Game On or Game Over: Mo games, mo problems

Microsoft versus Sony, Battlefield versus Call of Duty and Forza versus Gran Turismo. These are some of the rivalries that can get people talking about console wars. “Game On or Game Over” is your place to get inside the minds of Nicholas and Andy as they seek to find the true meaning of gaming and tackle some of gaming’s most controversial subjects. Both are award winning authors – although the awards haven’t been mailed or created yet — but trust them. Would they lie to you?

Andy: I can’t be the only gamer that has come to hate and love the next four months am I? It’s that time of year that I love being a gamer, but it’s also that time of year when I hate it at the same time. It seems that once September hits there’s not a week that goes buy where there’s not a new game that comes out that I want. It stretches and empties my wallet as well as taking away any free time I have. Yet, every holiday most gamers face a conundrum and it’s something I wanted to talk about this week because I’ve been thinking about it more than usual.

We’ve spoken before about how the gaming industry is pushing pre-orders more and more with day-one content. I was looking at all the titles coming out this fall (or I think the Australian summer am I right?) and there are about 8-10 games I am interested in. But, this past week I found myself looking at that list and thinking, is it really worth getting every one of them all launch? The compulsive “gotta collect them all” person in me wants each of them right away. I don’t know though, I can only play one game at a time and as much as I’d like to have all those new shiny games I’ll most likely focus on one or two and the rest will collect dust until I get to them. Before I get too deep in my reasoning and my plans however, what about you? How many games are you looking forward to and how many are you planning on getting the day they are released?

Nicholas: Checking the ‘new releases’ section of the EB Games website, I’ve counted that there are seven or so games that I wouldn’t mind picking up across the next few months (give or take a few that might be released the following year). This whole self-debate on whether I should purchase a new game on launch or not is certainly not something that is foreign to me, and if I’m brutally honest, it’s one that I’ve caved in to most times before. I look at my collection of titles from the last generation, and while it’s certainly impressive (at least to me), my two biggest gripes is that there are games unopened and collector’s editions that just sit there, packed away in my cupboard like blocks in a game of Tetris. It’s really not something I’d like to repeat this time around.

For me, the desire to get the latest and greatest game on launch is dwindling more and more as time passes. As a matter of fact, even the desire to get the latest and greatest game period is dwindling more and more. For the Xbox One, I’d like to make sure that I finish most of the games I own. I was interested in checking out either Watch_Dogs or Murdered: Soul Suspect, but without having finished Wolfenstein: The New Order I didn’t want to invest in a new game only to have the one I was currently playing sit unfinished. Now that I have completed Wolfenstein though, I’m on my second play-through and I’m getting much more out of the game than I would have if it was the last generation.

The topic of day-one bonuses and collector’s editions is something that I really think I’ll be cutting back on this generation around too. Like I said, most of my LCE’s from the last few years sit un-opened in my cupboard, and as nice as some of them are, it’s a waste of money and space. Unless it’s a franchise I’m super-keen for (and of that list of seven, there are perhaps only two or three that make that cut), I’m going to stick with the standard editions and just focus on playing them than collecting them.

So I guess to answer your question, of the seven, I’m really only expecting to purchase maybe four on launch – Forza Horizon 2, The Crew, Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Project Cars. The racing games are because, well, I love racing, and the Halo one is because I’d like to experience more than just racers when it appeals to me. I never bought into the Halo craze with the Xbox or the Xbox 360, so I’m pretty excited to see what all the fuss is about on the Xbox One. Until I finish those games though I’m not looking to purchase the remaining three that I’m keen on. What about you though? Of those eight games, which are the ones you’re planning to get on launch and why? What stops you from purchasing the others when they come out?

