Console launches are strange. As games straddle console generations and the three major console manufacturers’ strategies move out of parallel alignment, launch exclusives have become less common, with initial coverage focusing in on how the system handles games that much of the audience is already familiar with.
Consoles may launch with a few exclusive titles alongside a few smaller curios, a handful of ports from other systems, updated versions of games that were already available on the previous system, and – usually – a few releases that feel a bit cheeky. There will usually be a big, obvious title with an extraordinary attach rate at launch (it’s Mario Kart World this time), and then a bunch of other titles jostling for the attention (and impulse purchase money) of anyone picking up the system.
