The latest report from Newzoo, a leader in videogame market intelligence, has revealed intriguing insights about the release patterns of triple-A games. According to the study, which covered titles priced at $51 and up across platforms like PC, PlayStation, and Xbox from 2021 to 2024, the concentration of major game releases towards the year's end is causing what the company describes as 'avoidable cannibalization'.
The report indicates that February was the busiest month for triple-A game releases, with 22 titles, while October followed closely with 21. In stark contrast, months like April, May, and July saw just seven big-budget games each, marking these months as a traditional downtime for mainstream game releases.
Impact of Release Timing
Using player count data from a game's first three months post-release, Newzoo discovered that some months' apparent strength was largely due to the performance of a few standout titles. For example, smash hits like
Additionally, the report sheds light on how holiday months tend to be deceptively crowded. Many games marketed as November releases are actually available in early November, while numerous August releases are clustered at the month's tail end. As a result, the period from August to November generally sees game releases underperforming by 34% compared to the February-to-May timeframe. This underperformance persists at 25% even when excluding major hits like
Newzoo argues against the industry's traditional focus on the holiday selling window, suggesting that a more balanced distribution of game releases throughout the year could mitigate unnecessary competition and improve individual game performance.
PC Player Base Projections
Besides analyzing release schedules, Newzoo also offered projections for the gaming market. The firm's Global Games Market Report forecasts a 3.1% year-on-year increase in the global PC player base, reaching 936 million players by 2025. This growth is expected to be driven partly by increased adoption of platforms like Steam in China and Japan, and a growing presence of Gen Alpha players.
Overall, Newzoo's findings suggest that the gaming industry could benefit from rethinking its release strategies to better harness the full potential of its diverse and expanding audience.
