Creativity dead in game industry?

[Danielos]

* Hearts of Iron 3
* Aliens vs Predator 3
* Football Manager 2009
* Sims 3
* Battlefield 3
* Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
* Starcraft 2
* Diablo 3
* Empire: Total War
* Grand Theft Auto 4
* Fallout 3
* Tales of Monkey Island
* Sam & Max Episodes
* Secret of Monkey Island Remake
* Sim City Societies
* Civilization 4
* Europa Universalis 3
* Heroes of Might and Magic 5
* Far Cry 2
* Neverwinter Nights 2
* NHL 2009
* FIFA 2009
*Old Republic
* Silent Hunter 4
* Settlers 5
* Bioshock 2
* Mafia 2
* Command & Conquer 3
* Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
* Tomb Raider Anniversary
* Silent Hill 4
* Need for Speed: Undercover
* Alone in the Dark 4
* Operation Flashpoint 2
* GTR 2
* FEAR 2
* Thief 4
* Deus Ex 3
* Medal of Honor: Airborne

Anyone feel the game industry is just milking their old franchises, and that creativity and originality is close to 0? As much as I despise "Spore", at least it was a fresh, original title! Smaller games like "Plants vs Zombies" and "World of Goo" should also be credited. How many new, fresh game franchises have started the last 3-4 years?

 

[Izipo]

Left for Dead ?

 

[tycoonist]

left for dead ?

2? ............

 

[Izipo]

Yes ?
That's what I was referring to, it a new game franchise that has sprung up recently, just like Spore did.
This problem isn't new. It was the same ten years ago, when I was playing Heroes II, Doom II and the like.

 

[Kan' Sharuminar]

Or 15 years ago, when I was playing Mario Bros. 3 and TIE Fighter and the like.

 

[GenMarshall]

Or 15 years ago, when I was playing Mario Bros. 3 and TIE Fighter and the like.

I miss the old school Mario series of the NES and SNES eras.

 

[LightFang]

World of Goo
Audiosurf
Braid
Prototype

I'm too lazy and tired to come up with new examples, but I mean, it's the same everywhere. People are going to make sequels no matter what, but there are always going to be people who don't just do that.

 

[tycoonist]

Yes ?
That's what I was referring to, it a new game franchise that has sprung up recently, just like Spore did.
This problem isn't new. It was the same ten years ago, when I was playing Heroes II, Doom II and the like.

ok. i thought you were saying something else. dont worry, my mistake

 

[Danielos]

So we have Spore, Left 4 Dead and a handful of small indie games? You think that makes it ok? That the game industry is thriving with vitality, daring and new ideas?

 

[Dell19]

You have to expect the games industry to go through phases as its no longer a new industry. There are no longer lots of obvious ideas for a new game that would add something new as even if the list above had lots of titles without numbers after them, they may still not be particularly original.

As opposed to films* there also seems to be more of an encouragement to make sequels as technology will have moved forward allowing for additional features and gripes with the original game to be ironed out. I'm looking forward to HOI III for what improvements that they have made even though the game even though the 'plot' will be identical.

 

[Maniacal]

As Dell said, technology changes and a game with the same idea can be improved (although the developers tend to screw it up sometimes). New physics for example.

Some, like Hearts of Iron 3, Starcraft 2, Diablo 3, Empire: Total War, Civilization 4, Europa Universalis 3, Neverwinter Nights 2, Silent Hunter 4, Heroes of Might and Magic 5, Thief 4, Deus Ex 3, etc are all in the same series, yes, but all of them incorporate (some of the following) newer engines, new physics, new graphics, new and (hopefully) improved gameplay mechanics, and in the case of several of them the previous game was at least a few years ago or even longer! They still keep similar gameplay that is in their series, but when they started they WERE origional.

It can also be nice to update a game in the same series even without a lot of changes, that's why games like Mario and Call of Duty are so popular, they are fun to play even without much of a change in gameplay. Although the Call of Duty series has had engine updates for it's games (1, 2, and 4/WaW, 3 was mediocre as it was made by Treyarch, although they did a better job with United Offensive expansion for 1 and World at War). The CoD games are lasting in Multiplayer, indeed, Call of Duty: United Offensive is STILL being played, but they have a very strong singleplayer campaign, and the campaigns in any game will get tiring after a while, and it's nice to have a new one that is similar gameplay but a new campagin.

Fallout 3 is very very different from the previous Fallout games, as it is an entirely different company and team who worked on it. Same with Far Cry 2 which has NOTHING to do with Far Cry.

Sim City Societies is a crapy spin off mde by EA.

 

[carmen510]

Game franchises are profitable ventures, and many of those games you listed are VERY different from previous entries in their series.

What is needed is a clear line between "Same series, different ideas" and "Same series, clone game".

For example, I would argue that the Sims series have really been similar to other parts of the series, while the difference between Diablo II and Diablo III are pretty immense.

 

[Maniacal]

Nobody has played Diablo 3 yet. I havn't been paying much attention admittedly, but it looked like it was going to be very similar albeit a new game.

 

[GoodGame]

This thread makes Spore seem smokin' hot! And like was mentioned earlier, don't forget all the indie games that are getting alternative distribution by digital downloads.

But on the sequels, just because something is a sequel doesn't make it derivative of the past. E.g. Civ4 was a major redesign from Civ3. Far Cry 2 has very little to do with the first Far Cry. Ad nauseum.

Possibly it means that the video game industry is still a little stuck in the film industry models that it used to grow. I.e. Marketing something as a sequel of a successful product for extra marketing. And only developing based on proven sellers.

Also software design historically has had a revision philosophy whereby the next x.0 is the bigger, better, bug-free version, so sequel numbering plays to that.

EDIT: And also consider that a lot of the sequel franchises cover a unique gameplay experience, so naturally there will be follow-on versions once a successful niche is carved. E.g. Sims, Total War, Operation Flashpoint, Madden, etc..

 

[Fr8monkey]

Hearts of Iron 3 is going to be an entirely different creature!

 

[tycoonist]

in all honesty, i can't remember a truly original game that i have liked since portal (and that was ages ago)

 

[Yeekim]

For example, I would argue that the Sims series have really been similar to other parts of the series, while the difference between Diablo II and Diablo III are pretty immense.

I am kinda with PrinceScamp here - what kind of immense differences have you managed to discern?

 

[azzaman333]

There's plenty of creativity, but the major developers don't want to risk their cash on new IP when they have proven formulas they can milk.

 

[iamwlrs4]

How about instead of complaining about how unimaginitive the game developers are, you come up with some creative game ideas?

 

[henrebotha]

What about Portal? Spore? Braid? World of Goo?

And even then, what about Oblivion? Yes, it was the fourth game in a series; but look at how rich the mythology has become! The game world is so expansive and thoroughly creative that one could even argue sequels allow game devs to truly explore their creativity.