Grand Theft Auto VI is distorting the video game release calendar

Who is afraid of what is coming? JTA? Based on the last few days of Summer Game Fest, pretty much everyone. Grand Theft Auto VI He wasn’t present for any of the main events, but his presence was felt every time a release date was announced. November when? GTA VI Launches, almost empty. Meanwhile, the rest of the fall is quite busy.

It all started at Sony’s State of Play showcase on Tuesday. Even before this show, we knew that Wolverine, Exclusively on the next big PlayStationwill be launched on September 15. But now a host of major third-party titles have joined it: Dune: Awakening (September 22), Resonance control (September 24), Silent Hill: Townfall (September 24), Onimusha: The Way of the Sword (September 25), and Combat ace 8 (October 2). This is in addition to other games that will be launched before November that have already been announced. He loves Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 In October.

Meanwhile, On SGF Live this eveningseveral major games have gone further, with launches planned for 2027. This includes: Sega’s crime saga Stranger than paradise And for her Virtua fighter spin off Crossroads; Bandai Namco Orbit Gundam Rouge; Capcom’s “massive expansion” of Monster Hunter Wilds; clutchFor the first time Forza– Like the racer from Maverick Games; And Telltale The Wolf Among Us 2. The big reveal of the evening, Final Fantasy VII RevealedIt won’t come out until next spring.

And while the Xbox keynote won’t take place until Sunday, it’s already got things moving JTA‘wobble. When he announced it myth will be late again, This time until 2027Microsoft said part of the reasoning was that “this year is full of amazing games” and then cited it GTA VI By name, in addition to other titles.

Of course, not all of these titles changed their history precisely because of that JTABut at least some of them did. This is also not a completely new phenomenon. Last year when SilkSong Got a surprise release date in September, Other independent titles have changed their plans to move away from it. In some respects, GTA VI Similar, because it’s a long-running follow-up in development to massive success. but JTA It’s also clear that it’s on a much broader scale: these aren’t small indie studios changing their plans, but rather some of the biggest publishers in the industry, including Sony, Microsoft and Capcom.

Logic makes some sense. GTA VI It’s the closest thing to a guaranteed hit. It’s the follow-up to the game that not only sold nearly 230 million copies across three console generations, but also continues to raise money through a lucrative online mode. Quite possibly GTA VI It won’t match those high numbers, but it will certainly still sell a lot of copies. Strauss Zelnick, CEO JTA Publisher Take-Two said in a recent earnings call that it expects to “create new highs of operating performance driven by the November 19 launch of Grand Theft Auto VI“.Even a new proposal GTA VI The trailer is enough to get the internet foaming.

But when everyone has the same idea of ​​avoiding November, it creates a different kind of problem: There’s a complete crush of major releases over the next few months, especially in September, when many major games are now released on the exact same day. Is this really better than being close to JTA?

when Edge he asked Resonance control Creative Director Mikael Kasurinen talked about this at a recent preview event, appearing undecided due to the sheer number of games being launched in the same window. “We are confident in our game,” he explained. “We feel like we are in a good place, we have a special and unique experience, and we believe in that.”

Of course, there is one notable absence from the list of evading companies JTAThis is Nintendo. The company has yet to detail its holiday plans, focusing instead on upcoming games that will be launching soon, e.g Star Fox (June 25), Rhythm sky groove (July 2) and Splatoon Raiders (July 23). But aside from that, the calendar is empty, so there’s sure to be a big announcement (or announcements) coming that will reveal which games will power the Switch 2 during the all-important holiday season.

If there was one company that would do it PAC industry trends And launching a headline in November, It would be Nintendo.

Additional reporting by Kali Blagg.