Yahoo! Games Names 5 Franchises That Should End

[MrKLM]

Yahoo! Games has named five video game franchises that should be put to rest for one reason or another. Check out Yahoo's list below:

Remember when Sonic was awesome? Neither do we. We're not sure what's more puzzling -- the fact that they keep making terrible Sonic games, or the fact that Sega keeps using the tired blue blur as its official mascot. Other than the recent role-playing game Sonic Chronicles, there hasn't been a truly fun Sonic game in about a decade. That's about nine years too long. Speed kills.

Okay, we'll admit that Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) did a lot for getting kids into shape, and we tip our cap to Konami for getting it into schools. But for a game that's merely a decade old, why are there six hundred versions?. Ultramix, Universe, Unleashed, Supernova, Extreme...can anyone follow this? We cannot, which means it's time to rein it in for a few years and let everyone catch up. Maybe by then we'll have learned some new moves, too. Is the Electric Slide still cool?

Another throwback mascot who can't take a hint (the lifespan of the Eastern Bandicoot is only three years, you know), Crash Bandicoot is having a harder time retiring than Evander Holyfield. While his games aren't quite as lousy as Sonic's, they're just as meaningless, doing little to advance the platforming genre and mostly stinking up the sales chart. And as the revenue dwindles, so does our interest in appreciating the good times we had with the onetime Sony mascot. Wow, yeah, he IS old.

Old-school adventure gamers might light up when they see the name Leisure Suit Larry, but my, how the times have changed. His embarrassing last game, Magna *** Laude, was widely considered the worst game of 2004. Which, of course, means only one thing: make another one! The next offender, Box Office Smash, is due out in 2009, although Activision/Blizzard mercifully swapped his leisure suit for a straightjacket and put the game on indefinite hold.

You know your racing game series is in trouble when you start promoting the live-action talent and awful illegal street-racing plotline more than the actual racing, but you know your racing game series is on life-support when even the live-action talent can't save the game from poor reviews and low sales. Such is the fate of the overdeveloped Need For Speed franchise, but unlike the other games on this list, rumor has it that this junker is headed back to the shop. Let's hope it stays there.

As we count it that's 1 for Sega, 1 for Konami, 2 for Activison-Blizzard (both of which are former Sierra Entertainment titles), and one from EA Games. Read the story here.

[CptainCrunch]

Re: Yahoo! Games Names 5 Franchises That Should End

DDR FOREVER! :yay:

Yeah, maybe they should go. I dont know. If they dont make money, I can see why. Same with the "beating of the dead horse" syndrome.

These are also older titles. What about Metal Gear, GTA, Resident Evil, and Final Fantasy?

I would think those would be important titles to die. Maybe they are dead though.

Crunch

[MrKLM]

Re: Yahoo! Games Names 5 Franchises That Should End

DDR FOREVER! :yay:

Yeah, maybe they should go. I dont know. If they dont make money, I can see why. Same with the "beating of the dead horse" syndrome.

These are also older titles. What about Metal Gear, GTA, Resident Evil, and Final Fantasy?

I would think those would be important titles to die. Maybe they are dead though.

Crunch

Crunch look at every series you just named. All of them have a long history like the ones named by Yahoo! and all of them are still releasing new titles in the series, but what puts the ones you named apart from the ones Yahoo! named. Sales.

Also Konami should make a game where you dance and play guitar (DDR+Rock Revolution)

[CptainCrunch]

Re: Yahoo! Games Names 5 Franchises That Should End

Crunch look at every series you just named. All of them have a long history like the ones named by Yahoo! and all of them are still releasing new titles in the series, but what puts the ones you named apart from the ones Yahoo! named. Sales.

Also Konami should make a game where you dance and play guitar (DDR+Rock Revolution)

Thats my point though. Shouldnt simple supply/demand dictate when a series dies?

Thanks to TGN, I already know NFS is closing because of sales. I listed the others for "dead horse" disease I know they make money and its what talks. The things Yahoo says about the reason why is fluff and bunk.

I think the DDR+Rock Revolution is a good idea Maybe a guitar/pop dance Hero

Crunch

[Shawn Zipay]

Re: Yahoo! Games Names 5 Franchises That Should End

Bring Crash back... but only as he was in his first days on the PlayStation, none of this free roaming BS that he's been in. Certainly no racing games or party games from him either.

