier weight of releases towards the end of the year. If it ends on March 31st then they want better figures before the new financial year starts. The Christmas period sells a lot of games people have a lot less money come january/febuary they are paying off credit cards etc.
There is not really anything that Sony of making that I am interested in next year. That might change.
I'm never in a rush to buy games Day 1 , aside from the fact that they'll be massively cheaper in another year I've a massive backlog . Have yet to start Witcher 3 , Fallout 4 , MGS , The Order 1888 , Assassins Creed Syndicate, Dishonoured ! just began The Division and loving BF1 multiplayer , no time for more ....
I never understand the criticism Sony receive for not releasing "big" games in the autumn. Do they suddenly stop existing or something? I haven't yet bought Uncharted 4, but now, six months later, it's half the price it was at launch.. Microsoft released Gears of War 4 just a month ago but because it sold poorly it is now heavily discounted. Ubisoft, bless 'em had the gall to launch their biggest game one week before Black Friday and now complain of poor sales. The tactic of releasing all of the blockbuster games in one block in the autumn is foolhardy because of how crowded the period is. The biggest multiplat games tend to sell more than first party games so why not give the first party exclusives a chance to shine in the quieter periods?
@Bad-MuthaAdebisi So you think it's smart to Rush the game unfinished. Or release it against COD /BF yeah that is smart.
@Flaming_Kaiser not sure that any human being that has ever existed has ever suggested that a game in development should be rushed. Did you even read my comment lol
Too many games in too short a time period. Sony has the right idea by spreading realeases out. Why send a game out to die inbetween other major franchises when you can just wait two months?
To many games out this time of year but i still would of liked GT Sport to of come out before Xmas just so it would look good in people's eyes and not seem that it's just MS that bring out their big games around this time. Saying that this time is the only time MS bring out any big games all year so it's a loooooong wait each year for Exclusives if your a Xbox owner
I don’t know what this “Fall” nonsenses is, but it’s definitely worked out well for them avoiding the Autumn glut of games, from 3rd parties.
Sony has been doing this since PS3 days and when a great deal of people were against it, I was for it. I hate that everything launches just before Christmas, it's expensive. Christmas is already an expensive period, so if say you bought the games FOR Xmas, you won't be playing them until late Dec / Jan anyway.
I prefer spread, 1 big launch a month would be perfect, it gives me time to play a game on a month long binge before looking forward to whats next. I hate having this dry season for months at end with no games to look forward to until summer / autumn. Xbox is king of this. Everything comes out at the same time then there's nothing interesting to play for a whole year.
It doesn't help that gaming is already an expensive hobby, £60 on a single game, so I have to choose between CoD or BF1, so second league games like Gears 4 and Titanfall 2 get left on the shelf for "some time later", that's assuming later ever comes, because by the time I do have the cash to splash, Horizon and other exciting games will be out, why buy Titanfall 2 and Gears 4? They're old news by then.
I just wish releases could just be evenly spread across the year,.
I think that first party releases are there to help sell consoles and Sony are going to sell consoles in the fall due sales, Christmas and all the big third party releases. All they need to do is what they did last year with battlefront and promote a third party game as it's own and then release first party games in a quieter console selling period.
No man's sky did better then it should due to an August release date.
Not really fussed when they release their games. Whatever works best for them. Can be annoying if the two games I'm looking forward to the most come out within a week of each other though. No point buying both in that situation.
Honestly, I'm a bit surprized that anyone outside of independent studios release any games in the September to November/December slot.
Once September hits, the shadow of black friday looms.
Most games get hit with discounts and it can be hard for developers and publishers to sustain these multi-million dollar games with barely any profit.
Then again, I'm of the mind that games shouldn't cost millions to create!
Nowadays having 3 blockbusters to play over a Xmas week or 7 days is probs too much. I like how movies are spread out. Every month there's something to see. Games nowadays aren't completed in a day... some flipping take weeks. Or if they have a multiplayer component could last month's.... how much spare time do we have for crying out loud!!
I think it hilarious that we are now experts on the reasons for the downfall in people buying computer games.
The usual Christmas period November-December for the last 15 years has been when around 40% of total retail games are bought, that's why you see all the major releases brought out this time of year. Due to black Friday all the parents have waited until black Friday to start buying. Unfortunately for the developers they are stuck. That's it, retail have shot themselves in the foot by launching a sales extravaganza before Xmas. Last years black friday was big, this years has gone crazy. Even today my wife's bought a pspro for £315 (that's for me yay) an xbox one s (for the kids) £192 with a couple of games and vouchers for xbox live for her brother at 20% off. Games are also practically half price. Why would anyone pay more hard earned cash 1,2 or 3 weeks ago when you can save this much lolly?
Black Friday is to blame and no one could have predicted it would have blown up so much so quickly in the UK.
I don't really care when they come out, as long as it's a good game I'll be fine
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