10 Images That Encapsulate Gaming's Biggest Problems

2. Rampant Sequelisation

The reason so many people initially got on board with Watch Dogs was due to the twin-announcement of it coming with the new consoles, and that of it being a new IP to celebrate. It's all well and good finding a winning formula, but when that same magical serum is trotted out year after year, it starts to get very tiring. Games are in a whole different ballgame to movies when it comes to sequels, because the appeal of getting 'more of the same' lies purely in the way something plays. In film if a sequel literally produces the same content but with only minor alterations (like The Hangover 2 for example) it's panned for a total lack of imagination, and the general feeling that it didn't need to exist. In games though if you enjoyed tearing a dude in half with a chainsaw in the first Gears of War, chances are you'll enjoy doing the same thing in parts two and three. It's in the way something 'feels' to control that dictates how much mileage developers can get out of refining the bare minimum before releasing it again; just look at any long-running sports franchise like FIFA or Madden for confirmation. However, to get all Spidey-Uncle Ben on you, it is true that in recognising the power behind that appeal it's then up to the teams behind it to make sure fan interest is highly maintained. The fervour around titles like Fallout 4 and Half Life 3 is suitably gargantuan because of the fact that developers Bethesda and Valve are showing restraint in when they deliver subsequent releases. On the other hand as much as it'll play serviceably enough, there are two Assassin's Creed games coming this year that will be the seventh and eighth instalments in the franchise since 2007 respectively. Tired yet?