In their latest Question of the Week, Gamasutra asked if it's healthy for the gaming community to be bombarded with new releases in the four-week crunch that occurs between turkey day and Christmas. The majority of respondents felt it would be better to spread out the holiday cheer a little more evenly throughout the year. The reasons for this have to do with limited consumer budgets, the amount of pressure on developers, and the potential for buggier games resulting from the rush.
From a publisher's perspective, the marketing costs will be exponentially higher during the holiday season - a byproduct of increased competition to compete for shelf space and gamers' attention. If you're a consumer, however, there are typically more titles to choose from at this time of year, and there are also those "Buy 2, Get 1 Free" holiday deals that give gamers a little more financial bandwidth.
What are your thoughts on the Christmas run-up?
