Even though Brawl <a href="http://smashboards.com/blog/2007/07/11/smash-bros-brawl-dated-for-120307/">won’t be hitting US shelves until December 3rd</a>, Prima Games has already published information about its official Super Smash Bros. Brawl strategy guide <a href="http://www.primagames.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780761556442">on its website</a>. According to Prima, the guide will (allegedly) be made available on November 6th, nearly a full month before Brawl is released in the US, and a <a href="http://smashboards.com/blog/2007/08/11/brawl-in-japan-and-online-confirmed/">couple weeks before Brawl is rumored to hit Japan</a>.
Ordinarily I’d dismiss this as a mistake, or maybe an attempt to garner publicity, but <a href="http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=94725">ridiculously inaccurate release date predictions</a> are normally the work of <a href="http://smashboards.com/blog/2007/02/23/best-buy-moves-back-incorrect-release-date/">companies like Best Buy and Wal-Mart</a>, and usually happen, well… before release dates are actually officially announced. And the fact that Prima is already giving the guide an exact page count—208, to be exact—does raise an eyebrow or two, but it certainly doesn’t have to be true. Taken at face value though, this would suggest that the guide has already been basically written, a full three months before release.
In reality, though, could this guide really make its deadline? A month before the game comes out is pushing it, and wouldn’t it seem to spoil the Dojo if a strategy guide gave everything away so soon? Bear in mind that even though some strategy guides do beat the release date of a game (though not usually by this much), Prima’s guide to Super Smash Bros. Melee didn’t come out until December 31, 2001—nearly a month <em>after</em> Melee’s US release, and more than a month after its release in Japan.
So what’s your take? Is there any chance Prima will tell all come early November? Is it an honest mistake—or something more sinister? Did I just fall directly into their publicity-spreading trap?
(Special thanks to God Link on the boards for the tip!)
Ordinarily I’d dismiss this as a mistake, or maybe an attempt to garner publicity, but <a href="http://www.smashboards.com/showthread.php?t=94725">ridiculously inaccurate release date predictions</a> are normally the work of <a href="http://smashboards.com/blog/2007/02/23/best-buy-moves-back-incorrect-release-date/">companies like Best Buy and Wal-Mart</a>, and usually happen, well… before release dates are actually officially announced. And the fact that Prima is already giving the guide an exact page count—208, to be exact—does raise an eyebrow or two, but it certainly doesn’t have to be true. Taken at face value though, this would suggest that the guide has already been basically written, a full three months before release.
In reality, though, could this guide really make its deadline? A month before the game comes out is pushing it, and wouldn’t it seem to spoil the Dojo if a strategy guide gave everything away so soon? Bear in mind that even though some strategy guides do beat the release date of a game (though not usually by this much), Prima’s guide to Super Smash Bros. Melee didn’t come out until December 31, 2001—nearly a month <em>after</em> Melee’s US release, and more than a month after its release in Japan.
So what’s your take? Is there any chance Prima will tell all come early November? Is it an honest mistake—or something more sinister? Did I just fall directly into their publicity-spreading trap?
(Special thanks to God Link on the boards for the tip!)
But it could still have some awsome spoilers not on the site. 
