Software
2016 was host to some huge game releases. With the likes of Uncharted 4, Gears of War 4, Overwatch, and Final Fantasy XV headlining the list, it’s been a good year to be a gamer. Yet, while it’s great that we had so many different titles to choose from, it can all get a little bit costly if you buy all of the major releases. Oh, and don’t forget all of the neat new hardware that came out in 2016, too. Alongside the trio of VR headsets, Sony released two refinements to the PS4, and Microsoft brought us the Xbox One S. At this point, you’re probably wondering just how much money you would have spent if you picked up all major releases and hardware from 2016. Let the calculations begin!
Alongside the major exclusive releases from both Microsoft and Sony, third-party developers provided a slew of excellent major releases. From Bethesda’s Doom and Skyrim: Special Edition, to Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs 2, and FromSoftware’s Dark Souls III, there was something for everyone in the year of 2016. While a plethora of releases is great if you’re happy to choose what games you pick up, a hungry game appetite can see the cost of your favorite hobby skyrocketing, especially if you pick up all of the major releases on day one.
Taking a look through 2016’s release schedule, we identified a grand total of 48 major titles across all platforms. These were titles that either came from some of the largest publishers, were highly anticipated, and were generally considered good games upon release. The full list of games is below.
- XCOM 2
- Street Fighter 5
- Fire Emblem: Fates
Far Cry Primal - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD
- The Division
- Hitman
- Pokken Tournament
- Hyrule Warriors Legends
- Quantum Break
- Dark Souls 3
- Ratchet and Clank
- Star Fox Zero
- Battleborn
- Uncharted 4
- DOOM
- Overwatch
- Mirror’s Edge Catalyst
- Batman: The Telltale Series
- No Man’s Sky
- BioShock: The Collection
- Dead Rising: Triple Pack
- ReCore
- Forza Horizon 3
- FIFA 17
- Madden NFL 17
- NBA 2k17
- Mafia III
- Gears of War 4
- Paper Mario: Color Splash
- Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration
- WWE 2K17
- Battlefield 1
- Civilization VI
- World of Final Fantasy
- Titanfall 2
- Skyrim: Special Edition
- Infinite Warfare
- Dishonored 2
- Watch Dogs 2
- Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection
- Pokemon Sun and Moon
- Final Fantasy XV
- Super Mario Maker
- Steep
- Dead Rising 4
- The Last Guardian
- The Walking Dead Season 3
After a quick bit of math, if you picked up all of 2016’s major titles, you’d have spent $2670.
To break that down a little more for you.
- If you picked up every major release on 3DS and Wii U, you’d have spent $400.
- Every major PS4 release would have cost you $1870. PC owners face the same, daunting total.
- And finally, Xbox One owners picking up the full set have a grand total of $1750.
Throw in a handful of the 10 or so tempting indie titles that have released this year such as the likes of Firewatch, Unravel, and The Witness, and you’re looking at about $2000 in total if you’re a PS4, Xbox One or PC owner. While that might seem bad enough, there’s also the newly released hardware to factor into your totals, too.
