Developers, losing their touch? Is the magic gone?

[Boneasse]

In all honesty, we've seen an increasing amount of sequels/prequels to good(or bad) games these past few years.

I know, some of them are good and might even be better than the original, but a lot of games in a series/spinoffs etc. are just... not

So, which developers have in your opinion, lost their touch (if any)? When have you been let down?

 

[Jamienra]

I think that some developers could do a lot better.
Brutal Legend was a let down from me, copmared to Psychonaughts it was an average game, comapred to almost everything else on the 360 it was almost perfect.
Although AC2 really made me believe that Ubisoft can keep churning out fantastic games.

 

[auronvi]

SquareEnix has been losing it's touch. Activision is just pumping out sequel after sequel.

On the flipside, EA has been surprising me with good games. I remember hating them for being the sequel flipping fast food like game maker that Activision is turning into.

 

[sephiroth1991]

It's all about the money now. Make a multiplayer, add a two hour SP, packeged, sell, repeat

 

[Manji187]

Only Square Enix has consistently let me down after FFX (when it was just Square). Also Capcom has let me down with RE5 (RE4 rules) and Konami has let me down with MGS4 (MGS3 rules).

 

[ma55ter_fett]

I haven't been buying as many games as I used to, it could be me.

Maybe games no longer hold as much magic now as they once did.

Familiarity breeds contempt.

 

[Baby Tea]

I don't see a problem with the current game market at all.
People like sequels. Internet forums can complain all they want about sequels, but when MW2 sells millions of copies, as well as Assassin's Creed 2, and the New Super Mario Brothers Wii (Which is a milked franchise if there ever was one), then who is right?

Companies are looking to make money, and right now they are making plenty with sequels.
A new IP doesn't mean good game. It means a huge risk.
New gameplay ideas are great, but you don't need a new IP for that.
Case and point: Mass Effect 2. Obviously a sequel, but refined combat system, improved AI, improved story-telling techniques (Interrupts, etc), and, from all review accounts, smoother gameplay over all. The same could be said for Assassin's Creed 2. New mechanics, same IP.

Just make the games fun. I don't care if I'm playing as the Master Chief again, or Mario, just as long as I'm having fun.

 

[Pimppeter2]

Nah, some developers still touch me

 

[TPiddy]

Batman: Arkham Asylum, Dragon Age: Origins, Borderlands, Brutal Legend....

All original IP's that came out last year and all were fantastic and some GOTY contenders.