It's the "l33t" thing to do these days: whine, moan and complain bitterly about every last sequel that comes down the pike. If you complain enough, you'll be seen as a seer of sorts; a "true gamer" who stands atop a rickety soapbox and lectures everyone on the importance of original ideas. "Innovate or grow stale and die," they say. …yeah, maybe these people haven't noticed that the gaming industry is nothing like film. Sequels tend to rule .
Why? Because the gaming industry continues to advance forward in both technical and artistic areas; there are many ways to improve and in comparison to movies, games are still young. We've got a long ways to go, so of course a sequel in the PS2 era to an original title in the PS1 era will be better in a variety of ways. I'm not saying that better graphics or more hardware potential automatically translates to better quality, but let's face it: it usually does. Hey, I'm one of those old-school gamers who still thinks Super Mario Bros. is one of the greatest games ever made, even though I know dozens – if not hundreds – of titles in recent history have surpassed it in every conceivable way. We all have to admit that nostalgia plays a very large role in our "Greatest Ever" lists; objectivity is always difficult to embrace when the rose-tinged memories of our childhoods interfere.
But if we put all that aside, we should probably accept the glaring truth: a sequel in the world of video games is often bigger and better than the first title. Plain and simple. Granted, long-running franchises can begin to grow stagnant and backtrack along the quality progression line, but there's a damn good reason why the best games in the world have a number in the title. I could make a list but I don't have to; we all know what games are on that list, and you can check any resource you wish. Go to Metacritic or GameRankings and find the top 50 or 100 titles ever, and see how many aren't original IPs. Check sales charts. Just look at this year , for crying out loud; it's very likely that Game of the Year candidates will be Killzone 2 , Uncharted 2: Among Thieves , Halo 3: ODST , Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 , and if a good thing happens, Gran Turismo 5 . Again, in very long-running franchises like maybe Madden or Final Fantasy , one can certainly argue over the last four or five installments.
But for the most part, sequels have provided us with some of the finest gaming experiences in history, which – strangely enough – separates us more from the movie industry than almost anything else. Yes, I want the original IPs, too – Heavy Rain , The Last Guardian , Alan Wake , Demon's Souls , Brutal Legend , etc. – and we absolutely need them to maintain originality and a forward-thinking philosophy in the industry. But we do have them and while it's easy to pick on developers and publishers for producing "just another sequel" to keep profits high, let's not pretend that sequels to great games aren't usually representative of more greatness.
Wow, what sprang this?
Side note; I agree with you. Usually a sequel will bring the best parts of the previous installment and enhance the experience with new and innovative features that gamers asked for.
Now, making a sequel for Lair? That might not be such a great idea. UNLESS, it was completely rewritten by a team that hasn't been stuck in the Star Wars universe for the past decade. It really did feel like a mid-evil Tie-Fighter game.
Everyone whining about the COD and GH games?
They should get the team who made Haze to make Lair 2, then get Valve to develop the xbox port…
if the 1st game wasnt good then there wouldnt be a sequel which, usually tends to be better than the 1st game because gamers wants the nest installment to be bigger, better, and more fun and also gives the devs a chance to fix things that wernt great in the 1st game
Sequels are good, they often build and improve upon a game engine, focus more on the fun gameplay aspects of the previous games, and often flesh out the story.
They should not overstay their welcome though, like any form of story telling/entertainment, it should know when to end. The devs should resist the publishers trying milk the consumers over a profitable games, milking them till it gets sour.
Last edited by Imagi on 9/1/2009 12:54:25 PM
halo = milked
Tony Hawk = Milked
Farm cow = milked.
Ure right about that, but i always wondered why great games that dont eva get a remake or sequel, my fav the legends of dragoons, or killer instinct. why? 🙁
Sales. If a game doesn't sell well, and isn't critically acclaimed, it will be unlikely to get a sequel.
there was a killer instinct 2…
i thought there was more than one killer instinct? or is that just ports of one game? or am i just wrong, i thought it was on more than one system… i cant remember maybe i should stop smokin so much lol
i agree too on Legend of Dragoon, the original sets it up so that they can and SHOULD do a prequel to it.
