A metaphor

This time last year, I was playing XII and clocking up some trophies.? This year, there’s not even an announcement of the console release.? Normally, you have the announcement, then you have delays, but at least you know it’s coming.

So what does this lack of news mean?? I hope it means they finally are not rushing the game.? I hope the new president says “screw this release-a-game-every-year mentality” and “release it when it’s fixed”.

Japan is one thing, but releasing games abroad, especially those in a series, is stupidly risky business.? Imagine releasing KOF 95 in the arcades in July, releasing the console release in Sep, then announcing KOF 96 in January.? That’s fine for the home crowd.? But when you’re all the way across the world and are just about to buy your copy of KOF 94, you’re kinda pissed off.

It’s so much worse today with instant news travelling via the Internet (plus the face that the PS3 is region free).? Cinema learned their lesson and always try to have international release dates.? SNKP need to do the same.? In Europe, Arcsys were seriously fucked because the console Blazblue wasn’t released at least a year after US/JP, and practically days after, BBCS was announced.? Why buy the first when the much better sequel is about to arrive? It didn’t take long for Blazblue CT hit the bargain bucket price, and still not many people wanted to pick it up.

I really do hope SNKP saw, and learned.? This is not the time for rushing.