Druckmann’s statement reflects what many developers can probably relate to when having their own anticipated games announced, and this reflects an industry-wide issue that evaluates the rise and fall of fans’ excitement. There are many games that were announced in the last two years which fans are excited about, but it is interesting to consider the toll it takes on developers, publishers, and fans alike when release windows are proposed, whether they’re eventually met or pushed around.
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Game Announcements May Never Be Reliable Anymore
Aspyr’s Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake is a great example of how a teaser announcement can suddenly devolve into a pipe dream. In this particular case, it was reportedly the result of development on the game being unsatisfactory. It is also assumed that a similar disruption has affected the indefinitely delayed The Lord of the Rings: Gollum. Launch delays have always been perceived by some fans as a negative thing, but it rarely ever seems like an actual hindrance anymore.
If anything, delays ensure that fans will actually receive a product that is worth whatever they spent on it, and it will hopefully be the best quality possible by the time that it does release. It would be difficult to bet against Insomniac Games regarding the fall 2023 release window for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, but the game could still be hit with a delay regardless of Insomniac’s track record if some unforeseen complication arises.
It may also be an issue of when a publisher wants a game announced compared to when a developer would be prepared to display anything with polish. Hollow Knight: Silksong has become a subject that fans like to poke fun at since it was announced so long ago, but still does not have a clear release date. Silksong’s release window has seemingly been proposed for sometime around the summer, but there is always a chance that it appears later than fans expect.
Keeping Fans Engaged May Be an Impossible Task
If a game is delayed, or if it never had a release window to begin with, it may be inevitable that fans’ excitement will falter. That is not necessarily a bad thing, it simply means that fans need to be patient and perhaps look out for other games while something they anticipate is stuck in limbo. Because Alan Wake 2 is scheduled to release in 2023 but has not released any material since its reveal, it is difficult to say whether the lack of marketing means it is in trouble.
That said, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has perhaps taken the closest approach to what Neil Druckmann desires from Naughty Dog, since the Fallen Order sequel only officially revealed itself recently. Gameplay was shared soon after, and the game is now scheduled to release in a couple of months. This may be the ideal way to market a game that comes from an established developer or IP, but new IPs may not have the same trust built around them and thus require more marketing.
Regardless, any strategy that developers and publishers use could potentially backfire, and fans may be elated or disappointed with release windows that are announced. In the meantime, Naughty Dog has announced its multiplayer title based in the world of The Last of Us. It may be a while longer until fans hear about anything else that Naughty Dog has cooking, but that could be a boon considering how reactions to early announcements and release windows have affected expectations and developers’ well-being in the past.
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