Stolen Pixels #146: The Reason for the Season

[Shamus Young]

Stolen Pixels #146: The Reason for the Season

When all games are being released on the same date, how are you supposed to choose which ones to buy?

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[MGlBlaze]

Indeed, the fact that so many are released in such a short space of time around this season is extremely annoying. I think it's done so that not-so-good games will end up getting higher scores than they otherwise would since reviewers 'can't be assed' and have a lot of others to go through.

It's why I avoid buying games released during this season unless I'm sure it'll be good.

Any reviews that feature the words "compelling" or "cinematic" a lot of the time shouldn't really be listened to.

 

[therandombear]

Totally agree. Why couldn't they have released some of those games earlier so it was a bit more spread out, not really healthy for anybodys' wallet that they all come at the same time xD

 

[Amnestic]

Oh powerful laughter was had, most of it at the text rather than the comic.

I do have to wonder why there seems to be a summer drought for games. No one in Britain wants to go outside during the summer. It's raining.

When all games are being released on the same date, how are you supposed to choose which ones to buy?

Pick up a case of each game. Throw them at the store clerk. Whichever one concusses him you buy.

Obviously Guitar Hero/Rock Band and any special edition games have an innate advantage for this being that they're larger and heavier.

 

[zombie711]

I hate having to choose between great games

 

[MGlBlaze]

Oh powerful laughter was had, most of it at the text rather than the comic.

I do have to wonder why there seems to be a summer drought for games. No one in Britain wants to go outside during the summer. It's raining.

When all games are being released on the same date, how are you supposed to choose which ones to buy?

Pick up a case of each game. Throw them at the store clerk. Whichever one concusses him you buy.

Obviously Guitar Hero/Rock Band and any special edition games have an innate advantage for this being that they're larger and heavier.

The UK weather sucks...

Also, you win some Internets for the hilarious 'concuss store clerk' idea.

 

[Nunny]

Atleast its close to christmas, i can buy 1-2 and let other people fill in the rest.

 

[Abedeus]

I agree. There are so many good games now, and yet so little 6 months ago.

Let's compare: Summer? Prototype... Red Faction on consoles...

Now: Assassin's Creed 2 on consoles, Dragon Age, Borderlands, L4D2, Aion (meh), Torchlight, MW2, COME ON!

At least in Q1 2010 we're getting Mass Effect 2 and Assassin's Creed 2 for PC.

 

[ProfessorLayton]

I know exactly what you mean. About the end of summer this year, there were threads that said "Best Game of '09 So Far" and such and the only game of 2009 I had purchased was Prototype. Over the summer, there are no new releases and that is ridiculous. Do you think that you will lose money by being the only new game on the market? See, the reason why a bunch of sales are down for genuinely good games during this time of year is because they all have to compete with Modern Warfare 2. People are spending their money on that game and then not having enough to buy any other games. At least attempt to spread it out a bit.

 

[Eruanno]

Totally! I've bought like six games in the past month, and before that there was a big gaping hole of nothing, so big I considered going back to play WoW for a few months to have SOMETHING to play!

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

No one in Britain wants to go outside during the summer. It's raining.

How's that different from Spring, Autumn or Winter?

 

[Magnatek]

Two things. First, it's been a while since Travis has been in one of these strips. Second, I completely agree. Luckily, over the summer, I was able to keep myself sane with Cave Story and Mega Man X Collection (well, I didn't say if I was angry during these plays or not, but I was sane.). It may not have been much compared to the standard quality of games these days, but it sufficient to keep me in my gaming ways.

 

[Georgeman]

"Hohoho! Merry Christmas!"

That's precisely how the companies are thinking. Dumping all the games just in time for the Christmas while forgetting the rest of the periods. And you know what is funny? The fact that quite a few games were delayed for the 1st quarter of 2010. There were even more games scheduled for Q4 2009!

 

[MrSnugglesworth]

I was blessed to get AC2, MW2, and L4D2.

 

[Eagle Est1986]

Haha, I love his t-shirt, that's brilliant. Usually I consider Travis to be a troll, though that doesn't seem to apply in this case.

 

[Lvl 64 Klutz]

Unfortunately, Travis' plight is pretty accurate according to the people I've talked to. A lot of the more popular gaming magazines and sites encourage their writers to try every major release instead of doing the sensible thing and dividing them up.

 

[Doug]

How compelling...

 

[Kameronmf]

I'll be playing Baldur's Gate this holiday season.

 

[Mullahgrrl]

How compelling...

Are you compelled?

I'm compelled!