Top 5 Game Franchises that should not have been abandoned.

Since everything else I can think of has been mentioned above, I would add just one: Ascendency (even though they are supposedly working on a second one).

I loved that game.

sheared wrote:

Since everything else I can think of has been mentioned above, I would add just one: Ascendency (even though they are supposedly working on a second one).

They are? Sounds great! Their other game Tone Rebellion was also great, but not to an Asendancy degree.

Beyond Good and Evil. Just started playing this last night, and I'm already pissed there won't be more. Like, want-to-stop-playing-the-game-but-can't-'cause-I'm-addicted-to-animal-photography pissed.

Psychonauts. *sigh*

Earthbound. Gets in on a technicality, since the sequels didn't come to the states. Which is a damn shame, because this was one fun, clever game.

Deja Vu. Best detective crime adventures I've ever played. Too bad all we have these days is crap like Crime Stories.

That's all I got.

I just have to state my favourite franchise created by Micropose back in hey-day. Frankly all of their series deserve to be remade where their basic gameplay is retained but with updates graphics and interfaces

Covert Action - Tremendous replay value. Especially when combined with the open-ended possibilities of getting the same goal accomplished depending on what, you are the player, are good at, be it decrypting code or breaking and entering. Given the current global "climate" and the raise of other such franchises like "Splinter Cell", a remade grittier "James Bond" and the time-constrained, solve the mastermind plot as it is happening "24", it a surprise why no developer has made a move on this yet.

Descent - Free movement and some great soundtracks.
Mechwarrior - So much potential. Is the sentiment that MW's gameplay is just too slow for todays audience?
Tribes - What can I say, I loved this series.
Chrono Trigger - (!)

I'll have to think about a fifth.

The last two were two games I'd love to see new versions of, though I'm not sure if they'd be my top 5... they're just games I could think of at the moment.

1) Homeworld - (I'm sure that comes as no surprise coming from me) Due to licensing, production rights, and such, there will never be a new Homeworld game. However, some of the HW devs went on to make Sins of a Solar Empire. I'm hoping it'll be as good.

2) Knights of the Old Republic - I'd be happy if they took the story from the first game, the gameplay from the second, and merged them together into an expansion of sorts. A KotOR III would be well welcomed, though.

3) Jedi Knight - I need new ways of killing storm troopers.

4) Crimson Skies - Unfortunately the second one wasn't released on the PC, so I've only seen video of it. I want more, damnit!

5) Asheron's Call - This one is a little weird, since it's an MMO, and AC2 was more-or-less a complete failure, but not because of the story or concept of the game. I think with the things Turbine has learned from DDO, LotRO, and other games, that they could revisit this title now.

I'd also agree with a good number of those already suggested: Mechwarrior, Tribes, Carmaggedon, Giants, Descent (or, more specifically, Freespace), and any flight sim from Microprose or Jane's.

Ultima
Mutant League Football
Autoduel
Thief
Road Rash (although I hear rumblings about a new one)
Zork (easy access to clues on the internet helped kill this series)

I'll second the vote for Colonization. What a great game.

Funkenpants wrote:

Agree. The N64's jetski racing game was a lot of fun, and I was sad that they didn't put out a new version for the Gamecube.

They did produce a new one for Gamecube (Waverace: Blue Storm I think) which was good, but a bit more demanding control wise. I could never get anyone to play more than one race with me.

Mechwarrior
Mechcommander
Starcraft
Diablo
AD&D gold box games
Wingcommander/Privateer
Battletech Cresenthawks Inception/Revenge
Jedi Academy
Crimson Skies

It's been said by others already, but I loved Jet Set/Grind Radio games. My girlfriend and I played the hell out of JSR on the dreamcast.

Avatar deleted, zipperlips. Let's try and avoid large, naked men for avatars. Thanks.

My top 5 would be:

Mechwarrior
BattleTech Cresent Hawk games
Elite
Colonization
Starcraft

Man keeping it to only 5 is hard.

gamesource wrote:

Kid Icarus- An old-school action/platforming game that fans are still awaiting the sequel of.

That's a great pick. I'm always somewhat surprised when the latest Nintendo console gets settled in and there is no announcement of a Kid Icarus sequel.

a few people wrote:

Starcraft

I'm with Certis and his bold prediction that Starcraft 2 will be announced this year.

My list:
Baldur's Gate (PC)
Bard's Tale (original series)
Jedi Knight
Legacy of Kain
Ultima

Prederick wrote:

What if I repeat one five times? Well, i've been a broken record about this game enough already, so let me continue...

You-Know-What-Space

Make that ten times.

1. Alpha Centauri !!
2. Speedball
3. Archon
4. X-wing
5. Mech Warrior

I did recently hear a rumor that someone had bought the rights to Archon -- the chess-like game where you have a battle when two pieces occupy the same space on the board. However, there is no information yet on a game....it'd be great for XBLA!

I agree with Descent, and to a lesser extent, the shameless Forsaken.

Edit wrote:

Let's try and avoid large, naked men. Thanks.

Mechwarrior
Wingcommander
Starcraft
Alpha Centauri
Red Baron

As far as single games that need to become franchises, I'll second Kat with Beyond Good and Evil, and add The Neverhood, Pandora's Box, and Goblin Commander.

