I would also lean towards the side of a comparatively short period between date/announcement and actual release, largely because of the twin mitigating factors that this game is A. A remake, and B. A fuckin' Final Fantasy VII remake. Think about what's happened in the painfully-long period between the initial announcement and now...sure, there's been anticipation and excitement, but that gap also left the door wide open for a MASSIVE wave of projected criticism, "don't get your hopes up"-isms, "Top 10 Reasons Why Square Will Botch This" lists, 'Let's Speculate on Drama Within the Company and the Ways it's Tearing Itself Apart' articles--the list goes on. Since the audience for this game is so largely built-in, having a relatively short period between announcing the date and it actually being available highly increases the chances of "Finally, it's here, take my money, I don't care" buyer excitement, you could almost say more impulse-driven, without leaving so much room for reflection which turns to doubt which turns to hesitation. It's a strategy employed with certain kinds of film releases fairly often.