I’m willing to bet that if I got you to name your most anticipated games for this year, then most of them would be sequels. Why is it that when I look at 2011 the majority of the games that are coming out are from existing franchises?
This isn’t a new phenomenon, but the further we get into this generation the more it seems like we’re getting more sequels, spin-offs and rip-offs. What’s happened to exploring new ground instead of playing it safe?
is imitation the ultimate form of flattery?
Fortress Craft is one of these game, and appears to a direct copy of Minecraft. Although it’s fair to say that Minecraft is influenced by Infiniminer, it has distinguished itself from its inspiration. Fortress Craft isn’t so innocent because it’s taking advantage of Minecraft’s popularity by releasing it on a platform Minecraft isn't on.
The thing is, videogames are a business. You need to take advantage of the market to be profitable and that’s understandable; if you don’t have any money then you can’t make the games. What I fear is that publishers are going to be less adventurous because the cost of development is going up, and with each generation it only gets worse.
I’m not trying to give the impression that there no new original games. This isn’t true, Bulletstorm has just come out and is being received well and all signs point to L.A Noire being awesome, but these games are in the minority.
Equally, I'm not saying sequels are bad. Some of my favourite games are sequels, but it gets to the point where we’re over indulged with them. Wouldn’t it be better if instead of rebooting Tomb Raider they just made a new franchise that doesn’t have the baggage of the previous titles?
There's nothing like walking down an atmospheric alley.
A smart touch is definitely required, and people will get fatigued if you’re clumsy. All you have to do is look at the recent death of Guitar Hero to see continuous spamming of a series will kill it.
This problem isn’t exclusive to consoles. The 3DS and NGP are both coming out this year and it’s appears that the increase in power is just an excuse to bring over console games. I know original games will come out, but I fear that a combination of increased development costs and competition from the big franchises will make the market more hostile towards smaller developers and original games.
Yet the app store is one of the best places for indie developers. There are some legitimate complaints to be said, but many games have been successful on it. One of my favourite things is that it allows developers to be adventurous. At the moment, Swords and Sworcery is looking excellent with its art style and elements of adventure.
Swords and Sworcery is looking to be one of the most interesting titles of this year
CliffyB raised an interesting point at GDC about this problem. Essentially, he said that the middle class game is dead, leaving us the option between indie games and AAA titles. Consumers are more cautious with their money, and games are being divided into day 1 purchases or rentals. It’s a pretty big problem.
Who can blame them? What’s the point on spending £45 on a game that will only last 6 hours? Games need to be big or else consumers can’t justify the cost. However, perhaps publishers could experiment with this; I think there could be a market for less ambitious games priced around £30. If consumers can justify the cost then maybe they would buy it.
There’s a divide happening, and if things keep growing at this current pace then it’s only going to get worse. Relying on franchises doesn’t mean a game will be bad, but it does stifle originality. In a world where development costs are going up, publishers need to find a better system to our existent pricing model so that more original games can be made.
So what do you think? Does the current trend of sequels and clones bother you? Do you think there needs to be a revaluation in the pricing structure of games, or are games too expensive full stop?