You're a console developer with a guaranteed AAA game. When will you release it?

So I was wondering when would most SW members, if they were head of a company with a console game that's guaranteed high scores, release their game into a console's cycle? Let's also say that you get a year's worth of hype no matter where you get your game released, so it won't be like your game is announced at the beginning of a generation and then you're picking when to release it.

Would you go for the launch title to have the distinction and be a system seller, a la Halo Combat Evolved (for whatever amount of Xboxs it sold, even if it wasn't too much)?

Maybe a few years year into the generation, like Call of Duty 4 MW and Assassin's Creed?

Even longer perhaps, when the generation of consoles has really marinated, like God of War 3 and SMG2 (though I know this was because they were both sequels)?

Or at the back end of a generation, when the highest amount of people own the consoles but perhaps your game is showing how the generation is aging, like Tomb Raider?

Personally, I would go for a mid-generation release when the generation has hit its stride, so the third example.

during the  summer school break for ps3 and xbox or whatever systems we are using as an example.

there is no way i'm going to pass up that massive installed base and all that fat lawn mowing/summer job money just so my game has slightly better graphics on systems  that nobody owns.

my stockholders would kill me.

and i would deserve it.

There are advantages to all those scenarios. If you have a AAA launch title and it comes out at lunach your in a good spot because you will likely have one of the only good games for a new system so you gonna sell a lot. A mid gen title has the benefit of a higher amount of potential customers and usually devs are more experienced with the hardware. A late gen title has the highest user base although fatigue is probably setting in like now. In in the real world you are gonna release it as soon as possible in a desirable quarter of the year if possible. To make this game you had to spend a ton of money you aren't just gonna sit on it and keep from making you that money back and then some.

I would release it in exactly 18 minutes time

Seriously I would go for summer when kids are all off. There's usually a drought around then that I would capitalise on

I would release it in exactly 18 minutes time

Seriously I would go for summer when kids are all off. There's usually a drought around then that I would capitalise on

seanmcloughlin

I would aim for late May or early June of any year. Graduation gifts, report card gifts, diploma gifts, break from finals, etc.

November seems to be a hard choice to release a game, whether it's a guaranteed success or not. There is a ton of competition around that time of year.

There wouldn't be vast amounts of AAA titles right after a consoles launch, so releasing then would net you quite a few sales.

[QUOTE="seanmcloughlin"]

I would release it in exactly 18 minutes time

Seriously I would go for summer when kids are all off. There's usually a drought around then that I would capitalise on

millerlight89

I have no idea what it is. I would have thought summer time is the perfect time to release seen as kids and students have no school. Maybe they think everyone will be doing summer jobs or something

Launch Title since if it is guaranteed AAA game than it will also be a guaranteed system seller if it is a launch title; If it releases too late it could get lost in the other games on the system.

But also you have to look at what your competition is doing so for the sequels maybe release it in the Summer since their is usually a drought since most people want to release their games for Holiday.

[QUOTE="millerlight89"][QUOTE="seanmcloughlin"]

I would release it in exactly 18 minutes time

Seriously I would go for summer when kids are all off. There's usually a drought around then that I would capitalise on

seanmcloughlin

I have no idea what it is. I would have thought summer time is the perfect time to release seen as kids and students have no school. Maybe they think everyone will be doing summer jobs or something

I'm thinking they want apart of that holiday season (Black Friday through New Year's Day) so they release their game closer to Black Friday so they wouldn't be forgotten when Christmas shopping comes along.

Nintendo_Ownes7

Possibly. Or maybe there's more to it that we don't know about as well. Just seems so odd to have a segment where gamers always say it's a drought and crave more games and not release anything big during it.

Maybe devs want summer holidays :P

With the launch of the console