Andy: Part of the reason I brought this topic up this week is because in the past I have gotten every game I wanted during the holidays. Invariably as a result, a few sit off to the side either unopened or only played a few times before I get distracted by other games. This Fall I am trying to be more picky because of time and also because if I wait a month or two I’ll be able to get the others much cheaper. The million dollar question is though – which ones do I get? Like you, Forza Horizon 2 and The Crew are definitely on my “want list”. I’m trying to be more pragmatic this year. Do I really need two new racing games right away? I also have Assassin’s Creed Unity, Far Cry 4 and Dragon Age Inquisition on my list. All three will take a good chunk of time to play and I’m not a gamer that likes to play multiple games like that at one time. NHL 15 is another one, I got NHL 14 last year on launch and quickly got into a rut with it. It didn’t feel like much had changed from the previous iteration but I still paid full price for it. Then there’s Destiny. Like many others, I played the beta and was left underwhelmed by it. I didn’t not like it but at the same time it didn’t feel new to me. It felt like Halo + Mass Effect with a side of Borderlands weapons thrown in for good measure. Yet, I know several friends are going to get it and want to play it so peer pressure will be strong on that one.

Obviously if I purchased all those games the day they were released I wouldn’t have the time to play each of them fully. The bigger issue though is a month or so after release, at least here in the US, we see those new release games go on sale usually between $10-$20 off. Over the past couple of years there’s been a trend that those who purchase games on launch pay a premium for the privilege of helping work bugs out of the games. Add to that the “exclusive” retailer specific pre-order bonuses which usually appear around a month or so for everyone to purchase, and it makes sense to hold off a little bit. So, odds are if I wait for a month or so I’ll save some money and have all the preorder DLC available to me if I want it.

I by no means consider myself a trend-setter, but it feels odd for me to go into this holiday game season not with the idea of “oh man I’m going to have so much to play.” But instead “Hmm, which games can I pass on and get later?” I can’t imagine that line of thinking is what developers and publishers want gamers to have. Yet, it’s exactly what the industry has pushed me towards due to the glut of games that come out within two months of each other. The movie studios have it right with how they space movies out throughout the year, but the game industry still holds to the idea of release as many AAA games as possible between September and November. We’ve all heard the adage there’s no such thing as too much of a good thing, do you think that holds true with games though? Sure, there are a bunch of awesome titles coming out, but with all those games being released some are going to get lost in the shuffle. With the budgets some of these games have wouldn’t it make more sense to have a more staggered release schedule so publishers can maximize those launch sales?

Nicholas: Absolutely, however I think it would be a little incorrect to suggest that these publishers aren’t aware of this. Just consider the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV last year and how there was nothing major that launched within two weeks of it. Checking the list of games that did launch, Bioshock Infinite was released two weeks prior, and the only ‘big’ game that was launched after GTA V within the first fortnight was FIFA 14 – but is an open world action game really competing with a football title? I just think it would be too big an oversight for publishers to not track the release dates of other titles and ensure they have no real competition for their own products.

You mentioned wanting to spent enough time to truly experience and explore a game – and I agree with you there (when I can be bothered to do it myself), but the question I’m wondering is – how common is this amongst other gamers? Let me explain. Whenever I purchase a new game like Assassin’s Creed 4, I have every intention of exploring each nook and cranny, achieving 100% synchronization in all missions and finding each collectible – but very rarely do I stick to it. If I don’t end up putting the game away from boredom and never touching it again, I just blitz through until the end. Is this something most gamers do too? As I was checking the upcoming releases, while there are some titles that are certainly bunched together, most are at least a week or two apart. For you and I this mightn’t be enough (given Mass Effect 3 took me about 2 months), but for the average gamer who just wants to finish the game and move on, it could be more than enough time. I wonder, is it for these gamers that the close release dates apply? Are these publishers assuming most gamers will finish or move on from their last purchase quick enough?

