Fallout 4 was an odd case for the market. For consumers of video games, hearing about a game years before its release is common practice. As the day slowly draws nearer, more information is fed to the reporters. Hype begins to build, and before long many people who had forgotten about the game are brought back up to speed.
Bethesda’s Fallout 4 wasn’t officially announced until June 2015, only 6 months prior to the official launch of the game. With such a peculiar way of announcing a title, Todd Howard sat down with GameSpot to talk about how he’d like this to be a regular thing. Maybe even announcing a game closer to release then six months.
Howard notes how he prefers holding off on a games release, although he attributes the success of Fallout to being a follow up in a franchise. “There are moments when you get excited about hearing about something. I think that’s a special moment. Then you take Fallout, people already wanted it and that helps tremendously.”
Announcing a game way earlier on development causes for complications, and Howard explained to GameSpot that it’s hard when you can’t tell fans about a feature that isn’t even set in stone yet.
Fallout 4 isn’t the only entertainment medium to change the mold as of late. Adele’s most recent album, 25, was announced only weeks before its official release.