I like sequels.
i wonder what u would call final fantasy series, its not a sequel or a remake hmmm a bottomless bag of buttered popcorn yumm ^^ lol
if were talkin a bottomless bag, i dont know popcorn to be the first thing i think of…
final fantasy is a cool concept of a sequel and new idea
mmm Popcorn XD
mmm…Final Fantasy
mmm…peanuts
I whole-heartedly agree, with the exception of the last few Medal of Honor games and now (sadly) the majority of the Sonic the Hedgehog games. Those ones need some serious overhauling. But some of my favorite games this gen are MGS4, RE5, and GTA IV. Uncharted 2, and GT 5 among others seem to be promising. As long as they seem to be promising, keep the sequels coming.
Last edited by 556pineapple on 9/1/2009 1:05:37 PM
Just give me "Team ICO's trilogy ultimate collectors Edition" containing "ICO" and "SotC" remastered in 1080p,plus "TLG" and I won't ask Santa for anything else for a long time.
OK I might have to ask for new underwear if that actually happens 😉
FUCK YA
:O !!!
Last edited by kevinater321 on 9/1/2009 4:08:50 PM
some titles that a few play and love but don't have initial sale numbers to warrant a sequel.But look at games like killzone and then killzone 2…in the end you can totally revitalize a title if it is remade in such a fashion…but titles like Uncharted and God of War I'm sure the 3rd GoW will make my argument for me…the 1st one was awesome and the second was even more awesome IMO.
Just my example of sequels that ruled!
Sequels are the cash cow they are what keep us in the games. When COD:MW2 comes out and Activision and IW make thier production costs back, the profit will end up going to some fresh IP or new development studio.
Last Guardian is a spiritual sequel to that of ICO and SotC so I guess it doesn't count. Sometimes sequels ruin a game and sometimes it doesn't. I'm still praying for a new Xenosaga although at this point it's near impossible.
Ben, Thanks for making my work easier. I couldn't have said it better.
I know this article goes to some VERY people on this site, who have been whining too much about everything, and I dunno why they even have a PS3 when they should be playing their PS1s or PS2s. You know yourselves.
Heck, there are even people whining about the UPDATE 3.00 also,hmph!
If that last bit was directed at me, because I said I didn't like the update SO FAR when I posted to let everyone know it was live, I wasn't whining. I was offering an assessment (albeit a hasty one). I never said I wasn't happy to get the update (nor did anyone else that I saw). I love getting firmware updates; that's why I was checking when I did. I always advocate for MORE firmware updates. There are many features in 3.00 that I like and, for only the second time, some I don't.
People voted me down because they disagreed (as they should); I just hope they read what I actually wrote and didn't assume I was being a curmudgeon.
Oh, and you kids, get off my lawn.
BTW, I agree with everything Ben said about sequels.
Last edited by Fane1024 on 9/1/2009 11:58:41 PM
Yeah, really, stop your complaining.lol
Stop complaining about the complaints. Really, this complaining is getting out if hand. Someone should complain. Is there a complaints department?
lol
Stop complaining about people who complain about the people who complain about complaining. wow tripy.
Highlander I volunteer to file a complaint about the complaining as long as no one complains about it.
Gah! All this complaining!
<Eric Cartman voice>
But Beeennnnnn…..! Please do something. They're all complaining.
</Eric>
😛
I think we can assume the top secret ps3 exclusive title is a sequel. Just sayin.
That's what I was thinking when I read this article. If this article stemmed from that, that would mean that someone figured out what game it was, and then turned around and said they didn't want it.
But only Ben will know where this game originated from. And I have the feeling he won't tell us if it does have to do with the secret game.
