Now that release dates have been hammered down, and consumers have their pre-orders all lined up, it’s time to get really, really excited about the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Right? Wait…no?
These consoles aren’t offering too much to be excited for in the first few months, folks. And that has me a bit, well, cautious with my pre-order bucks.
It’s time to slow down the hype train.
So, what exclusive and banner efforts can gamers expect to enjoy on launch day for each new system? We’ve broken it down by the most notable (though, there isn’t much) for each system. We’re not counting games that straddle both generations, either.
Xbox One
- Dead Rising 3
- Forza Motorsport 5
- Ryse: Son of Rome
- Killer Instinct
PlayStation 4
- Killzone Shadow Fall
- Knack
- PlayRoom
Sure, the Xbox One might have one or two extra notable titles, but their biggest offerings really don’t compare to Killzone Shadow Fall. In fact, I’m willing to say that Killzone is the biggest console launch game between both platforms, and there’s a chance it might be the only genuine slam dunk for either system this holiday. The only title that stands to give it a run for its money is Forza, and I’m sure that’ll be a quality racer.
But, therein lies the problem. These launch lineups just aren’t very good.
Remember the Wii U? We do.
The Wii U’s launch lineup was really bad. Even with the likes of New Super Mario Bros. U, ZombiU and Nintendo Land, Nintendo suffered through a super rough startup for its newest console. Hell, they’re only now starting to escape those rough times.
The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 aren’t offering much in the way of exciting content, either. Killzone and Forza look strong, but then we start to trickle into games we’re only buying or considering because we have no other options. Ryse might be okay, but the world hasn’t exactly been pumped for it since E3. Knack is supposedly a mess. What’s left? Dead Rising 3, maybe?
These launch lineups don’t look much better than what Nintendo offered up last year. Thanks to delays, we won’t see the likes of Watch_Dogs or DriveClub until well into next year. We’re in for a bit of a ho-hum release calendar, folks.
Should you be nervous?
No, you shouldn’t. The fact of the matter is that launch lineups are never really all that good. The Wii’s was solid, thanks to WiiSports and Twilight Princess, but that’s the best we have in recent memory.
Maybe that’s the issue. It’s been so long since we’ve seen a new generation of consoles that we forgot exactly how bad launch games are. Don’t be nervous about this. It’s normal. These launches might be boring. We might go months before great games start rolling in with any regularity. That’s where we are with the Wii U.
All I’m suggesting is that, brace yourselves, the releases of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 won’t feature too many great games. Come January, February, March and April? Yeah, we’ll start swimming in quality. At the onset, though? These consoles look a little weak when it comes to games.
