Why people love sequels

In 2005, Electronic Arts released 26 new games, and out of the 26 titles, only one was new. Interestingly, we see game sequels more than we see movie sequels. Now, the pertinent question would be, why aren’t we sick of sequels yet?

For one thing, sequels are ultimately cheaper to make, they’re predictable, thus, safer to make. The revenue you can generate from releasing a sequel is easy to estimate, and the name of the game is familiar already. Despite the developer factor, gamers are the ones who ultimately dictate what trends will be like. So, here are some things that sequels do to gamers:

1. For those in the MMORPG scene, sequels tend to reunite those who left the previous game for some time. This warm fuzzy community feeling is good and it helps sell the game.
2. Sequels tempt us with the “New Feature” ploy. Imagine a home-TV-shopping host go, “If you love game 1, you’ll love game 2! It has X and Y and Z, but wait, there’s more!” You get the idea.
3. Sequels have similar game mechanics to their older versions. It makes gamers feel comfortable. It empowers them, and makes them feel more “super”.
4. Sequels have a history to back them up. Admit it, you got giggly and got the in-game joke when you saw Lulu from Final Fantasy X (while technically not a sequel, is part of an ongoing series) carry around a Moogle plushie.

Sony in particular, has a lot of people on their side of the war, just because they have a whole bevy of established game titles. FFXIII, DMC4, Virtua Fighter 5. That’s a powerful list right there don’t you think? Sequels have long been blamed for stagnating creativity and innovation in the gaming scene. But if done right, sequels can add a sense of legacy and history to the gaming experience that we oh so love.

Via 2old2play

In 2005, Electronic Arts released 26 new games, and out of the 26 titles, only one was new. Interestingly, we see game sequels more than we see movie sequels. Now, the pertinent question would be, why aren’t we sick of sequels yet?

For one thing, sequels are ultimately cheaper to make, they’re predictable, thus, safer to make. The revenue you can generate from releasing a sequel is easy to estimate, and the name of the game is familiar already. Despite the developer factor, gamers are the ones who ultimately dictate what trends will be like. So, here are some things that sequels do to gamers:

1. For those in the MMORPG scene, sequels tend to reunite those who left the previous game for some time. This warm fuzzy community feeling is good and it helps sell the game.
2. Sequels tempt us with the “New Feature” ploy. Imagine a home-TV-shopping host go, “If you love game 1, you’ll love game 2! It has X and Y and Z, but wait, there’s more!” You get the idea.
3. Sequels have similar game mechanics to their older versions. It makes gamers feel comfortable. It empowers them, and makes them feel more “super”.
4. Sequels have a history to back them up. Admit it, you got giggly and got the in-game joke when you saw Lulu from Final Fantasy X (while technically not a sequel, is part of an ongoing series) carry around a Moogle plushie.

Sony in particular, has a lot of people on their side of the war, just because they have a whole bevy of established game titles. FFXIII, DMC4, Virtua Fighter 5. That’s a powerful list right there don’t you think? Sequels have long been blamed for stagnating creativity and innovation in the gaming scene. But if done right, sequels can add a sense of legacy and history to the gaming experience that we oh so love.

Via 2old2play