10 Amazing Video Games That Killed Franchises
1. No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way
The Operative: No One Lives Forever is one of the best-reviewed FPS games of the early 2000s - a gloriously entertaining homage to the spy genre that's often held up as one of the most underappreciated video games of all time.
This is in large part because the game wasn't much of a seller, shifting only 350,000 units within around 18 months of its release - a figure you'd freely assume would kill any franchise potential outright.
Yet either due to the game's modest budget or the overwhelming critical acclaim, Monolith Productions were bankrolled to produce a sequel, No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.'s Way.
The sequel more-or-less matched the euphoric reception of its predecessor against the odds, though considering that no sales data was ever released for it, it's safe to say that it fell short of expectations.
Though a spin-off, Contract J.A.C.K., was released the next year, NOLF 2's poor sales ensured the franchise ended after just two main installments.
More depressingly still, in recent years a campaign to re-release the games has been stalled by a most bizarre situation - nobody knowing who owns the rights.