Games industry trade newspaper MCV reports that this year's Q1 games sales are "the biggest start to a year in living memory". Traditionally, post-Christmas empty pockets dictate that games released at the beginning of a new year languish with sub-optimal turn-over; often publishers try to bury releases around this time, building up their momentum instead for higher-profile titles to arrive around Easter. Instead, chart toppers Burning Crusade and Lost Planet have proven that content has reclaimed its throne as king, and is driving sales.
The cyclical nature of game release schedules has often meant that haggard industry workers do much of their overtime work at key points in the year: pre-holiday and pre-E3. This year's good figures and the loss of the large US-based consumer trade event may signal a change in how and when games make it onto the shelves.
According to the article:
"This goes to prove the industry doesn't need to be so seasonal. Forward-thinking publishers have released big titles and reaped the rewards."
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