Is the games industry running out of ideas?

[J-Man]

I got some interesting comments of my "Are games getting dumber" post, most of them tended to say 'yes, but they're fun, so who cares?' or 'lazy capitalist devs just want money from the dumb proletariat'

So now I propose a second question; is the gaming industry running out of ideas? It seems to me that the majority (and a huge majority, might I add) of the latest games tend to be part of a series or franchise. Here are some examples:

Call of Duty: World at War
FIFA 09
Tomb Raider: Underworld
Far Cry 2
Fallout 3
Grand Theft Auto IV
Gears of War 2
Football Manager 2009
Need for Speed: Undercover
Fable 2
Mercenaries 2

And the list goes on...

So, are you guys sick of these sequels and series? Or can you not get enough of them? Do you actually care, or are you just interested in the quality of the game?

 

[Galletea]

Well series don't necessarily mean lack of ideas, it's just a way to make sure the game is recognized. There are new ideas around, but developers are sticking to sure fire hits for the time being I think.

 

[Syphonz]

More so quality now. It's hard to put a real 'innovation' stamp on anything now'er days. Something can normally traced back to something for influence or has already been done.

I only ever get sick of sequels when the franchise has died, and has been long since dead, but yet developers keep trying to revive it with terrible remakes or complete flips that make it nearly unreconizable...example: See Turok.

 

[J-Man]

Oh yeah! Another example; Alone in the Dark. Seriously, if you got the names of all the games in all series, you'd have more words than there are in all the Geneva Conventions combined. However, Valve tend to be at the forefront for new games, and they've done impressively well.

 

[TerraMGP]

As I have said before Most every idea in the Game industry has been recycled at least a few times now and come from somewhere else. Thats game design 101. Thats why I like the Wii, it actually offers something new and fun to help break the knowledge that the game your playing borrows elements from ten other games, twenty movies eight books and a musical. Granted part of the problem is that most Developers are lazy and don't really put the effort into distracting you from the fact that you are playing the same idea over again like most good books or shows will. Its easier to use the idiots they have in their back pocket (I.E. Most Reviewers) to hype the game up or bash things by creating some artificial brain trust feel that tells gamers what to get and what not to get.

 

[J-Man]

Call of Duty: World at War - Fun
FIFA 09 - Fun
Tomb Raider: Underworld - Haven't played
Far Cry 2 - Fun
Fallout 3 - FUN
Grand Theft Auto IV - Fun
Gears of War 2 - FUn
Football Manager 2009 - Fun
Need for Speed: Undercover - Fun
Fable 2 - FUN
Mercenaries 2 - FUN

So umm no, I really don't have a problem. I don't really see doing a sequel as running out of ideas, ESPECIALLY in a sports gaming series... what are they going to do other than emulate what's in front of them? And besides, there are tons of other original games coming out. And if they are interesting, they'll hopefully get another interesting sequel.

So you never want something completely new or different to what you've played before?

 

[_daxter_]

guys, indie games are great. and games are about emotions. if the majority of people agrees they want to feel the same thing again and again, then so be it. that is the business side of the game!

have a look at limbogame.org or josef or flow or flower or even shadow of the colossus. it is going to be similar to the movies. what are you going to do about it? forbid making money?? you can try to make people more clever and demanding, but well...

 

[Zersy]

theres new ideas but nothing to get them working if you know what i mean?

 

[Baby Tea]

Call of Duty: World at War - Over priced MOD
Tomb Raider: Underworld - Overdone series. Please, for the love of Pete: Let it die
Fallout 3 - May be part of a series, but changed it enough to be more new then series
Grand Theft Auto IV - New graphics, new online, same game.
Fable 2 - Good for the first time through, but I have no desire to go through again. None.
Mercenaries 2 - I hated this game.

I only called out the ones I've played.

I don't mind a sequel or new addition to the series as long as they do it right or different enough to keep it interesting.

Like Fallout 3. Sweet game.

But NOT like Grand Theft Auto 4, which was the same crap with a new face on it and multiplayer. Or like World at War which is, as stated, an overpriced CoD4 MOD. Hurrah.

I would like to see some new games (Mirror's Edge was a fresh premise, even if a bit short), but you can't blame developers for milking a series that does well, especially if people are gobbling up the new ones.

 

[MintyFreshBreathGuy]

He does kind of have a point. They really are all sequels. It doesn't mean they're bad or running out of ideas but it might mean that the games industry wants to continue producing sequels to games they know everyone will buy. Just like the movie industry. In all honesty I can't think of a lot of new titles (non-sequel titles that is) off the top of my head. And don't tell me I don't know what I'm talking about. I spent a week and a half looking for new game titles on and off the Wikipedia page. I can think of Eat Lead: Return of Matt Hazard and some PS3 game that's not out yet called Hydrophobia, Faith and a .45 and finally off the top of my head; They.

 

[Ace of Spades]

There are only so many ideas that the industry can make, so they have to run out eventually. I don't mind sequels, since many of them are done well, like Fallout 3.

 

[superbleeder12]

its not the company running out of ideas. its large publishers not wanting to take a risk on new IP. publishers want to sell what... sells.

Developers have a boatload of ideas, but those ideas have to go through the money grubbing publishers. sadly, in this industry, fun, new and interesting IP's tend not to do too well.

 

[Dogeman5]

Well hypothetically if they were to run out of ideas for games, then most gamers (I hope!) would stop buying games for the reasonb of having the same experience, forcing companies to become original, It's simple marketing Darwinism

 

[Darthracoon]

Well most of the sequels apply to "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"


Apart from the series that start of shit, and Pokemon and final fantasy 15 and a fucking quarter or however many there are, the series that started of good and then they shoveled to much shit into our mouths and we threw up and left the franchise because they were unchanged.

Now most of the games you listed had introduced at least one new gimmick to keep it fresh.

 

[Amnestic]

I swear we had a thread about this exact same thing less than a month ago...

My answer hasn't changed. No. It's more cost effective to rely on a title that's already proven a success rather than take a chance on a multimillion project which could tank and cause the company to lose masses of money. Game developers/publishers are still businesses and people need to be aware that the oft-touted "innovation" doesn't always mean better.

'Indie' developers get more freedom as their games often have lower production costs, which is why you have more chance of seeing new ideas. The games you see on shelves from the top-name developers...not so much. They run a massive risk with new IPs and if they don't take off they've effectively wasted all that development time and money.

 

[sirdanrhodes]

The saying "stick with what works" springs to mind.

 

[shatnershaman]

It is not running out of Ideas. There's the recent XBLA Braid or the PS3's LittleBigPlanet.