Furthermore, I think you’ve already covered the reason why most publishers release their major titles between September to November – it is the holidays. I know the average gamer is now into their 30s, but consider that segment of the market who don’t purchase their games directly, but who get their parents to do it for them. If your son or daughter likes to play games, and your son or daughter just finished the semester, what’s the one thing they’re going to ask for? A new game. For this reason, it makes sense that publishers would make the most of this period. You also mentioned before (like I did too) that we used to buy new games on launch even if it did mean that they wouldn’t get played – so even if you and I don’t continue to buy them all, I’m sure there are so many others out there who do. For this reason, does it not make sense for developers to cram all their games together in the space of three months?

Andy: It does, but it doesn’t at the same time. I think there are two schools of thought here. The one for releasing an avalanche of games at one time, along with the other publishers. This line of thinking is trying to maximize those gift sales and hope that there’s some traction from other gamers. I think there is probably some thinking along the line of “Well, our game is great and it’s going to sell. The others are the ones that will suffer.” With that said though, one of the goals of any game is to keep that disc in your console and keep you playing it as long as possible. Either by having a long campaign or a good multiplayer – or a combination of both. You touched on it above, if there are several games out at one time or in quick succession then gamers are naturally going to rush through it to get to the next. I still remember last year around this time when Watch_Dogs was pushed back. I was initially disappointed, but realized that by it releasing in the Spring I’d have more time to really enjoy it. I spent about 50 hours playing it because there was not much else that released around that time.

Look at Ryse: Son of Rome. I got it as a gift and heard good things about it, but with everything else that came out I kept pushing it off. With game time being at a premium for most gamers, it would make sense from that standpoint for publishers to pick a release date that gives their game optimal market share by ensuring that it stays in the disc tray of a console for as long as possible. The longer I play a game the more likely I am to buy DLC for it. If I am rushing through it just to get it done so I can move onto the next game, the less likely I am to buy DLC or other microtransaction items.

I can’t say I’ve ever been in a meeting that discussed release dates or have any knowledge of how those decisions are made, but at some point there are just too many games being released in a certain time frame. Gamers are very brand loyal, when they find a game or series they like they are all in. There are some franchises that will sell well no matter when they are released; games like Call of Duty, Battlefield and Assassin’s Creed to name a few. Yet there are other games that chance being buried by the established titles when they release in the holiday window. There has been several successful games that weren’t released during the holidays – I just wish more developers/publishers would be willing to release outside that window. Do you think that crowded slate is one of the reasons games like Evolve have been pushed back recently? By everything I have read the playable demo of Evolve was fantastic at E3 and most were surprised it was pushed back. Do games like that look around and realize they’d have a better chance at market share in a different release window and take that into account in the push back decision?

Nicholas: Undoubtedly. Earlier we both said we had approximately seven or so titles that we’re keen on purchasing across the next few months. Checking the current list of releases for 2015, the only other major title launching in February alongside Evolve is The Witcher 3. Now I know the latter is going to be a major game, but one game to launch against compared to seven or more is nothing. Something we’ve also not considered is the sheer variety in the games being launched in this holiday period too. You’ve got racers, shooters, open world action titles – essentially there’s something for everyone, and I think publishers are also wary of how they think their games will stack up against other offerings in the same genre. FPS going up against a racer? No big deal. Three FPS titles being released within a short window? A little bit more complicated.

If we may go back a little, I’d like to take a look into why we allowed ourselves to continually buy games that perhaps we knew beforehand we wouldn’t get around to/finish. For me, one of the biggest reasons I would buy a game on launch was to make the most of the pre-order bonuses. Whether it was a special vehicle, an exclusive livery, a unique weapon or even a secret level, I always had the idea that if I didn’t purchase the game on launch with whatever pre-order bonus was being offered that I’d be missing out. Looking back though, more times than not, those exclusive bonuses always felt lackluster and sometimes I’d never even use them more than once or twice. What was the reason you found yourself buying games on launch, and what do you think will stop you from doing it again this generation?