Aren't we supposed to be gamers? Last time I checked, sequels equal more games which is good for gamers!
If there's one thing that I hate, it's a sequel (like MGS4, Uncharted 2, God of War 2 and 3, Killzone 2, GT5, COD4 etc).
Also, I hate a guy in a blue suit…
I'm leaning to the side that says you're kidding, but just because I'm not really sure and you didn't say so I'm thumbs-downing you…
I'm leaning to the side that some people don't get the obvious while others are even less obtuse.
Thanks for the input you f*cking genius…
[DENOTES SARCASM]
Civility is a wondrous thing. Thank you.
Last edited by fluffer nutter on 9/1/2009 8:24:39 PM
Civility?
You're gonna tell me about civility? I say that I didn't agree with his comment so I was thumbs-downing it and then you come in, trying to offend me and you straight up say that I'm obtuse a.k.a lacking intellect. Who's the wrong one here…well, I can sure say that next time I have an opinion I feel like sharing that I'll check with you first Hitler before I'm publically branded as an idiot…
Last edited by ThePearlJamer on 9/1/2009 9:25:59 PM
Yes, I did refer to civility.
"I didn't agree with his comment so I was thumbs-downing it and then you come in, trying to offend me and you straight up say that I'm obtuse a.k.a lacking intellect."
First of all, I apologize for your reaction but I did not attack you nor your intelect. The definition of obtuse states "not quick or alert in perception, feeling, or intellect; not sensitive or observant; dull" There are other definitions to this word but you will notice there is an "or" in the definition choices. I did make a comment, in general terms, about the lack of seeing things since this is all black text on a plain background.
"Who's the wrong one here…well, I can sure say that next time I have an opinion I feel like sharing that I'll check with you first Hitler before I'm publically branded as an idiot…"
Calling me Hitler would be a very quick assumption but I have neither Jewish nor German heritage, as far as I know, in my blood lines, but you couldn't have known that so I will hope that upon reading this, you will retract your assumption. I did not brand you as an idiot and I apologize that you took it that way.
I hope my replies above have helped to clarify my earlier statements and sorry for the additional comments but I did want to add this clarification to dispell any other negative beliefs that may be present by those that have read my comments. If you would like to carry this further, please contact me in the forums as that is a more appropriate venue. I will decline from further comment on this page, in this thread chain. Thank you for your time.
@ThePearlJammer
Godwin!
To quote the Economist, "a good rule in most discussions is that the first person to call the other a Nazi automatically loses the argument."
You, lose.
Last edited by TheHighlander on 9/2/2009 2:16:29 AM
Sequels for games are different than for movies. In games, when it comes down to it, it's a new version of the program. V2.0 of a program tends to be better than V1.0.
I think that's the real factor that makes sequels in games different than sequels in movies.
Yet some of the same negative factors can still apply as for movies. So you end up with the story rehashed (perhaps badly), but the game itself is a newer, improved version. So some good and some bad.
Some games, like Gran Turismo, are not story driven and tend to do nothing but gain with each new and improved version.
I think what's really getting people to complain about sequels, however, is companies like EA which have decided they can use sequels as a cash cow by re-releasing the same essentially unchanged game over and over again on a yearly basis. Why go to the effort of building a new game from scratch when you can just dust off an old one, change a minor thing or two, update the copyright notice on it, and release it again?
I think what people really mean is they don't like _half assed sequels_ sold to them at full price.
A sequel done badly, half complete, rushed to get it out on time can be a dissapointment to fans. When the true sequel hits though one thats been polished and got rid of as many flaws and bugs as possible how good is it ?
We have all seen the GOW3 trailer right ? How good does this game look ?
As Ben says though we need original fresh ideas to keep the industry moving on otherwise it will get stale. A good mixture of the 2 if possible please but you cant please everybody.
Last edited by tlpn99 on 9/1/2009 2:09:22 PM
I want a Super Mario Brothers 4 and I refuse to keep quiet about it.