The past three months have been jammed with new video game releases.  A glut of titles always marks the holiday season, of course, but 2011 seemed like a special exception.  There were just too many quality games released to play them all.  GamesRadar has come up with a list of five titles released in time for the holidays that really should have waited until 2012 to land in stores.  For instance, Rayman: Origins:

Rayman: Origins' release date rubbed up against every big release. It came out a few days after Skyrim, a few days before Call of Duty, and the same day as Assassin’s Creed, which is also published by Ubisoft. We understand that Ubi can’t really be held accountable for other major publishers throwing their games out around the same time it intended to, but it could at least have made sure that it didn’t release two of its biggest games on the same day. That’s just bad business sense. And despite being an absolutely fantastic game, Origins sold dismally, not even scratching the NPD sales list for November. Discounts may have helped it move a few more units, but we’re not going to be happy when Ubisoft says that it has “no plans for future Rayman games due to the sales of Origins,” which is totally something it is going to say.

The major titles from 2011 that I missed at the time that I want to play are Saints Row: The Third, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One, and Kirby's Return To Dreamland.  Knowing how much of a fan I am of each of those franchises, it seems unexpected that I'd have to pass on them for a while.  I just this week started on Saints Row (as a purchase) and All 4 One (as a rental; couch co-op all the way!), and the two Wii games will follow at some point in some capacity.  Any publisher that looks at Q4 2011 sales sheets and wonders why their big game failed to slay the beasts that are Skyrim, Super Mario 3D Land, and Call of Duty needs to reassess releasing games right next door to those juggernauts.  Not every game is cut out for the holiday shopping season.