Every year a number of video games experience delays and 2017 is sure to be no different in that regard. What’s interesting about this year in particular is that so many heavy-hitters seem to be landing in the first half of the year. Horizon Zero Dawn, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Mass Effect Andromeda are all huge games that are hitting within the first three months of 2017 and even recent releases like Resident Evil 7 and Nioh are already being labelled possible game of the year contenders.
Of course, the late 2017 release window will become a lot clearer as the year progresses, with E3 in particular sure to add a number of games to the calendar, but as of right now, the latter half of the year is looking pretty barren and it gets even worse when you consider that at least some of these games will be delayed. While I’m not saying that all of the following games are going to pushed into 2018, the fact that none of them have a firm release date yet is not a great sign. I want nothing more than to see each and every one of them make it out in time for the holidays, but I also won’t be surprised if any of them get hit with a delay that takes them out of 2017.
Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite
I’m of two minds when it comes to Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, the long-awaited sequel to 2011’s Fate of Two Worlds. Part of me believes that Capcom will nail down a 2017 release date for the fighting game but if they do, it won’t be the “complete” version of the game. Just last year, Capcom put out Street Fighter V with a bunch of missing features in order to get it out in time for the Evo Championship series and I could see them doing something similar with MvC: Infinite. All Capcom has said is that the game is coming out in 2017, which means it could theoretically come out before the Evo Championship in July or much later in the year.
Still, while I don’t think we’ll see MvC get delayed (although anything’s possible), I don’t think we’ll see the complete version of the game until 2018. Capcom loves to release “ultimate” editions of their fighting games with additional characters and features six to eight months after the initial release and there’s been nothing to suggest that they treat Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite the same way.
Photo: Capcom