The Worst Excuses for Bad Launches

Releasing a game can be an exciting yet intimidating experience. It's the moment when months, if not years, of hard work culminate in a single release. ...

Yet despite all the preparation and planning, games sometimes fall short of expectations—both with critics and audiences. Developers often desperately search for explanations when their game doesn't take off, and some excuses can be particularly disappointing and unconvincing. In this blog post, we explore some of the worst excuses developers give for poor releases, highlight potential mistakes, and show how others can avoid similar pitfalls.

---

1. The -It's a Timing Issue- Excuse
2. The -It's a Learning Curve- Excuse
3. The -It Wasn't Meant for Everyone- Excuse
4. The -It's the Competition- Excuse
5. Conclusion:

---

1.) The -It's a Timing Issue- Excuse

One classic excuse that often gets trotted out is timing. Developers argue that their game failed because it launched at the wrong time or during intense competition from other popular releases. While market conditions might play a role, this excuse can be particularly weak when used as an alibi rather than a genuine analysis of what went wrong.

Analysis:

Timing issues are often more about execution and marketing strategy than they are about external factors beyond anyone's control. Games that launch in the middle of a global pandemic or during another major event have still managed to thrive, demonstrating that timing is not an insurmountable barrier if your game has inherent strengths. The real issue here might be poor planning, lackluster marketing, or weak gameplay mechanics that couldn't stand up against other games regardless of the time slot.

---

2.) The -It's a Learning Curve- Excuse

Another popular excuse is that players need more time to get used to the game's systems and mechanics-a classic case of blaming everything on the player rather than examining deeper issues like design flaws or balance problems.

Analysis:

A genuine learning curve is part of any game, but a prolonged curve accompanied by consistent negative feedback might indicate fundamental issues with the game's design. Players generally don't stick around for hours just to figure out how to play your game if it has obvious shortcomings. This excuse also tends to be used retroactively after poor performance, which undermines its credibility and leaves developers looking less than transparent.

---

3.) The -It Wasn't Meant for Everyone- Excuse

This argument suggests that the game's target audience was not properly defined or reached, thus leading to poor sales. While niche games might indeed struggle in a mainstream market, simply claiming this without any evidence can be dismissive of player preferences and marketing failings.

Analysis:

Every game has its core demographic, but successful games often broaden their appeal through improvements based on feedback. Relying solely on the assumption that your game is too complex or niche to appeal to a broader audience before giving it a chance to prove itself can be short-sighted and unproductive. It's important to gather player data and adapt gameplay mechanics accordingly, rather than making blanket statements about broad market suitability based purely on initial impressions.

---

4.) The -It's the Competition- Excuse

This excuse shifts blame onto other games in the market that might have overshadowed your game at launch. While competition is certainly a factor, using it as an easy out without addressing internal issues can be unhelpful and avoidant of responsibility.

Analysis:

Realistic competition analysis involves looking not just at the number of games but at genre overlap, player demographics, and how other releases have performed in relation to your game's strengths and weaknesses. Blaming others for your shortcomings doesn't help anyone improve or succeed; it merely serves as a placeholder explanation until something better is found.

---

5.) Conclusion:

Launching a game is an art that requires balancing passion with pragmatism, creativity with realism. When things don't go according to plan, blaming external factors without first examining your own performance-be it in development, marketing, or post-launch support-can be detrimental. Instead of resorting to excuses, consider these scenarios as learning experiences and use them as an opportunity for introspection and improvement. By focusing on continuous improvement and honest self-assessment, developers can set a stronger foundation for future releases that are more likely to succeed in the long run.

---

The Autor: RetroGhost / Marcus 2025-05-15