Obviously my claim that Left 4 Dead 2 will ruin the holidays is a little far-fetched, but let me explain. While I didn’t love the recently released Left 4 Dead 2 demo, I think the game will still be an enjoyable co-op title. I still have it pre-ordered, yet the primary reason for my crazy accusation is this: Left 4 Dead 2 is releasing 1 week after Modern Warfare 2.
Until Modern Warfare 2, Call of Duty 4 was perhaps the best online multiplayer FPS game I’ve ever played. Call of Duty 4 came out in November of 2007, which allowed many of us to play it for months (or even years for the dedicated ones). Left 4 Dead came out in November of 2008, giving us time to play that game as well for months before any other big online game came out (Halo Wars was released in March of 2009, and Battlefield 1943 was released in July of 2009). And what about Call of Duty World at War? That was also released around Left 4 Dead’s time in 2008. Fortunately for us online gamers, its multiplayer was forgettable outside of the Nazi Zombies mode. But what happens during this holiday season of 2009? Left 4 Dead 2 just decides to sneak out alongside Modern Warfare 2. Left 4 Dead 2 cheated! It should have released in November of 2010 and followed the standard 2 year development cycle of a current gen video game!
At first, it may sound great that two potentially engrossing online games will be out this holiday season, but the primary negative aspect of this dual release is that it splits the amount of playing time fans of both games would have (and the overlap is probably very big, as they’re both excellent series in their own rights). What am I supposed to do with half of my friends list playing Modern Warfare 2 and the other half playing Left 4 Dead 2? I have to make a decision every time I get on my 360 this holiday season as to which friends I should play with? This doesn’t sound very holiday-like to me.
I could just push my Left 4 Dead 2 purchase back to 2010, but what good does that do me when my friends are already buying it? This is the reason why mega blockbuster movies don’t open or release on DVD on the same weekend. It’s so that each one gets its necessary time in the spotlight.
If only game publishers realized that as well, and didn’t put out major online games one week apart. I certainly won’t even be able to get to the first Prestige in Modern Warfare 2 before Left 4 Dead 2 is delivered to my door. Thanks Left 4 Dead 2, you had to go and force yourself out right after Modern Warfare 2. You should have taken a cue from Battlefield Bad Company 2, the next big online multiplayer game. That’s coming out in March 2010, so you should have waited in line and at the earliest, come out in the summer of 2010. Now, because Modern Warfare 2 is the bigger fish, I’ll probably be trying to get through Left 4 Dead 2 as quickly as possible to dedicate the rest of my time to Modern Warfare 2.
I already decided that I’m not getting L4D2. I didn’t find L4D1 to be all that great from a single player standpoint and maybe 95% of my gametime was online multiplayer.
The L4D2 demo didn’t really wow me either. Well, except the frying pan.
I think I’m gonna wait a little for L4D2 as well. My backlog of current releases is already well on its way to spiraling out of control. Assassin’s Creed 2, which is actually supposed to be good, is coming out too!
heh well both l4d2 and ac2 will be dropped off at my door tomorrow. maybe i’ll open ac2 since i’m done with the mw2 single player and let you guys know how that is. hrm, maybe l4d2 won’t ruin the holidays after all if you guys are going to wait a bit heh
Indeed, wait for me! And post when it goes on sale