EA is taking direct aim at the racing sim crowd with its recently-revealed Shift 2: Unleashed. We asked our Twitter followers to pinpoint other series that are under siege from direct competitors.
Spurned by our recent look at the upcoming Gran Turismo competitor Shift 2, we polled our 22,000-plus Twitter followers to find out what other formerly dominant franchises are now vulnerable. Here's the question we posed:
We just previewed Shift 2, a game aiming to beat Gran Turismo. What other top franchises are in danger? Best replies posted, one wins swag.less than a minute ago via TweetDeck
GamePro
Two particular franchises seemed to garner the most discussion. The lack of recent GTA developments and Rockstar's subsequent projects have caused a lot of doubt regarding that franchises future. Assassin's Creed was also cited often, but for the opposite reason:
@gamepro Grand Theft Auto being beaten by L.A. Noire. Linear, story-driven, ripped-from-the-headlines beats repetitive fetch quests.less than a minute ago via web
Isom405
@GamePro I would have to say that honestly, Assassin's Creed could very well topple the GTA franchise re: open-world games & story.less than a minute ago via web
foxsnipe
@Gamepro Apparently CoD is in danger since there's a new Assassins Creed releasing every 15 min.less than a minute ago via web
IncreaseBlue
@GamePro Assassins Creed, if they start pumping them out at 1 per year, then the series could get to diluted and lose its appeal.less than a minute ago via web
emyholdem
While those two franchises are seen as the most vulnerable by our Twitter community, a handful of other series were mentioned. Here's the best of the rest:
@GamePro I'd say one of the top franchises in danger is Guitar Hero. Rock Band is blowing them out, and sales are god awful.less than a minute ago via web
CamArruda
@GamePro I think Vanquish is miles ahead of Gears of War and is a much better third person shooter.less than a minute ago via TweetDeck
Dafishies
@GamePro God of War doesn't hold a candle to Bayonetta, and Bayonetta 2 is being hinted and rumored a crazy amountless than a minute ago via TweetDeck
Skrammas
Even though the two games are coming from the same publisher, we're awarding our top tweet to Isom405, who noted how even an inter-company project can steal thunder from a sister series. Congrats, Isom--please send a direct message to GamePro on Twitter before the publication of tomorrow's "Tell us how you really feel" article and we'll send you some swag from our office.
Gamers may be amongst the most sequel-friendly crowd, but franchises need to tread lightly when presenting frequent iterations. A careful balance needs to be drawn between long waits and short turnarounds, between catering to fans of the original and presenting new ideas for neophytes. With new development talent constantly coming into the industry, there's no shortage of competitors looking to dehtrone the kings.
What do you think of the replies above? Is there anything you'd like to add to the conversation? Please continue the chatter by responding in the comment section below or by replying to GamePro on Twitter.
Source: Daily News from GamePro.com
Wednesday, December 1, 2010