After numerous games were pushed from 2014 to this year, many gamers were hoping developers were done delaying games and would stick to the new timelines. Unfortunately, this has not turned out to be the case. Already in 2015, we have seen some of the year's most anticipated games get shifted to 2016, including Uncharted 4, Legend of Zelda WiiU, and Homefront: The Revolution.

Now, Microsoft Studios has added another game to that list by announcing their highly-anticipated exclusive, Quantum Break, will not reach store shelves until 2016. The game was already postponed once from 2014 to this year, which makes this news extra disappointing. Despite the fact that Microsoft and developer Remedy Entertainment still have nine months left in the year to release their third-person shooter, that doesn't seem to fit into their timeline.

The reason for the shift is Microsoft's desire to avoid the congested game release timeline happening this fall. According to Head of Publishing at Microsoft Studios, Shannon Loftis, Microsoft would rather release Quantum Break during a slower release period.

"With so many Xbox One games launching this year, moving Quantum Break to 2016 extends our incredible portfolio into next year with a monster new IP"

This shift will also give Remedy time to make any needed adjustments to the game before it releases. We're sure the studio would have finished the game by this fall, but it never hurts to have a little extra time for testing and improvements.

By delaying the game to 2016, Microsoft should experience strong sales from Quantum Break during a lull in game releases. This tactic turned out to be very successful for Techland's Dying Light release. By postponing the zombie survival game to early 2015, Dying Light quickly became Techland's best-selling game and it's very likely Microsoft is hoping to repeat this same success with Quantum Break.

Additionally, with Halo 5: Guardians set to release on October 27, Microsoft can focus their marketing and attention on Master Chief rather than a new IP from the Alan Wake studio. Halo is a well-known and desired series, so Microsoft will want to push it hard going into the holiday. If Quantum Break was still scheduled for 2015, Microsoft might risk losing sales on one or both of the games. Therefore, rather than split the advertising and hoping for success with two games, Microsoft can focus on one at a time and reap the rewards.

Even though Quantum Break is now delayed to 2016, we hope to see more gameplay at the upcoming E3 conference.

What do you think about Microsoft delaying Quantum Break again? Do you think the strategy will pan out for them? Let us know in the comments.

Quantum Break is set to release in 2016 on Xbox One.

Source: Remedy Entertainment