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[GDJustin]

http://biz.gamedaily.com/features.asp?article_id=7819

"Right now, it would appear that the 'safest' place for new and radical ideas is in sequels. A good example is Pandora Tomorrow. The online play was really radical and different, and if it had been released as a new IP, it probably wouldn't have been embraced the way it wasn as part of the Splinter Cell franchise. That's using sequels in a smart way."

-John Davidson

"Eidos reached and breached that point with Tomb Raider, and the franchise collapsed—the good news is that consumers, while wanting sequels, also want properties to evolve."

-Simon Cox

 

[PhatSaqs]

In order to get a magazine cover you have to have an established IP... in order to get an established IP, you need a magazine cover.

Similar to how consoles are treated in regards to gaining consistent 3rd party support. Good read.

 

[JJConrad]

I'm not going to read the enitre article. I think a get the jest of it from the first few paragraphs.

The mag cover issue isn't really true. It all depends on the mag, the developer/publisher and even the platform. We seen sequels on covers, even though the success of the original title would never warrent a cover alone (Def Jam 2). We've just had a lot of sequels released recently, or upcoming.


Sequels and licensed games have always been a major sector of the gaming market. It's being magnified today because we've entered the period in the generational timespan in which the early successes are seeing their first set of sequels. Now we not only have the sequels from the previous generation's big titles, but also the sequels from this generation's big titles. This is why new (successful) franchises are usually established early in the generation; when the number of sequels is limited and people are looking for that next big thing.


That being said, the one company, more than any other, that has the power to expand and champion new IP's and gameplay ideas

Spoiler

is EA

. Right now, they can push a new IP on their name alone; with or without covers. Unfortunately, they're more than happy to stick with the status quo... infact, they are even resorting to invoking the name of past-classics to sell virtually unrelated products.

 

[The Faceless Master]

infact, they are even resorting to invoking the name of past-classics to sell virtually unrelated products.

LOL

 

[GDJustin]

I'm not sure EA COULD get away with creating a successful new IP out of thin air, for exactly the reasons you mentioned. Licensed properties and established names are all that they do, so if they tried someone new people are much more likely to be wary. A company like Nintendo, that is more known for going out of a limb (despite their fondness for sequels) is much more likely to find success. This gen Nintendo pulled off both pikmin and animal crossing quite successfully.

 

[BuG]

That being said, the one company, more than any other, that has the power to expand and champion new IP's and gameplay ideas is EA. Right now, they can push a new IP on their name alone; with or without covers. Unfortunately, they're more than happy to stick with the status quo... infact, they are even resorting to invoking the name of past-classics to sell virtually unrelated products.

While you may not see them as pursuing creativity in the commercial zone, they do seem to be interested in it at an experimental stage, at least.

 

[ninge]

Actually a collegue was telling me that EA did a big talk at one of the recent uk shows (ECTS or the other one - not sure which) where they were saying that while the licenses are great for making money timescales are too tight and they want to be able to branch out into original IP so that they can spend longer on their titles and produce more original content (plus make more money because of the lack of a license fee to pay of course) - could be seen as incouraging!

 

[Lord Error]

I'm not sure EA COULD get away with creating a successful new IP out of thin air,

They did just that with SSX. Console launches are the best time to do such things, IMO, as people buy the game in droves if it's good, as they don't have much to choose from.