I hate the word "franchise" so much

Deleted member 1656 · Jul 8, 2019

Whenever someone says "I like," "I love," or "I'm such a fan of" this franchise or (I)ntellectual (P)roperty all I hear is "I love this money-generator."

"I love this money machine!"

"I love throwing my money inside it!"

"I love throwing my money at the company!"

"I love purchasing merchandise!"

Fuck off! Just say series. Or film. Or game. Or comic. Whatever type of media you're discussing. I know, very many of these things you discuss are technically very much franchises. That's what they are. I get it, pedantic guy incoming. But do you like them because that's what they are? Do you like things because they're franchises? If so, get some help, you fucking consumer cattle.

You should like things because of the stories they tell. Because of the characters you understood, related to, or identified with. Because of the worlds they build. You shouldn't like things because of how huge they get and how much money they make. "Well Disgraced, that's why I like things and I just call things franchises because that's what they are and everybody says it and everybody knows what you mean when you do."

EXACTLY. I know. But people know what you mean when you use other words too. It's okay to like and buy the things corporations sell you, but consider avoiding using, propagating, and celebrating their (really specific) language. It makes art sound so clinical and soulless when you do.

MegaManTrigger · Jul 8, 2019

I can't get over the irony of calling someone a consumer cattle for saying "franchise", and then disregarding the fact that if you are a fan of a series/IP, you still technically are a consumer cattle for buying entertainment products and stuffing the corporation's pockets.

Deleted member 1656 · Jul 8, 2019

MegaManTrigger said:
I can't get over the irony of calling someone a consumer cattle for saying "franchise", and then disregarding the fact that if you are a fan of a series/IP, you still technically are a consumer cattle for buying entertainment products and stuffing the corporation's pockets.

Noppie · Jul 8, 2019

What a weird thing to get worked up over.

Acorn · Jul 8, 2019

Most art produced is clinical, not necessarily soulless but clinical in the sense you need the capital to make it and profit to continue to make it.

Deleted member 1656 · Jul 8, 2019

Noppie said:
What a weird thing to get worked up over.

Are you a fan of the Smash Bros. franchise?

Sabretooth · Jul 8, 2019

Disgraced said:
Fuck off! Just say series. Or film. Or game. Or comic. Whatever type of media you're discussing.

But what if I'm talking about multi-media properties? Like Star Wars, for example. Do I say "I like Star Wars movies, books, games, comics, and series."? When it's a lot more convenient to say "I like the Star Wars franchise".

Arebours · Jul 8, 2019

Another one of those words is "content". Especially as it relates to games. People these days seem to get excited over nondescript content. It doesn't make any sense to me. -We have lot's of content for you. *applause*.

Deleted member 26156 · Jul 8, 2019

Yet another post in the "Era thinks way too hard about terminology" franchise.

I like the Star Wars franchise. I like the movies, the characters, the world it was, etc. To me and many others, series and franchise are used interchangeably. Being pedantic about it does not make you smart.

Khanimus · Jul 8, 2019

This is some really lame "wake up sheeple" bullshit.

Get over it.

cameron · Jul 8, 2019

Disgraced said:
Are you a fan of the Smash Bros. franchise?

I like all the SKUs.

Mosse · Jul 8, 2019

Sabretooth said:
But what if I'm talking about multi-media properties? Like Star Wars, for example. Do I say "I like Star Wars movies, books, games, comics, and series."? When it's a lot more convenient to say "I like the Star Wars franchise".

Then you should be ashamed of yourself... apparently?

Also I don't think I ever seen anyone so angry about other peoples use of a word before.

Deleted member 54320 · Jul 8, 2019

The Poochy Kid said:
Yet another post in the "Era thinks way too hard about terminology".

I like the Star Wars franchise. I like the movies, the characters, the world it was, etc. To me and many others, series and franchise are used interchangeably. Being pedantic about it does not make you smart.

Pretty much this.

signal · Jul 8, 2019

I do some academic work with multimedia franchises so this is funny. I like the word! It's useful and at least in some areas extremely distinct from the other words you mentioned. Series, film, game, comic are not the same thing.

Though if you're a weeb (or japanese) feel free to use the word media mix instead.

Disgraced said:
Fuck off! Just say series. Or film. Or game. Or comic. Whatever type of media you're discussing. I know, very many of these things you discuss are technically very much franchises. That's what they are. I get it, pedantic guy incoming. But do you like them because that's what they are? Do you like things because they're franchises? If so, get some help, you fucking consumer cattle.

You should like things because of the stories they tell. Because of the characters you understood, related to, or identified with. Because of the worlds they build. You shouldn't like things because of how huge they get and how much money they make. "Well Disgraced, that's why I like things and I just call things franchises because that's what they are and everybody says it and everybody knows what you mean when you do."

But this is exactly what most people mean when they say they like a franchise lol. You can argue the word also refers to the commercial aspect of it, but you're being purposefully ignorant if you think people are talking about liking a franchise for its commercial size and not simply liking the crossmedia / transmedia works generally.

Deleted member 1656 · Jul 8, 2019

SERIES
saga
universe
mythos
mythology
There are so many other words.

or just I like "all the Star Wars stuff."
or maybe even just "I like Star Wars." 🤷

Arebours said:
Another one of those words is "content". Especially as it relates to games. People these days seem to get excited over nondescript content. It doesn't make any sense to me. "We have lot's of content for you", *applause*.

Content makes more sense to me and I use it fairly often, since it is content, or just another words for "things." But I understand where you're coming from. I'm not there yet though.

Khanimus said:
This is some really lame "wake up sheeple" bullshit.