Andy: I think you just hit the crux of this week’s article – “why?” Why do we buy all those games in such a short amount of time? I can’t speak for anyone else, but there were four main reasons why I bought several games during the past few holidays. One – brand loyalty. I like to support those brands that I have come to love. Two – admittedly at times I’ve been caught up in the hype train. With all the different marketing for games now it’s hard not to get caught up in it from time to time. Three – I like having the latest greatest games, even if I won’t have time to play them all right away. It’s an obsession, much like trying to catch all the Pokémon, I gotta have them all. Four – peer-pressure, plain and simple. There’s a core group of friends that I like to game with and if one or two get a game I’ll most likely get it so we can do co-op missions or play multiplayer together. Mostly a combination of those but I think it summarizes why I felt the need to buy several games.

What’s going to stop me from doing that same thing from now on? Well, it’s quite simple and I really can’t believe I didn’t pick up on it sooner. The gaming industry seems to almost punish people who decide to buy games launch. Not in the literal sense, but if you are willing to wait around thirty days the game will invariably be on sale. It’s almost like they are sayings “Hey, we got those hardcore fans to pay full price, let’s put it on sale and see if we can get the rest of them.” I usually have other games to play, especially during the holiday season, so there’s really no benefit to getting a game on day one if I’m only going to play it for 10 hours in the first month. I’d rather save that $10-$20 and put it towards other games down the road than have a one collect dust on my shelf. I still want all those games I talked about earlier, but at the same point it doesn’t make sense to pay top dollar for a game to just sit there. Plus, I am one of those gamers that likes to experience as much as I can with a title. It drives me crazy to hear someone say they beat Watch_Dogs in 10 hours because they didn’t do a fourth of the stuff that makes the game amazing. Having all those games at one time doesn’t allow me to appreciate each one if I’m rushing through everything.

I’m still trying to figure out which games are a must-have this holiday for me. Probably one racing game (The Crew or Forza Horizon 2), one open world/adventure title (Assassin’s Creed, Dragon Age, or Far Cry), and one other (NHL, Destiny or Evil Within). I know I won’t be getting them all right away even if my friends beg me or if there are super-awesome pre-order/day-one bonuses. I’ve reached that point in my gaming life that I don’t need all the shiny new games right away, I’m content with just a couple.

To close this week’s article out though. Does that mean I’m getting old? (Don’t answer that!) It does raise an interesting point though, I can’t be the only gamer that sees this trend of sales a short while after release. I think gamers are getting more and more savvy to how things work. Do you think we will ever move away from the importance of pre-orders, day-one sales or those larger incentive to entice gamers to make those launch purchases? Or is that too much to ask?

Nicholas: To answer your first question, yes, absolutely you’re getting old. Before I address your final concerns though, I did want to touch on what you’ve said about games going on sale shortly after they’re released. For a manufacturer to launch a new product (whether it be a computer, a television, a motor vehicle or even a game) at a high price and then drop it down some time later is not a new or foreign practice. There are a number of things I remember from Commerce during high school, and one of those was the sales model of selling new products a full price to the early adopters, and then dropping the price gradually to entice the rest of the market. Sure it might seem unfair to those who buy their games on launch only to see them drop in price shortly after, but that’s the trade-off you make when you decide to get them early. There’s a premium for being one of the first people to experience a new product – for those who choose to wait a little, that premium is reduced/eliminated.

As far as seeing a movement away from pre-orders incentives and day-one sales, I’d wager that this will probably never happen. Retailers pushing for people to pre-order games early is something that’s been a ‘thing’ for quite some time now, and as we discussed a few weeks back with GameStop announcing that they’d like to get involved in organizing their own exclusive content from developers, there’s no way this is something that’s going to die down. The moment a new Mass Effect game was announced at E3 this year EB Games already had it on their site for pre-order – and that was before there was even a title or screenshot to go with it – let alone a release date! Retailers know that securing that pre-order or launch-day sale is paramount, so as far as I can tell, things are only going to get more intense. Whether you consider that worse or better, well, I guess that’s up to the individual to decide.

Tune in next time for the next instalment of Game On or Game Over. If you have any ideas for our next article, feel free to contact Andy or Nicholas on Twitter.