Sequel, Sequel, Sequel

Shinokamikage · 03-27-2008, 02:30 AM

How does Eegra feel about video game sequels?

To start off this conversation I will express my views first!

-autistic statement of the obvious-

Personally I feel like sequels hurt the creativity of gaming, and are just a quick cash crop for bureaucratic suits in the game industry. I mean just think of all the unique and creative possibilities that we have potentially missed out on over the years due to great minds being tied down to sequels. I mean did we really need three fucking Halo's?

This talk of a Bioshock 2 is a bit irritating as well. Bioshock was an excellent title in my opinion, but why go ahead and ruin the franchise with a sequel, that's just going to feel like more of the old, or just Bioshock 1.5 . The original System Shock didn't have a sequel for a good 5 years, and was given a major graphical/game-play overhaul due to the advances in technology. But no!!!! Our beloved Video Games have to mimic Hollywood, with sequels, and remakes up to the ass.

I know I'm bitching quite a bit about this, but I am also glad for sequels at the same token in which I am angry with them.

I remember reading a while back about how Hideo Kojima wanted so badly to just move on from the Metal Gear franchise, but he was literally receiving death threats in reaction to the announcements of his resignation from future projects. Citing the death threats is just my way of illustrating the extreme in this circumstance, I don't actually believe that, that is the sole purpose for why he's working on the sequel(s).

I just can't help but think of potentialities that we've missed out on over the years with great minds like Kojima, being tied to sequel after sequel.

Discuss

Suspect-Device · 03-27-2008, 03:57 AM

Metal gear solid was a sequel, as was Burnout 2 (Obviously) Timesplitters 2, half life 2, Rome total war is pretty much a sequel to the total war series...

So many great games are sequels...although rushed tie-in games are usually lame.

Ryuichi Naruhodo · 03-27-2008, 03:38 PM

It really depends. There's a significant difference between sequels like Fifa or Madden, and, say, Resident Evil 4 or Metal Gear Solid 2.

A good example is Fire Emblem. They release slight changes in each addition, but the core game mechanics have almost been perfected, making it just as fun to play Radiant Dawn (Wii) as it was playing Fire Emblem (GBA) back around 2003.

Farvana · 03-27-2008, 10:44 PM

Wasn't the GBA Fire Emblem actually like the 8th in the series? The earlier 7 not being released outside of Japan.

Shinokamikage · 03-27-2008, 10:53 PM

These are all good examples of sequels done right, although Suspect-Device's Total War series isn't known to me, and I never actually played Fire Emblem (I'm quite aware of it though).

However in each of these games we see the same thematic elements being rehashed and re-marketed. Metal Gear on the MSX was seen as revolutionary because it incorporated stealth game-play instead of Rambo style run 'n gun. Nearly ten or so sequels later (Metal Gear 2, Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2, Metal Gear Solid 3, Metal Gear Solid 4, Metal Gear Acid, Metal Gear Acid 2, and Metal Gear Ghost Babel, plus the re-releases Substance, Subsistence, and so on) it's still about the same thing, stealth game-play and a final showdown with Metal Gear at the end.

Resident Evil 4 is a departure from the rest of the series, but take a look at all the previous entries, which was a slightly altered version of the last game that was out before it.

I'm not arguing that sequels are inherently bad games (a good bit of my favorite games are sequels, see: Sonic 2), I'm asking the question if whether or not we should feel cheated with all of these sequels and a lack thereof new and original ideas.

Once again though, I will agree that some of the better titles to come out in the history of gaming are sequels.

Ryuichi Naruhodo · 03-28-2008, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Farvana

Wasn't the GBA Fire Emblem actually like the 8th in the series? The earlier 7 not being released outside of Japan.

Yeah, but not many people no that so I just reffered to the first Fire Emblem released here. Plus that's the one I started with.

Quatters · 03-30-2008, 01:15 PM

It depends on the sequel and if it builds on the original game.

DrAwesome · 03-30-2008, 02:04 PM

As Quatters said, and Suspect-Device pointed out with several examples, it depends on the game. I completely agree that BioShock really doesn't seem like it could HAVE a sequel, which is why I'm interested as to what direction BioShock 2 intends to take.

Some games were made for a "quick cash crop" through the use of sequels- that doesn't mean they're bad. Half-life 2 and it's episodic releases for example.

Kaatridge · 03-30-2008, 04:38 PM

I thought the episodes in Half-Life 2 were only made into episodic content because it would take much longer to make a big game, so they are just going to make shorter ones.

Thats what I heard, anyway.

DrAwesome · 03-30-2008, 06:26 PM

That's what they tell you. Why the hell then, did it take them over a year to release a 4 hour freakin' episode?

Like Crysis. Apparently the expansions are already done but EA are awesome and kind enough to release the game in three parts across the next year. Wasn't that thoughtful?

