Look, I love getting game announcements as much as the next person, but the industry has a problem.
To me, that problem is announcing games well before they are actually released. This strategy is becoming increasingly common in recent years as publishers rush out an teaser trailer and then disappear.
This list includes Dragon Quest XII, Kingdom Hearts IV, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Marvel’s Wolverine, Hollow Knight Silksong, and many others. Heck, we can pile on by naming all things that happened before Grand Theft Auto VI released.
This issue begs the question of when is it too early to announce a game. Often times, these types of games get a small teaser and then fade into obscurity until a full trailer releases.
Many of the ones I listed still don’t have much past their original teasers. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has a bit more but that took nearly seven years to get more information.
Now, I acknowledge that games will sometimes experience unavoidable delays and that can disrupt the flow. That said, too many of these are happening that it may be time to rethink the strategy.
One reason this long wait time is bad is it leads to unrealistic expectations. The longer the wait time, the higher the expectations go.
From a marketing expectation, this is a heavy gamble since it could keep players talking. It could also hurt sales if those expectations get too high and ultimately hurt pre-release reviews.
The pendulum could keep swinging to the point that people forget your game exists. Marvel’s Wolverine is certainly in this category as I am always surprised when someone reminds that game was announced.
Look, there’s nothing wrong with excitement for a game. I’m always down to speculate wildly and just enjoy the build to a game. That said, it is OK to pump the brakes a bit.
The problem is we live in a social media world where we want information immediately and struggle with patience. Game marketers surely have tapped into this, but I think it hurts the game in the long run. This is especially true when unforeseen events, such as the COVID-19 Pandemic, force delays.
Surely there must be a balance these publishers and their marketing teams can come up with? I’m not sure the exact answers but taking time to correct this trend would work itself out in a few years.
As publishers make announcements on a more realistic schedule, they can get into a nice flow where they have games releasing while announcing other games.
Without this balance, players will keep focusing on what they don’t have instead of appreciating what they do.
Featured Image: Insomniac (via Softonic)
Boss Rush Podcast – A Podcast about Video Games
The Boss Rush Podcast – A Podcast about Video Games – is the flagship show of the Boss Rush Network and Boss Rush Media. Each week, hosts Corey Dirrig and LeRon Dawkins are joined by friends, fellow creators, indie developers, and industry veterans to discuss the latest in the world of video games, including news, rumors, new releases, and what they’ve been playing. They also answer listener questions, debate important industry topics and Boss Rush Banter discussion points, and feature a rotating weekly segment. New episodes post every Monday.
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