Why does every game need to start a franchise?

[JackyG]

This has always been a gripe of mine with the games industry, particularly of the current console generation. It seems every great idea needs to have endless sequels to be deemed successful. especially ones that are so mediocre that they devalue the originals.

Is that healthy? The most prominent example in my eyes is; why do we need 300 Assassins Creed games?

 

[Keoul]

Because it's marketable!

That's the only reason these days mate, good luck finding another!

 

[momijirabbit]

Because that game MAG started a franchise.

OT Yeah, sometimes a million games of the same franchise is just bad.

 

[wintercoat]

Because it allows developers to make more games than they usually would. A hit game turned into a franchise is more likely to sell, and therefor make money, than a bunch of standalone games.

People naturally prefer a series over a stand alone item, whether it's books, movies, or video games. We like revisiting themes, settings, and characters. Media creators take advantage of this and create franchises.

 

[MammothBlade]

Because it can be milked for money, a tried and true series is more likely to generate sales regardless of its quality than a new IP which is often very hit or miss even if it's great.

Also, because most often when people play a game they enjoy, they want more of it, they perhaps want to hear more of the story or gameplay, etc. Games can "improve" over time with technology too. Players and developers/publishers tend to want more of the same thing repackaged and better.

Personally, I like franchises where I'm getting a similar formula but with very different characters, stories, and settings. Final Fantasy did that right up to a point, since it can start over and over from scratch, but with the same mascots and terminology. Making the same recycled, linear canon drag on for too long becomes more and more soul-crushing like chewing gum for too long, hence it's best to let a franchise die or morph into something else over time.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

Because it allows developers to make more games than they usually would. A hit game turned into a franchise is more likely to sell, and therefor make money, than a bunch of standalone games.

People naturally prefer a series over a stand alone item, whether it's books, movies, or video games. We like revisiting themes, settings, and characters. Media creators take advantage of this and create franchises.

this. plus it's easier to flesh out/pump up the story when all the characters have been explained to some point and the atmosphere/world logic is already known by the player.

to your example OP, i don't think we need 300 assassin creeds games, 4-5 would have sufficed, they are milking it a bit, but the story clearly was set up in the original for sequels, especially with the timeline as it was.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

One reason and one reason alone:


In all fairness that isn't the only reason. Fans and Money are a deadly combination. I don't see Injustice getting a sequel but you just know there are going to be fans clamoring for another one a year or so from now. Hell, there are probably people out there who thought Bioshock 2 was a great idea and others who want Braid to have a sequel.

I like sequels honestly but what I really prefer are anthologies. Give me more stuff to do in the universe you've created but let me play with new, interesting people.

 

[Kanova]

If its a good game, people want more of that game. That is why it usually turns into a franchise if the game is well received. Kind of a stupid question if you ask me.

 

[Vausch]

You make a good game, it's a success, people want to see more of the game and you think of a few new ideas you weren't able to put into the first one. Why not make another?

There's nothing really wrong with a franchise in of itself, the problem is when they get milked dry but the developers and publishers still keep tugging.

 

[Nazulu]

Yeah, it's one of my main gripes as well. I keep saying I wish it was more like the classic Hollywood, instead we have most company's looking like a one trick horse.

It's because of greed, to easily milk money out of fans, and it's just sad. There millions of ideas that are discarded and the artists don't get enough of a say as it is.

I reckon it should be illegal to continue a franchise without the original writers honestly. Also, anyone thinking of making such dramatic changes to a series should just make a new game altogether.

 

[Zhukov]

Because if people bought a lot of the first game, chances are they'll buy a lot of the sequel.

It gets a bit tiresome (Halo 4 anyone?) but I'm not going to condemn people for doing what's profitable. Besides, I've bought and enjoyed my fair share of sequels.

As is so often the case, we only have ourselves to blame. If we didn't buy sequels, they wouldn't churn them out.

 

[RedDeadFred]

Because if people liked the first game, they want more so dev's make a second game... Notice how bad selling games don't start a franchise? People don't like those games so the dev's don't make more. This is really simple stuff. I'm really not sure what you're trying to ask here.

I feel like that was a really obvious answer but I don't know what else to tell you.

Or is this just one of those rhetorical complaining threads?

 

[Olas]

As a general rule a franchise will continue to go on until someone finally drives it into the ground.

If the last one was successful there will be more, regardless of whether the plot demands it or if it even makes sense. If they can't find a way to work out a sequel they'll just make a prequel instead, or a whole different game loosely tied to the original, like with Bioshock Infinite.

And the reason for it is obvious, developers know a sequel to something popular will get sales almost automatically even if it isn't good, whereas new IPs have to prove themselves and are risky.

And really we the consumers aren't totally without blame, we buy sequels more than new IPs, so we give them a reason to make them.

 

[MoltenSilver]

Free advertising/buyer base, basically.
The people who like the previous game will, at the very least, pay far more attention to the media buildup and marketing of the next installment. I'd suspect someone who has does want to see more of a franchise would be more likely to see the positive factors of marketing/reviews, or at least weight them more.

From a marketing perspective, that's a built-in audience that a new IP is at a massive disadvantage against.

And really we the consumers aren't totally without blame, we buy sequels more than new IPs, so we give them a reason to make them.

Exactly this; you want more originals, then me, you, and preferably everyone you can get to listen, and hopefully sooner than later every other consumer need to ruthlessly shake off brand loyalty and pay a lot more attention and sales to releases that are trying new IP's. That's not to say sequels should be considered inherently abominable, after all something made the franchise-starter popular enough to greenlight a sequel, but buying based on just on faith in a brand name alone is a habit that I'd really like to see gamers (and consumers of every product, really) shirk sometime fast. Until then, Sequels will mostly just be seen as an easy phone-in investment that generates superior returns, and that's not changing unless both a rising demand for new content and a backlash against franchises that outweighs the built-in audience of sequals balances which has the advantage.

Fortunately the big publishers seem to be doing a great job wearing out their welcome, and just maybe some big names will bomb and the AAA industry will be put in a lethal 'adapt or die' scenario sometime in the near-future
...
I can hope at least, can't I?

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Same reason pretty much anything is done in this industry: Money.

 

[Abomination]

I actually like franchises. I see nothing wrong with continuing a story or a universe. The reason they sell well is because - believe it or not - people enjoy them.

 

[likalaruku]

Going to be honest here...I usually totally forget about games I liked if they're not part of a series. & when I like a game, I want a sequel, preferably with the same characters in a different setting, or different characters in the same setting far in the past or future.

 

[NightmareExpress]

The original game sold fairly well, thus it is likely the original install base will buy the next in the series.
People will assume that because the game survived to have a sequel, it must be good. In combination with marketing, fresh new players will also purchase the game and a few of them might even go back to buy the original. Often there is a degree of streamlining to both correct the mistakes that were present in the predecessor and make it more appealing to a wider audience without necessarily betraying the original fans.

In short; if it's a profitable venture, it will be run into the ground until it can no longer break approximately even.
That's how the big business works in this industry, at the present moment. Risks are for the weak and hopeful or for those so powerful that they needn't worry.

 

[Adeptus Aspartem]

Jeah it's only about the money. It's easier to justify an investment, when you know you can start a whole franchise and make more profit by chugging out additional games later on (which have a lower investment, because alot of pre-production has been done) and creating a "brand", which can be also monetized by complementary items.

Also if you do it right, you know you can steadily increase your consumerbase, because the happy costumers of title 1 will return with title 2 + new custormers.
That's why D3 sold like candybars for example. It sold by its name alone.