Zack Zwiezen: It's Really Nice That Astro Bot Just Has One Release Date

Astro Bot is a really good video game and a great reason to own a PS5. Its colorful visuals, myriad gaming references, and excellent platforming have already made it one of 2024's best games. But there’s something else I love about Astro Bot: It only has one release date.

I don’t have the hard business data to back this up, but I get the impression that the video game industry got out a little in front of their skis over the past 5 years. COVID provided a temporary boost to sales that came back down to earth and publishers got addicted to the idea that all games could be a live service game with consistent revenue as players grinded through micro-transactions. They also made single-player games, but they leaned into massive games that took 5 or more years to build. All the while, they found more ways to get people to pay more for the same games but giving them the game a few days early.

Games like Astro Bot fill me with joy because they’re beautiful games sold at a fair price and without any bullshit you get from so many other games. Oh, and it’s like 15 hours to beat without micro-transactions or loot to grind for after you roll credits. I want to see more games like this and I hope people continue to support them so that game publishers learn they don’t have to make every game a “bet the company” project that takes the better part of a decade to create.