Why are videogames released on Tuesdays?

I assume it started with the release of home versions of movies on VHS. Figure Tuesday sales wouldn't impact tickets for box office releases going into the weekend. Did videogames just adopt this?

Any other reasons?

@Daneian: Hey your lucky I have to wait till Fridays here in the UK at least you get yours a little bit more early.

I heard this years and years ago while at my local renting place, but someone told me it was so games and movies were shipped together, so rental places who only had games and movies got all their new stock on the same day of the week.

No idea if that's true or not, but it makes sense. I, for one, would love to see more games released on Friday. Yeah, Skyrim!

Swedes get our games on Fridays, Thursday if we preorder from a few stores. I don't know why.

i wish video games only came out on fridays, mainly because I have that day off and I would have money.

@Wraxend: Actually, I think releasing on Friday is a much better idea. When I used to work 10-12 hour days, new games coming out on Tuesday was like a tease. I'd get to play like, two hours total, before the weekend. I think it's better to have whole days to sink your teeth into a new game, rather than a few hours.

@Wraxend: Not complaining, just wondering. Movies still come out on Fridays? Does that make you choose between one or the other on weekends where there is both a big videogame and big movie release?

Doesn't Nintendo release on Sundays? Do they still do that?

@Daneian: To be fair when I think about it we do release things logically here DVDs/Blurays are out on Mondays and Games are out on Fridays. So watch a movie during the week as it doesn;t take long and play a game during the weekend which allows you to have the most time off.

I have heard it's because of the way shipping works (transit, the trucks being loaded and sent out). I know they could just change the schedule but it just seems like they wanted to set a standard so at some point they decided Tuesdays (as movies seem to be released often on tuesdays as well).   
I don't know, though, for me it's just hear say. I do like knowing what day new stuff comes out though. Makes things easier.

@PenguinDust said:

Doesn't Nintendo release on Sundays? Do they still do that?

Yeah, they still do that. But they're really the only ones who consistently do non-Tuesday releases.

Not really sure why, but I would much rather have them come out on fridays like some people have said it is for them because then you'd have the whole weekend to play and enjoy it rather than wanting to call out of work so I can have more play time.

It is frustrating because I can't get into the game due to assignments.

Curse you gaming industry..curse you..

The last game that I remember was Gears 2 coming out on a Friday in the US

@Monopolized said:

i wish video games only came out on fridays, mainly because I have that day off and I would have money.

@NickBOTT said:

Not really sure why, but I would much rather have them come out on fridays like some people have said it is for them because then you'd have the whole weekend to play and enjoy it rather than wanting to call out of work so I can have more play time.

You know even though games come out on a Tuesday there, you could just buy them on a Friday instead.

Only in America... there is a world out there too. We get it on Fridays, which makes sense because people have a weekend to go and play but games should come out whenever they are done, really.

I don't know why it's Tuesdays for you but in the UK we get them on Fridays which makes zero sense to me. I still don't understand why there isn't worldwide releases on all games. Gears 3 did it, Cod does it and i'm sure Halo will too. It doesn't make any sense to me that Uncharted is out here on the second... one day, on a wednesday for some absurd reason. I'm glad they hit that awesome 2.11.11 date.

Luckily most online shops don't give a shit about street dates and most games come in the post before theyre out on the friday.

Yeah, it's kind of annoying that they come out on Tuesdays because I don't get home until 5 and I usually have junk to do so I don't get to really play until Fridays (Get home at 12ish). :{

@craigbo180: This is true, but some games that you are really looking forward to for a while you just feel the need to get them on the release day. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that.

11/11/11 is a Friday, unfortunately for those of us who order online.

@Daneian: Skyrim comes out on a Friday. Movies used to randomly come out on Weds

@PenguinDust said:

Doesn't Nintendo release on Sundays? Do they still do that?

Yeah, they still do that. But they're really the only ones who consistently do non-Tuesday releases.

@craigbo180: but i want to play them first D:

Fridays are good, You get to play it really late and not have to worry about work the next morning.

@Monopolized@NickBOTT

Well good news guys. Games come out on a Tuesday where you live so you can play them first!

Problem solved!

________________________

Best Video Games

Are you sure that's not just a US thing? I don't think it's quite the same in other countries.

@Tonylope said:

Are you sure that's not just a US thing? I don't think it's quite the same in other countries.

In Europe it's Fridays while in the US it's Tuesdays I dunno how it works in Asia.

It's pretty weird considering most stores will get the shipment of games a lot earlier, and then they just sit on that stock until someone breaks street date on the hotter items and everyone throws their hands up in the air.

Its the same with music I well.

I seem to recall this being (at least in the UK) due to how the charts are tracked. In the UK it seems best to release on a Friday as I believe the charts take into account Friday to Thursday of the following week for the sales period of each week (so releasing Friday means you get more time to get to number one or as high up in the chart as possible). However we have had some games come out on Tuesday and Wednesday lately (mainly the major games like Call of Duty, Halo, Assassins Creed, et al) as I think that is due to having a worldwide release date on those blockbuster titles.

That is my understanding of this anyway.

It has to do with stocking shelves, as well as consumer awareness. Consumers who have jobs are typically pretty busy on Mondays to even be aware of new releases. And by the weekend, they're watching movies in theaters. Which leaves Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. And it's easier to find the time to stock shelves on Monday and Tuesday, which are typically slow days for stores. So logically, Tuesday seems like a perfectly fine day to release movies and games. Easier to stock, and better awareness for consumers.

Also, sales are tracked on these items, much like TV show Nielson ratings and so forth. So Tuesday is probably the day they start their week for tracking. Probably Tuesday through Monday. Because Tuesday is pretty slow sales wise, it's easier to start and stop on a Tuesday.

@Daneian said:

I assume it started with the release of home versions of movies on VHS. Figure Tuesday sales wouldn't impact tickets for box office releases going into the weekend. Did videogames just adopt this?

Any other reasons?

You pretty much answered your question. Video games just adopted that method so retailers who deal with movies and games get the shipment together. As far as to why Tuesday, then I have no clue. Personally I think they just picked a day in random.

Thursday is release day in Australia. I think has much to do with Thursday being catalogue day for department stires (Thu - Wed)

I'd much rather have games release on Fridays vs. Tuesday as they do here in the US. Oftentimes, for big release games, I take off work and get one day to play the game. Then I have to wait until the weekend to really dive back into it. If the game released on Friday, I could do the same, get a 3 day weekend, and go comatose in my basement from constant playing. My wife would kill me, but I think it's worth it :)

The reason why Friday is normally the release date in the UK (also most of Europe from what others tell me) is for a couple of reasons

• Payday was nearly always every Friday. Most people nowadays get a monthly salary instead of weekly, but this is still quite often the last Friday of the month.
• It enables you to manage staff costs better in a Retail environment. You can keep a smaller staff during the week and drag your part timers in for your Saturday and Sunday shifts, you're confining the new releases to the traditional shopping days.

As more business is moved away from physical outlets then the practice should stop. It’s already happened with many games last year which can only be a good thing. It's hold over’s like this that contribute quite heavily to piracy.

@Daneian: Cause Walmart.

[Update]

@Daneian: The man says so.

@Daneian: I've always heard that it gives stores times to order more stock and be ready for the weekend.

WOW WAY TO COPY ME

http://www.giantbomb.com/forums/general-discussion/30/why-do-video-games-always-seem-to-come-out-on-tuesdays/511470/