While most people get whipped up into a frenzy over all the new games that come out for Christmas, summer is often horribly overlooked as a good season for gamers. Is this deserved?

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Is Summer the Most Underrated Season for Gamers?

So here we are with summer getting underway. The sun is out, it’s warm, and there’s plenty of nice weather to enjoy, but what’s a gamer to do when they actually want to get down to some gaming? Some people lament the summer as a slow, boring time for our hobby. They’re busy eyeing the Christmas rush, and the bounty of games that inevitably gets released during that time. Personally, during the summer I like to look at the Q4 rush that happened six months prior and all the games I didn’t have time to play then, with a few thoughts of classics that need to be revisited along the way.

Unless you have godly time management skills, and possibly a device that actually slows down the passage of time, it can be a real challenge to get through all of the great games that the industry belches out every Christmas. Moreover, one would need to be extremely well heeled to actually be able to afford them all at that time. That’s why I love the summer so much as a gamer. I can play a bunch of great games at my leisure without much in the way of new releases getting in my way. On top of this, because a lot of these games are three to six months old, there’s a pretty good chance that retailers have started to discount them, so I can save a few bucks in the process.

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For me, the best way to occupy my gaming time during the summer is to dig into an RPG, or some other similarly meaty adventure. With little else in the way of new, high-profile games on the horizon, I can focus on these sorts of games and really tear them apart. This summer, I’ve already dog eared some time for Mass Effect, and if I manage to get through that one in a timely manner, I

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may just dig into another game in the genre. Sadly, I don’t have the time to revisit an entire series like I see some people do during this time, such as those who embark on a summer of Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest, et cetera. I love my RPGs, but I don’t have that much time!

If you’re feeling nostalgic, you could always play some classic games that drip of summer themes. The NES has its fair share of such titles with the likes of the Skate or Die series, Super Spike Volleyball, and Super Dodge Ball (not really summer themed, but close enough). There’s also no lack of big head baseball games out there waiting to be played on any number of classic systems. All of the other classic systems have their fair share of summer games well worth looking at, and it makes for a nice trip down memory lane as well.

One other option for those so inclined is to spend the summer with an MMORPG. For many, it’s difficult to set aside time for such games during much of the year, but when things slow down in the summer, it’s more of an option. Many of these games have summer festivals in-game during this time of year, and it’s a lot easier to get into these games when one needn’t worry about other games. Granted, there’s still more time management needed in these sorts of games compared to others, but if one wants to hop into the genre, the summer is probably one of the best times to do so.

Late fall and early winter get most of the accolades for being such a great time for gamers with all of the titles that get released for the Christmas rush. However, summer deserves more respect. There may not be a lot of new games to come out then, but it’s the perfect time of year for gamers to enjoy their hobby at a leisurely pace.

Mr. Nash

June 26, 2009