Games - Launch game

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	Games - Launch game

A launch game is a video game that has been made available to consumers synchronously with its respective video game console, meaning they are the only available games at the time of the console's launch. Because they provide first impressions of the console's features and technical abilities, they are extremely important in the video game industry, and many launch games have been killer games.

Quality vs. quantity

Historically, the number of launch games has been important. The more games there are available at launch, the higher the chances that players will find something that interests them. However, the same importance applies to game quality: quite simply, poor quality games don't sell as well as high quality ones.

When gearing up for a major console launch, developers and publishers have a decision to make. They can release a large number of launch games, often accompanied by the promise of more soon after launch, or they can come out with a few extremely strong titles, or a killer game. While coming out with a large number of extremely strong titles is of course preferred, this may not be practical. To balance these choices, developers will very often supplement one or two strong titles with third-party or licensed titles to bolster the number of launch games.

Killer launch games

Here are a few killer games that debuted at launch.

Super Mario Bros. 1985 Nintendo Entertainment System
(U.S. launch)
Super Mario World 1990 Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario 64 1996 Nintendo 64
Soul Calibur 1999 Sega Dreamcast
Halo: Combat Evolved 2001 Xbox

Launch title listings

These launch title listings are for the US and Japanese launches of the respective consoles.

===Atari 2600=== US launch: October 1977

Air-Sea Battle
Basic Math
Blackjack
Combat
Indy 500
Star Ship
Street Racer
Surround
Video Olympics

===Atari Jaguar=== US launch: November 1993

Evolution: Dino Dudes
Raiden
Trevor McFur in the Crescent Galaxy

===Microsoft Xbox=== US launch: November 15, 2001

Halo: Combat Evolved
Dead or Alive 3
4x4 EVO 2
AirForce Delta Storm
Arctic Thunder
Cel Damage
Dark Summit
Fuzion Frenzy
Mad Dash Racing
Madden NFL 2002
NASCAR Heat 2002
NASCAR Thunder 2002
NFL Fever 2002
NHL Hitz 20-02
Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee
Project Gotham Racing
Shrek
Test Drive Off Road — Wide Open
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2x
TransWorld Surf

===Microsoft Xbox 360=== US launch: November 22, 2005

Amped 3

Call of Duty 2
Condemned: Criminal Origins

FIFA '06: Road to FIFA World Cup
GUN

Kameo: Elements of Power
Madden NFL 06

NBA 2K6
NBA Live 06

Need for Speed: Most Wanted
NHL 2K6

Perfect Dark Zero
Peter Jackson's King Kong

Project Gotham Racing 3
Quake 4

Ridge Racer 6
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2006

Tony Hawk's American Wasteland

Japanese launch: December 10, 2005

Every Party

FIFA '06: Road to FIFA World Cup
Need for Speed: Most Wanted

Perfect Dark Zero
Ridge Racer 6

Tetris: The Grandmaster Ace

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