Funkenpants wrote:
Staats wrote:

We use a few more water based racing games in general. We've got a bunch of cores now, so let's see some fancy water physics!

Agree. The N64's jetski racing game was a lot of fun, and I was sad that they didn't put out a new version for the Gamecube.

You must have a bad memory.

1) X-Com - Turn based squad-level tactical combat combined with strategic management of a globally-funded anti-xenomorph secret agency. 'Nuff said.

2) Interstate '76 - With the atrocious sequel that was Interstate '82, the atmosphere and originality of the first installment in the series could use a remake or better sequel.

3) Master of Orion - Yet another series that peaked and went downhill with sequels. At least Stardock's there to pick up the slack.

4) Starcraft - I just want to see what Kerrigan does next.

5) Soul Blazer/Illusion of Gaia/Terrangima - This is more wishful thinking and nostalgia than anything else.

I must disagree with Baldur's Gate and Planescape: Torment. With,the former, Bioware brought the storyline to a satisfying denoument, and in the latter, it didn't seem like a plot in need of a sequel. There was a complete story contained within the game. I don't think ending the story arc or only making a single game because that's all that was needed to tell your story counts as abandoning a franchise.

SocialChameleon wrote:

...Soul Blazer...

I thought I was the only person in the world who played that game. I actually liked it, despite it being more linear than Super Mario Brothers. I still say having a final boss called "Deathtoll" was a poor idea, though.

I want more Final Fantasy Legend games.

...what?

The Heros Quest / Quest for Glory series by Sierra (when they were still independent). These were brilliant integrations of adventure gaming with strong RPG elements.

I have to admit I only played the first 3 so I don't know if they went downhill after that.

edit: These were the first games I can remember where each puzzle had multiple solutions depending on whether you were a fighter, thief or mage.

Edwin wrote:

Woot! Another vote for Downhill Domination.

At the time I wrote that, I didn't even see your post. A sign of how fun and under-the-radar the game was.

Jayhawker wrote:

1. Deus Ex - I bought Project: Snowblind in hopes of getting a glimpse into Deus Ex universe. Pretty good game actually, and a shame that they decided not to base it on the Deus Ex universe after all. No, it was not up to Deus Ex's standard, but it sure as heck blew away Invisible War.

2. Battlezone - Props to ender on this one. Great game, great story.

3. Front Page Sports!!! - The best PC Baseball and Football games ever. A perfect balance of sim and action. Sure, there were bugs. But that's why we need more!

4. One on One - First there was Dr. J vs. Larry Bird. Why not Kobe vs. Iverson?

5. Cyberball - Let's update this classic game.

I could easily replace any of the ones I mentioned with cyberball. I had it as my number one pick, but decided to go with pc games only.

firesloth wrote:

I did recently hear a rumor that someone had bought the rights to Archon -- the chess-like game where you have a battle when two pieces occupy the same space on the board. However, there is no information yet on a game....it'd be great for XBLA!

I've always wanted to see an archon with soul calibur fighting, or quick 1 on 1 fps deathmatch.

Wrath was a game that was supposed to be Archon mixed with a fighting game. I dont recall it working out too well.

I mean I dont want to flame the idea. I think its great. You would just have a decent precedent of what not to do.

Super Punch-Out.

Seriously Nintendo, WTF?

Top 5 Franchises that shouldn't have been abandoned?

The only ones I can really think of are the old Origin franchises (Ultima, Crusader, Wing Commander, Privateer) and Sierra franchises (King's Quest, Hero's Quest, Space Quest, Gabriel Knight, etc).

I'd wager that 75% of the other actual franchises mentioned in this thread are still alive and in development.

You'd be wrong on my list, dude, and on a lot of others as well.

-- Mechwarrior was killed with prejudice during the development of Mechwarrior 5 (which never saw the light of day). Since then it's been twisted into a stunted parody of itself via Mechassault. Even Chromehounds kicks sand in that thing's face.

-- Wingcommander has an arcade knockoff in production for XboxLive, but other than that it's DOA. The license was recently bought by EA. With all that that implies.

-- Starcraft Ghost died a publicly decried death last year. Nothing else announced.

-- Red Baron was a PC classic, and it's sequel a worthy player. Tumbleweeds have been drifting through this franchise since 1997.

-- Alpha Centauri had an expansion pack called 'Alien Crossfire', but beyond that not a sound since 1999.

-- Deus Ex. Not a word since Project Snowblind in 2005. And that really didn't count.

Looking through the rest of the list, I don't see anything there that I have heard had a sequel other than that XBL quarter-sucker for Wingcommander.

If you want to go find some links to some info to support your point I think everyone here would be grateful. I for one would love to know that some of these games are actually in the works under the hood somewhere.

Most of mine have been said:

Diablo
BG&E
Psychonauts
Earthbound
Chrono Trigger
Soul Blazer
Legacy of Kain
Zork
Thief

I'll also add:

Parasite Eve
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
Katamari Damacy (as far as I know, anyway)
Mega Man Legends
Eternal Darkness (was this mentioned? didn't see it)
Phantasy Star (the online games don't count)
Skies of Arcadia
Metroid (the 2D games)