The real deal with game delays

It’s a no-brainer that everyone hates game delays. Each time that a release is moved to a later date, the whine of gamers is met with a standard-issue “we want to add more quality to the game and we need more time to do it” type of response. Most of the time, it’s enough to silence the fans. According to analyst Michael Pachter, that’s only half of the truth.

In fact, business strategy is the other half of the story. True, creative and technical issues are considered, but publishers may opt to hold in the title for a period of time if that’s what it takes to generate better profits. Whether the company is looking for a date where it can cash in on holidays or if it wants to go head to head with the competition, nothing happens by accident as even the smallest details are considered.

One good example of a game delayed for business strategy would be The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess which could have been released for the GameCube 16 months earlier than the actual ship. But Miyamoto and crew seem to have had a business-savvy plan in mind to give the old ‘Cube and the new Wii a mutual benefit.

In E3 2004, the world first laid eyes on the next installation in the immortal Zelda franchise. It took a year, however, before we got our hands on a playable demo. That was E3 2005 where Nintendo promised a November 2006 release. What happened next was a series of moves that would lead us to the status quo of electronic entertainment.

According to Pachter, Twilight Princess was good to go on the GameCube in the original release date or somewhere close, but director Eiji Aonuma may have hit a snag with Miyamoto and crew. The game was apparently deemed good enough for the Wii and development of a port was ordered. The game was to be released simultaneously for the Wii and the GameCube to give the new console the additional firepower for its launch. It was the logical thing to do.

Nobody can argue with the results. Together with other Nintendo titles, Twilight Princess propelled the Wii to becoming the hottest-selling console on the planet, edging market leader Xbox 360 in the first quarter of 2007. At the end of the day, everyone, including Nintendo loyalists, was happy.

Via GamePro

It’s a no-brainer that everyone hates game delays. Each time that a release is moved to a later date, the whine of gamers is met with a standard-issue “we want to add more quality to the game and we need more time to do it” type of response. Most of the time, it’s enough to silence the fans. According to analyst Michael Pachter, that’s only half of the truth.

In fact, business strategy is the other half of the story. True, creative and technical issues are considered, but publishers may opt to hold in the title for a period of time if that’s what it takes to generate better profits. Whether the company is looking for a date where it can cash in on holidays or if it wants to go head to head with the competition, nothing happens by accident as even the smallest details are considered.

One good example of a game delayed for business strategy would be The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess which could have been released for the GameCube 16 months earlier than the actual ship. But Miyamoto and crew seem to have had a business-savvy plan in mind to give the old ‘Cube and the new Wii a mutual benefit.

In E3 2004, the world first laid eyes on the next installation in the immortal Zelda franchise. It took a year, however, before we got our hands on a playable demo. That was E3 2005 where Nintendo promised a November 2006 release. What happened next was a series of moves that would lead us to the status quo of electronic entertainment.

According to Pachter, Twilight Princess was good to go on the GameCube in the original release date or somewhere close, but director Eiji Aonuma may have hit a snag with Miyamoto and crew. The game was apparently deemed good enough for the Wii and development of a port was ordered. The game was to be released simultaneously for the Wii and the GameCube to give the new console the additional firepower for its launch. It was the logical thing to do.

Nobody can argue with the results. Together with other Nintendo titles, Twilight Princess propelled the Wii to becoming the hottest-selling console on the planet, edging market leader Xbox 360 in the first quarter of 2007. At the end of the day, everyone, including Nintendo loyalists, was happy.

Via GamePro