2014 – The Year Of The Game Delay (With Infographic)

2014 may be the year of the Horse in some cultures, but for gamers, we’re officially calling 2014 the year of the Game Delay.

Regardless of whether these delays are actually beneficial for gaming fans we’ve dug in and discovered that 2014 has already seen more delays than any other year in gaming history.

Behold, the Infographic:

We suggest you open this bad boy in a new tab. That sweet, sweet zoom.

The Game Delay – The Crime Who Must Not Be Named

Many years ago, it wasn’t uncommon for players everywhere to be fuming after a game delay announcement. 

The fact is that it wasn’t that common, so the rare occurrence would cause a general outrage. The reasoning behind such delays, however occasional, was also never uniform. 

Compared to the consistency of recent years, it seems that no developer wished to commit such a heinous crime as to delay a game, with explanations such as removal of inappropriate Easter Eggs (as we saw with Halo 2) or to avoid competition (Grand Theft Auto). 

Oh Game Industry, How You’ve Changed

Regardless of previous years, it seems that game developers’ respective manhood has grown substantially.

Although this animosity could be arguably justified, there is a possibility that the developers are not purposefully holding a magnifying glass up to the sun and watching all of us squirm underneath. 

In 2014 we’ve noticed (at least) 10 more titles delayed in one year than it’s 2011 predecessor. The majority of delays can be attributed to the developer’s craving to perfect their games, something that has never been done before, which has sparked an outcry of unhappy players. 

Although this animosity could be arguably justified, there is a possibility that the developers are not purposefully holding a magnifying glass up to the sun and watching all of us squirm underneath. 

With various technological adaptations, the decision to take the heat of the consumer while producing a game they’re satisfied with seems to outweigh the alternative– to half-ass a game and waste years of their life on a product they aren’t proud of. 

Delayed?! I’m Not Angry, Just Disappointed 

Delaying a game for too long generally drives stale ideas into an ever-adapting community. 

Although developers generally have a positive reason to delay our favoritegames, and many have turned out extraordinary, there is a tentative time limit on how long a delay should take place. 

For example, Duke Nukem Forever (try not to cringe too hard), was delayed for over 10 years. Poor timing produced a new system release as the title was about to debut on an older console. Developers decided to re-do the game for the new console, which was a decision they wouldn’t soon forget. 

Laughable graphics, cringe-worthy dialogue, nothing about this game was exceptional, which further proves a point that delaying a game for too long generally drives stale ideas into an ever-adapting community. 

To Wrap It All Up…

Delays can be a positive inconvenience. Although our first reaction is to shake our e-fists in an virtual forum, many of our favorite games wouldn’t have been so exceptional if not for delays.

On the other hand, delaying a game for more than 2 years generally produces abhorrent results, thrusting ancient concepts, graphics, and stories into an environment that matured out of them long ago.