Got an itch to play a dungeon crawler this holiday season? Well, you might have to hold your breath as Kotaku's Owen Good is reporting that Torchlight 2 is being pushed back to an early 2012 release. Runic games sited that it wanted more time to polish the title and even do a short beta before it's release.
The cooler thing, in my opinion, is the frankness the company has to the other reason it has delayed the title: all the great games that are out now. Think about it, this may have been one of the greatest years for videogames ever. IGN awarded perfect 10 scores to two titles already in Uncharted 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, not to mention the other amazing titles out there. Assassin's Creed: Revelations, Batman: Arkham City, Battlefield 3, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Dark Souls, The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Minecraft, RAGE, Saints Row 3, and Star Wars: The Old Republic are just some of the big name titles that have (or will be out) by Christmas. It's a breath of fresh air to see a game developer realize that most people will be consumed in these games and that pushing their title into early 2012 can give them a better chance as being seen as a stand out title.
The move could turn out to be a mistake however. By pushing back into early 2012, they have to compete with that other popular dungeon crawler. You know...oh what's it called....oh yeah, Diablo 3, probably one of the most anticipated games this decade. Being in direct competition with them could hurt their sales as they'll launch around the same time. Runic does, however, have a lot of the staff from the original Diablo game developing the Torchlight series, so it does stand a very good chance of being as good or better than Diablo 3, but it is still relatively not well known compared to the big franchise name Diablo has evolved into over the years. So hopefully Runic is not hurting themselves by doing this, I'd hate to see Torchlight 2 sink in this holiday seasons lineup, but it would be even worse to see it struggle against the Diablo juggernaut. So what do yo think? Is delaying a good idea with what is all available right now? Is it cool that they are willing to admit to this? Or are they making a mistake by not getting to the market before Diablo 3? Sound off below!
This is a fantastic idea! And as much as stylistically Torchlight is in competition with Diablo, they intelligently aim to hit completely different markets; Diablo aims for hardcore PC enthusiasts with a nice rig and a taste for their classic-style nostalgia, while Torchlight aims for the casual player with a cheaper rig and a taste for adventure.
ReplyDeleteAlso with Torchlight II being a budget title (I assume based on the first Torchlight) both games are aimed to fulfill the wants and needs of separate but equal gaming markets.