Q4 release schedule 'most sensible in 20 years'

The videogames release schedule for the last three months of 2009 is, according to SimplyGames.com director Neil Muspratt, the most sensible he's seen in 20 years, and he's looking to key releases early next year to maintain sales momentum.

Speaking in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz Muspratt pointed to the release of behemoth title Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 as one of the key reasons.

"This quarter's release schedule is one of the most sensibly divided up I've seen in nearly 20 years of buying videogames," he said. "I'm not sure why it's happened but I think the short answer is that it's Modern Warfare 2 and everyone is running scared of that - but I also hope that publishers are seeing that this quarter will be such an important one for the increase in the installed user base because of the reduction in price of the consoles.

"This is going to be a massive console selling period and in the early part of next year, and indeed the rest of 2010, there will be a wider audience for software - I think it's important for all retailers that we go in to 2010 with some fantastic releases ahead of us. We're all used to seeing good number of good games squashed to the point of insignificance into a quarter that is just too crowded.

"I can remember the VHS industry in 1991 when the home film industry used to run scared of the summer, in 1991 Home Alone and Ghost were released in the middle of June, traditionally was one of the quietest months of the year, and guess what happened? You bring great products out and they'll sell through regardless."

The full interview with Muspratt is available on GamesIndustry.biz now.