10 Dumbest Reasons Video Games ALMOST Got Cancelled

For a time, Turok, F-Zero, and TimeSplitters were massively popular. But when money and interest dried up, each of these series faded away. Because gaming is a mercurial industry, it's hard to tell when a franchise has reached its climax, meaning studios have to guess the best time to call it quits.

But sometimes, the gaming giants get things wrong. During the millennium, Fire Emblem series finally broke into the West, giving Intelligent Systems' beloved RPG a wider audience than ever.

Just before the release of 2012's Fire Emblem Awakenings, Nintendo suddenly came to the conclusion that fans had their fill of the tactics-based title. As a result, they were ready to abandon the franchise entirely, if this entry didn't reach its sales quota.

But not only was Awakenings a major success, it was the highest rated Fire Emblem entry. Receiving a resurgence in popularity, Intelligent Systems churned out numerous Fire Emblem sequels, spin-offs, and crossovers. They also released a mobile title, Fire Emblem Heroes, which became Nintendo's highest-grossing mobile game ever. (It even outsold Mario Kart Tour!)

With the latest entry, Engage, doing well critically and financially, Fire Emblem is stronger than ever. Although Nintendo were certain Fire Emblem was on the way out during the 2010s, it's made over a billion dollars since.