Next-gen transition squeezing trusted brands

I don't buy WWE, Tony Hawk sequels. Or sports sequels (aka "roster updates for $50-$60 bucks).



I DO buy worthy sequels that are worth more than just having a +1 number attached after the name of the game. See also: Resident Evil 4, Call of Duty 2.



Now if only the rest of the world would wise up and stop buying all the crap.

I must admit the best game I got this holiday was "The Movies". That game is really fun (At least for me). I do have one sequel I will be getting. Oblivion. There were enough diferences between Arena/Daggerfall/Morrowing that I am sure the next Elder Scrolls will be fresh enough.

I don't understand people who buy Madden over and over and over again. We've got 2002 to 2006 in my house (not mine). Why? From what I can tell, there was only slight improvements from 05 to 06. What the hell?



Same with Tiger Woods 05 to 06. They changed the way you play, but it's not that much different. I really like the 360 version (because the PS2 version looks like crap in comparison), but I can't say I'm happy with the cut in courses. Do I care about customizing my character's face in 50 thousand ways? No. I want courses. I like golf, and I don't care about the players to be honest. I just want to play. I would hope that they would let you download the missing courses....but I'm not thinking that will be the case.



Tony Hawk has been pretty stale since THPS2, other than special characters. I still go back to that one all the time, and that's a PSX game. They are just too ridiculous now to even be fun (*cough Underground cough*).



Since sports games get ridiculous, talking about the rest I'll just agree with #1. Final Fantasy, Metroid, and Halo have all had sequels worth looking into. But they really have to change it up (in a good way!), or gamers will tire and forget the franchise. RE4 was a good example of saving a series that was getting stupid.

Not that I wish bad sales on anyone, but I have to say that I'm glad to hear this.



The trend of updating rosters and team data in sports titles along with simply adding new levels/maps to games like the Tony Hawk series and not improving gameplay or adding new gameplay elements is has gone on long enough.



What ever happened to supporting titles with downloadable content for a few years and then releasing a sequel that actually improves the game beyond a few bug fixes?

Where I work I warn people, especially kids, not to buy any sports franchise more than once per system. I had a kid come in looking for Madden 2005 and 2006 because he didn't know that they were essentially the same game, nor did his mom.



That said, I think they're doing something different with Tony Hawk games. Although I haven't played them before I do know that they try to do different things with each version.

EA ill say it again you guys suck so stop making games!

here's free game ideas for the producers:



"Tony Hawk Pro Board Shop Owner" go the extremes of losing money due to poor sales and shoplifinter to pursuading banks to deal you loans then 180 into riches.



Medal of Honor strategy game. You get to go 1st person after coordinating your offense. (This is the only real idea. A damn excellent one I'd say.)



"WWE Beefcake" more ass-grabbing and peck slapping with custom outfit design and customized intros.

arrakisman: I bought The Movies too. It's probably the only game last year for which I paid full retail.



I don't mind these glorified sports roster updates if they're $19.99 like the 2K Sports games usually are. But I still usually won't buy them every year. I did buy NHL 2K6 last year, after buying 2K5 the year before. But then I'm a huge hockey fan. But for $50, no way I'd have paid that. And not for a sport I didn't much care about anyway (like basketball, or soccer).



The last two games I bought were DOAU and Eternal Darkness, used. One "new" (as in non-sequel) game and one game that's not even a sequel, it's a remake. But I absolutely would not have paid $50 for DOAU, and I didn't. I waited until I could get it for $20 or less (I paid $18... though I could have gotten it new for $20 at Amazon now). I will do the same with DOA4 for the Xbox 360, once I pick up a machine.



I think the bottom line is while there's nothing inherently wrong with offering more of the same with prettier graphics, it is not worth anyone paying full price for. You're at best asking people to pay for re-living an experience they for the most part already own. That's just not worth as much as the original experience was.



Solution? All sequels - unless they are really original games with a number after it (like the Final Fantasy series) - should be $20 or less off the bat. And it doesn't matter which system you're talking about either, even if a sequel is appearing on a totally new system (like moving from the PS2 to the PSP). You're still not offering anything anyone hasn't seen and played before.

I do wish harm on some companies. They keep turning-out the same sh!t year after year: same

boring alien-invasion/govt-conspiracy/WWII FPSes, same rip-off sports games, same crappy street thug games.



With the stakes higher than ever in this coming generation ($20 million to develop an AAA title!), I'm going to enjoy watching some eggs get cracked. The only way that companies will learn a lesson and change what they make (and whom they make for) is if they feel financial PAIN.