After 30 years, FIFA is being rebranded as EA Sports FC, and according to reports, this year's Call of Duty is more like a standalone expansion to last year's game.

Typically, FIFA and Call of Duty would be safe bets, but this year might be a little different. There are two notable games we've not seen yet. In terms of the major third-party publishers, only Ubisoft appears to be showing up (outside of the usual sports titles). It's not the biggest line-up in terms of quantity (although if you're a fan of 2D platformers, you're in luck). Looking ahead, after the recent spate of summer showcases, we now have a very good idea of what to expect from the rest of the 2023. Live-service titles, an endless stream of great indie releases, subscription services filled with legacy games, and the fact that AAA titles are often hundreds of hours long… Gamers aren't complaining about gaps in the schedule. Gamers are not exactly bereft of things to play. There's an argument that things will become more consistent as the business recovers from the setbacks caused by the COVID-19 lockdowns. A few interviews I've conducted recently have been precisely on this topic, with Ubisoft talking about its push into mobile, and GAME explaining its plans around toys. Gamers aren't complaining about gaps in the scheduleīusiness that are still reliant on a strong, regular and deep slate of AAA releases – areas such as the media and retail – will feel the pressure to grow alternative revenue streams. As of right now, June has a stronger line-up than November. The release slate is spotty right up until October when, for some reason, everyone seems to be releasing their games within the same two-week period. It has been a big year but, outside of the many thousands of indie games, there have also been these gaps in the schedule. But there have been a handful of new indie games that have broken through, and Hi-Fi Rush found an audience via Xbox Game Pass.

New IP has fared less well, with Forspoken and Redfall missing in terms of quality and popularity. And those have come alongside other big IP, such as Resident Evil 4, Dead Island 2, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Final Fantasy 16, and Street Fighter 6. It has been ladened with blockbuster, record-breaking releases, including Hogwarts Legacy, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and Diablo 4. It's been a bit of an unusual year for the AAA games industry.

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