Sonic should return as only a 2D title with gameplay that matches that of Sonic 2/3/S&K from the Genesis days. 3D gameplay needs to go away for him, as does 2D gameplay where memorization of jumps is critical for survival. Sonic Rush, I'm looking at you.

[MrKLM]

Re: Yahoo! Games Names 5 Franchises That Should End

The only good Sonic 3D game was the one released with the Sega Dreamcast all 3D games after that just became overly complicated which differed many hardcore fans.

Crunch, right now NFS series isn't going anywhere at least officially it's not, just the studio who designed the last few games in the series is.

I also wonder about Leisure Suit Larry as it seems that A-B is holding onto this series and not selling it this doesn't seem like a game for A-B maybe for someone like THQ or Midway but I just can't see A-B giving Larry its due justice when it comes time for them to promote the release of the game.

[Obsidian Spire]

Re: Yahoo! Games Names 5 Franchises That Should End

I wouldn't mind Zelda or Mario dying in favor of new series. In my opinion, they haven't changed enough to warrant purchase of what is essentially the same game over and over.

Also, the first Sonic 3d game (Sonic Adventure) was also extremely poor. Sonic's 3d gameplay is so outdated, it's almost painful to play any of these games. The collections of all his good 2d games are the only thing I think Sonic has going for him. The DS game sounds pretty interesting if only because it is made by Bioware and is in a new genre for the geriatric hedgehog.

Edit:Zips, Sonic has stuck to a formula at least for 3d games. It consists of sucking at pretty much everything he does. Poor level design, schizophrenic difficulty, glitchy gameplay, boring the player to death, and just plain unlikability. Also, half of Sonic Teams's characters need to go f**k themselves or shut up because they are terribly annoying. They need to change their formula to make it worthwhile to play these games before they try to emulate it again and again like Mario or Zelda.

[Shawn Zipay]

Re: Yahoo! Games Names 5 Franchises That Should End

The difference is, Mario and Zelda continue to be fun, even if the formula hardly differs. If Sonic and Crash did that, they too would also be fun.

[Kotae]

Re: Yahoo! Games Names 5 Franchises That Should End

Metal Gear Solid continues to improve upon itself. Resident Evil re-invented itself with Resident Evil 4. Those IPs continue to succeed, whereas the ones listed have started to die a slow, stale death. Zelda could do with a reboot, since it is VERY similar in each incarnation. Mario is great, because it continues to stay fun.

I haven't played a Crash game since the days of the PS1. And why? The new ones are bombs. And I was hoping that NFS would go back to its roots with the newest game but it was also a disappointment.. Ah well.

[jake_]

Re: Yahoo! Games Names 5 Franchises That Should End

The difference is, Mario and Zelda continue to be fun, even if the formula hardly differs. If Sonic and Crash did that, they too would also be fun.

:nod: I've never played a Zelda game I didn't like. Even the Phantom Hourglass, although a bit dumbed down in my opinion, was a lot of fun.

Mario games have had a few flops (Sunshine, f.ex.) but Mario will never be anything less than pure win.

[imported_Cryptik]

Re: Yahoo! Games Names 5 Franchises That Should End

IMO

Naughty Dog should get Crash back they were the only ones that could do good with him.
RE should go back to Zombies nuff said we need a good current gen zombie game.
Good Bye Sonic or atleast make him 2D(3D) side scrolling game like the originals if not Sonic needs a rope or need to retire.
NFS died at Underground 2
Spyro should be handed back to Insomniac Games then some good will come out of him for once since Spyro 2.

[Numptie]

Re: Yahoo! Games Names 5 Franchises That Should End

i remember when i first got my PS1 we got the original crash with it, (my mum actually spent all night trying to do the great gate) since then i have enjoyed crash bandicoot my favourite being number two, but after number 3 it went down hill, infact it was more like a cliff than a hill

[The_Eliminator]

Re: Yahoo! Games Names 5 Franchises That Should End

Spyro was a legendary game.

[TheEn|gma]

Re: Yahoo! Games Names 5 Franchises That Should End

Agreed on all accounts.

[CoDe 199]

Re: Yahoo! Games Names 5 Franchises That Should End

im gonna agree with all of them