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Horizon Zero Dawn Remake Release Date: Bad Luck or Bad Planning?

Horizon Zero Dawn Remake: Why This Release Date is Seriously Bad Luck!

Horizon Zero Dawn's Unlucky Release Schedule: A Running Joke

The new Horizon Zero Dawn remaster is coming to the latest PlayStation generation–and many are excited! This updated version provides new options and capabilities to an older game and this new release will no doubt appeal to some audiences. However, it also highlights a bizarre trend!  Ever since the original game dropped in 2017, this entire franchise has faced the same problem – unfortunate release dates competing against other hugely hyped games, creating unnecessary competition and resulting in reduced fanfare surrounding the various releases of this beloved game franchise!

Eight years and counting: the curse continues! And with the release just days before Red Dead Redemption's much-awaited PC port; this release demonstrates the continued bad luck. Yes, Red Dead's PC port's arrival is super exciting,  giving players a beautiful high-fidelity experience; yet for Aloy fans? This overshadowed release isn’t ideal. Despite some surface similarities, Red Dead’s intense popularity, might bury Horizon under an avalanche of cowboy-themed content.

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Horizon's History of Unfortunate Launch Timing

A profile shot of Aloy and the robot dinosaurs she's encountered in the Horizons series Image

This bad luck for Horizon has occurred even in older versions! This isn’t just this one specific release either: This entire franchise always seemed to launch near hugely popular titles;  Horizon Zero Dawn came out only six days before Breath of the Wild in 2017. While Horizon got some initial hype; BOTW totally blew up, instantly becoming 2017's best game! This made some early gains extremely hard.

Five years later?  Horizon Forbidden West launched under a week before Elden Ring . The jokes?  Obvious, even self-explanatory. That close proximity didn’t make this good. Both titles were Game of the Year winners, and those overlapping releases ultimately detracted attention from a more recent release by some gamers;  however despite these setbacks;  Horizon Zero Dawn sold over 24.3 million units by 2023! This highlights a key message – quality storytelling usually tends to survive! The sheer, enormous sales numbers for Horizon’s previous version truly justify how much appeal this particular franchise really has despite issues from its continued bad luck.

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Why Horizon Needs to Break Free of the Release Date Curse

Aloy in a snowy field in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered. Image

While Horizon has seen enormous success– its impressive sales numbers highlight why it shouldn't matter.  However, it remains overshadowed.  Many players are entirely unaware of its commercial achievement; which doesn’t reflect what is actually a major, hugely profitable and highly praised video game franchise that’s become extremely popular for Sony, particularly due to ongoing reactions from that new remaster’s controversial timing.

More attention is really what is needed, and despite massive sales and awards, this doesn’t reflect what could be! More marketing, a bolder and better launch date, and avoiding releasing the same week of another much more significant and equally exciting uPComing title are key aspects that would otherwise alleviate some issues with audience attention and perception and greatly improves chances for continued audience appeal, improving how this fantastic video game truly gets seen by those people.

Luckily; there are plans to release additional games like LEGO Horizon Adventures (coming out soon after a previously mentioned game release!) which could give Horizon a totally new level of excitement; adding a surprising amount of needed changes to its brand awareness. Another possible game release (a rumored multiplayer spin-off)?  A multiplayer focused entry into the Horizon universe, is precisely what is needed to bring about far larger awareness for what might’ve already become a major title!

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Conclusion: Aloy's Adventure Needs Better Launch Timing!

A smiling LEGO Aloy and a beastly robot in screenshots from LEGO Horizon Adventures. Image

Horizon’s unlucky timing, while amusing now, could really harm things long-term! The remaster’s problematic launch date; released practically right next to a heavily anticipated title doesn’t create a better outcome! However, the coming games have incredible opportunities; those future titles really provide much-needed solutions that improve overall appeal.

Guerilla Games needs better release dates. Choosing a different timing for this highly anticipated and exciting series– which has achieved major commercial success – is completely required for audience recognition. A more strategic choice and taking those points more seriously; considering carefully, how many players interact with and see all these game announcements, especially from smaller-scale yet immensely successful video game productions will greatly increase visibility for its future titles and improve Horizon's long-term prospects; resulting in creating its own spot that doesn’t simply remain buried beneath competing games. The future looks bright for Aloy – but proper planning and far less questionable release date strategy is going to greatly matter!  The potential to become even bigger than before exists; it only matters how these opportunities will ultimately play out!

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