03-27-2008, 02:30 AM	#1
Shinokamikage The Narcissistic Leper Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: New Jersey Posts: 13	Sequel, Sequel, Sequel How does Eegra feel about video game sequels? To start off this conversation I will express my views first! -autistic statement of the obvious- Personally I feel like sequels hurt the creativity of gaming, and are just a quick cash crop for bureaucratic suits in the game industry. I mean just think of all the unique and creative possibilities that we have potentially missed out on over the years due to great minds being tied down to sequels. I mean did we really need three fucking Halo's? This talk of a Bioshock 2 is a bit irritating as well. Bioshock was an excellent title in my opinion, but why go ahead and ruin the franchise with a sequel, that's just going to feel like more of the old, or just Bioshock 1.5 . The original System Shock didn't have a sequel for a good 5 years, and was given a major graphical/game-play overhaul due to the advances in technology. But no!!!! Our beloved Video Games have to mimic Hollywood, with sequels, and remakes up to the ass. I know I'm bitching quite a bit about this, but I am also glad for sequels at the same token in which I am angry with them. I remember reading a while back about how Hideo Kojima wanted so badly to just move on from the Metal Gear franchise, but he was literally receiving death threats in reaction to the announcements of his resignation from future projects. Citing the death threats is just my way of illustrating the extreme in this circumstance, I don't actually believe that, that is the sole purpose for why he's working on the sequel(s). I just can't help but think of potentialities that we've missed out on over the years with great minds like Kojima, being tied to sequel after sequel. Discuss

03-27-2008, 03:38 PM	#3
Ryuichi Naruhodo Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 246	It really depends. There's a significant difference between sequels like Fifa or Madden, and, say, Resident Evil 4 or Metal Gear Solid 2. A good example is Fire Emblem. They release slight changes in each addition, but the core game mechanics have almost been perfected, making it just as fun to play Radiant Dawn (Wii) as it was playing Fire Emblem (GBA) back around 2003. __________________ Proof enough for you, Mr. Sahwit? Or should I say... Mr. Did It!

03-27-2008, 10:44 PM	#4
Farvana ⑨⑨⑨⑨⑨⑨⑨⑨⑨ Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 792	Wasn't the GBA Fire Emblem actually like the 8th in the series? The earlier 7 not being released outside of Japan. __________________ THEY MADE HANAFUDA CARDS FOR 50 YEARS THAT IS A YAKUZA GAME

03-30-2008, 01:15 PM	#7
Quatters Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 68	It depends on the sequel and if it builds on the original game. __________________ If you don't buy from this Play Asia link I will hunt you down!

03-30-2008, 02:04 PM	#8
DrAwesome Professor of Awesome Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Here Posts: 247	As Quatters said, and Suspect-Device pointed out with several examples, it depends on the game. I completely agree that BioShock really doesn't seem like it could HAVE a sequel, which is why I'm interested as to what direction BioShock 2 intends to take. Some games were made for a "quick cash crop" through the use of sequels- that doesn't mean they're bad. Half-life 2 and it's episodic releases for example. __________________ I pooed my pants. Cool nation.

03-27-2008, 03:57 AM	#2
Suspect-Device Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 49	Metal gear solid was a sequel, as was Burnout 2 (Obviously) Timesplitters 2, half life 2, Rome total war is pretty much a sequel to the total war series... So many great games are sequels...although rushed tie-in games are usually lame.

03-27-2008, 10:53 PM	#5
Shinokamikage The Narcissistic Leper Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: New Jersey Posts: 13	These are all good examples of sequels done right, although Suspect-Device's Total War series isn't known to me, and I never actually played Fire Emblem (I'm quite aware of it though). However in each of these games we see the same thematic elements being rehashed and re-marketed. Metal Gear on the MSX was seen as revolutionary because it incorporated stealth game-play instead of Rambo style run 'n gun. Nearly ten or so sequels later (Metal Gear 2, Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2, Metal Gear Solid 3, Metal Gear Solid 4, Metal Gear Acid, Metal Gear Acid 2, and Metal Gear Ghost Babel, plus the re-releases Substance, Subsistence, and so on) it's still about the same thing, stealth game-play and a final showdown with Metal Gear at the end. Resident Evil 4 is a departure from the rest of the series, but take a look at all the previous entries, which was a slightly altered version of the last game that was out before it. I'm not arguing that sequels are inherently bad games (a good bit of my favorite games are sequels, see: Sonic 2), I'm asking the question if whether or not we should feel cheated with all of these sequels and a lack thereof new and original ideas. Once again though, I will agree that some of the better titles to come out in the history of gaming are sequels.

03-30-2008, 04:38 PM	#9
Kaatridge Badonkadonk Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 924	I thought the episodes in Half-Life 2 were only made into episodic content because it would take much longer to make a big game, so they are just going to make shorter ones. Thats what I heard, anyway.

03-30-2008, 06:26 PM	#10
DrAwesome Professor of Awesome Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Here Posts: 247	That's what they tell you. Why the hell then, did it take them over a year to release a 4 hour freakin' episode? Like Crysis. Apparently the expansions are already done but EA are awesome and kind enough to release the game in three parts across the next year. Wasn't that thoughtful? __________________ I pooed my pants. Cool nation.

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