amaral_slb said:
One thing I don´t understand is, if a new console is coming out in the last quarter of a certain year, why do gaming companies feel the need to confirm or show a console in action 1+ year before it comes out.
I have a hard time understanding why Nintendo (or any other company) confirmed and showed the WiiU so early (and out of the big 3, the "damage" they did on the Wii is reduced because their target audience is mainly casual), it makes no sense because you don´t show almost anything, the rumours and speculations can "kill" the hype, and in the end it will sell what it has to sell regardless of how early they start showing it.
I am not talking about show today and release tomorrow, but for example, why would Microsoft/Sony confirm/show anything in this year E3 if the console comes out in the fall of 2013 (for example), effecting current gen sales in a crucial time of the year?
You want to create the hype, but minimize the effect it has on the current sales, specially when current sales are growing every year, and you still have Holiday season in between, why not start hyping the machine in the beginning of 2013? Is the effect of showing it that early that big?
|
In a word, developers. It takes years to make a modern game. Developers need at least 24 months to prepare for a game anywhere near launch time.
And when you're giving that much information to developers to create games, those hardware specs are going to leak into consumer channels. By the time you "announce" something, everyone who cares will already know about it, both the good and the bad. By doing it this way, the manufacturers can control the information, release it on their own schedule, and get fans hyped up about their new product.
