This year is going to be unique. Why? Because it's the year game developers in the US are going to realize what game developers in Japan have known for a long time. There are twelve months in a year. Big shock? Not to you and me, the ordinary gamer. To a game company, any major game company, it's going to be an enormous surprise. So what am I talking about? Take a look at this recent fall. Did you recall just how you had to choose which games you wanted? I certainly did and choosing between eating lunch for a week and a copy of Assassin's Creed is a tough choice when you are a hardcore gamer. Game companies just pile games out during the fall because it's the start of the Christmas shopping season. However, with so many companies pumping out AAA titles, companies have to start realizing what a bad idea it is starting to become. Don't believe me? Let take a look at an average game year.

"So, game publishers, recognize that there are twelve months in a year and give me my copy Brutal Legend in July. I'd rather not have to choose between that and Final Fantasy XIII this fall. I want them both. "

Each year is divided into quarters by game companies. These are fiscal quarters based solely on tax day. The first quarter is generally March, April and May. This is also known as the "Spring Game Season." The only things released are either low-key quirky games that have little hope of success or titles publishers wish to promote without the crushing down that comes with the "Fall Game Season." AAA titles can sometimes sneak out during this time, but the magazines and websites usually focus on fall, as opposed to what's coming out now. In 2007, nothing of note came out during the Spring Season except Super Paper Mario and God of War II. This lull was one of the reasons E3 started in the spring: So that we could start getting excited about the Fall Games Season, and get the buzz started about games that aren't even done yet. If you don't believe me, keep your eye out this year at E3 for Prototype, Ghostbusters, and Brutal Legend. It's guaranteed that the Hype Machine will start for one of these games this E3 and not end until the game's release.

The "Summer Game Season" usually runs from June to August. Here you will see one or two big titles hit shelves or quirky low-budget overlooked stuff. The AAA titles that hit are developed by teams who got ahead of their schedule or those that got extra team members hired (freelancers) to get the game out before fall. This is probably the time freelancers find their most varied opportunities. Every game company needs their stuff done by the time this season is over. If they don't... well, this is also the time publishers will let you know if they're going to meet their projected street date for their game. This was true in 2007, as it was during this timeframe we learned that Grand Theft Auto IV wouldn't hit until sometime next year. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth here at Kombo until we got our hands on BioShock (which got released early due to 2k Games investing in freelancers). They didn't have many freelancers working on Lair, but perhaps they should have. A few months delay would have done the game some good.

The "Fall Game Season" arrives September and runs through November. Take a good look at your games library, and I will wager a large chunk of it was bought during this time. During Fall 2007 we got Mass Effect, Super Mario Galaxy, Ratchet and Clank, Rock Band, Uncharted, Assassin's Creed and various others. It's just too many games in a period of just a few months.

The "Winter Game Season" (December to February) is usually a dumping ground for titles that publishers are only putting out to cash in (Rock Band PS2, Burnout Paradise) or those that have little chance of commercial success, even though they may be AAA-class titles. During this time in 2007 we were treated to the much-overlooked and Microsoft-ignored Crackdown.


It's nice to get good games like Crackdown during the slow month of February
So why is 2008 any different? Because of how the game industry and games have evolved. Games are no longer little pixel-bits floating across the screen -- they are full-blown 30 to 40 million-dollar projects that involve teams of hundreds to create. It's sad that's the way things are, as you don't need a massive budget or team to make a game great. But when a game is an investment that large, you need it to be the sole focus of the consumer. You need it to be the only thing people want to buy at that time. If the market is flooded with AAA titles, there is less overall cash for the consumer to spend and less of a chance that your game will sell. Are companies finally starting to realize that there are nine other months during which games can be released? Konami, Square-Enix, and Rockstar seem to know this. That's why in the early part of '08, we'll see games like Crisis Core, Metal Gear Solid 4 and Grand Theft Auto IV all released before April. There are also titles like Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Gran Turismo 5: Prologue hitting shelves during the first-half of the year. These are high-caliber games that would traditionally release during the fall season, not during the first half of the year. And before you call me out on the fact that many of these are Japanese games, and that I said Japanese developers have for a long time released games year-long, don't forget that these Japanese companies have North American divisions. And in the past, these divisions have held games that are finished simply so they can release them during the holiday rush. Finally, though, many of these North American divisions are waking up to the fact that you can release a game during any month of the year, and gamers will buy it.

Not every publisher has realized this, though. These companies are unaware that gamers have grown up and can buy games year-long. In fact, for many of us, it's more financially feasible than buying everything during the holiday season. So, game publishers, recognize that there are twelve months in a year and give me my copy Brutal Legend in July. I'd rather not have to choose between that and Final Fantasy XIII this fall. I want them both.