Get over it.

no u

People do need to wake up.

Selphie · Jul 8, 2019

Franchise nowadays means series for most people, get over it OP.

Kapryov · Jul 8, 2019

It's an umbrella word used to encompass the entirety of the media/works of an IP. "Series" is usually used much more specifically.

It's just a word.

thetrin · Jul 8, 2019

Khanimus said:
This is some really lame "wake up sheeple" bullshit.

Get over it.

Pretty much. It doesn't matter if people use the word franchise. This whole resistance to liking well made things just because a company made it is some crap. There are still hundreds of people involved that poured their blood, sweat and tears into it.

signal · Jul 8, 2019

Disgraced said:
SERIES
saga
universe
mythos
mythology
There are so many other words.

or just I like "all the Star Wars stuff."
or maybe even just "I like Star Wars."

Series doesn't work because it has a more limiting meaning (generally) in some larger franchises. And people could (and some do) say "universe" instead, but again I think you're purposefully misunderstanding them. Unless the context of the conversation is specifically about commercial aspects of different works, you know what someone means when they say they are a fan of a franchise.

Deleted member 1656 · Jul 8, 2019

Kapryov said:
It's an umbrella word used to encompass the entirety of the media/works of an IP. "Series" is usually used much more specifically.

It's just a word.

Fuck 'IP' too very much, for the record (if that wasn't already clear).

MegaManTrigger · Jul 8, 2019

Disgraced said:

This is not a "gotcha" moment. This is you being painfully pedantic and unaware. I get the whole art side of the argument, but you cannot ignore the fact that entertainment products were made to sell and appeal to mass markets. No matter how much you're drawn by its story, characters, etc.

To get caught up over the use of the word "franchise", and act like saying "series" etc. hides the capitalistic nature of these products, is strange to say the least.

Deleted member 925 · Jul 8, 2019

Why are you getting worked up over nothing?

So many other things to get worked up over yet to focus on something so insignificant.

Deleted member 54320 · Jul 8, 2019

thetrin said:
Pretty much. It doesn't matter if people use the word franchise. This whole resistance to liking well made things just because a company made it is some crap. There are still hundreds of people involved that poured their blood, sweat and tears into it.

But don't you see? Franchises are evil.

NekoNeko · Jul 8, 2019

i like the OREO™ franchise.

Noppie · Jul 8, 2019

Disgraced said:
Are you a fan of the Smash Bros. franchise?

No, I like the games though.

Did I do it right?

Kapryov · Jul 8, 2019

Disgraced said:
Fuck 'IP' too very much, for the record (if that wasn't already clear).

But what you're complaining about are very specifically "IPs" and "Franchises". They fit the definition.
Do you want to create new words to hide what these are to feel better about being a consumer?

Ichthyosaurus · Jul 8, 2019

Disgraced said:
Fuck 'IP' too very much, for the record (if that wasn't already clear).

Changing the terms aren't going to do anything, you know what they are and why companies do what they do.

Arebours · Jul 8, 2019

kitchenmotors said:
Why are you getting worked up over nothing?

So many other things to get worked up over yet to focus on something so insignificant.

maybe the anger is misdirected and is more about the fact that everything these days seem to be a sequel or part of some franchise. franchises take up more and more space in the various arenas of entertainment and culture and for many of us that feels like the death of creativity and originality. We miss the days when auteurs, not committees milking their IPs made movies. Hell I can barely stand most movies anymore because I feel like I already know the whole script with all the twists and turns just a few minutes in. I want to be surprised and stimulated, but most of the time I can predict the next dialogue line with about 75% accuracy. It's like everything has become a caricature of a caricature and somewhere along the line everyone just forgot what the the original subject existed in the first place. Yeah, yeah those movies are still being made but it's much harder to get them made. Listen to what film makers are saying and it's clear that getting anything mid-budget without franchise tie-ins made these days is brutally hard. Hollywood doesn't want to make things that doesn't have universal appeal and guaranteed billion dollar returns.

Aegus · Jul 8, 2019

I'm with the OP on this.

It's equating something that should be held in some artistic/creative regard to a fucking McDonalds. Conveyor belt entertainment products. Might as through in a happy meal when you purchase it.

3bdelilah · Jul 8, 2019

The way I see it, when it comes to media and entertainment, the word franchise encompasses the entirety of an intellectual property. The word series is reserved for the specific branches of said IP, like the Star Wars movie series, as opposed to the comic book series, video games series, television series, etc. Which are all part of the overarching franchise.

But franchise in the context of restaurants or whatever, that's something different entirely.

My two cents.

SolVanderlyn · Jul 8, 2019

I am 100% with you OP, even if I'm guilty of having used the term before.

It just sounds so cold, and bereft of love.

peyrin · Jul 8, 2019

Creative endeavors under capitalism are synonymous with franchises

Deleted member 1656 · Jul 8, 2019

Noppie said:
No, I like the games though.

Did I do it right?

yes thx

Kapryov said:
But what you're complaining about are very specifically "IPs" and "Franchises". They fit the definition.
Do you want to create new words to hide what these are to feel better about being a consumer?

No, that's an interesting point though. I don't want to obfuscate things.

Jesse Gomez (IGN) said:
But don't you see? Franchises are evil.

I'm not suggesting this and I don't think I'm misunderstanding anything, signal. I'm suggesting things sound sad and lame when you're specifically using the commercial term for them and using it very often even. It's sounds especially sad to me when someone is discussing their appreciation of something. Of art.

Aegus said:
I'm with the OP on this.

It's equating something that should be held in some artistic/creative regard to a fucking McDonalds. Conveyor belt entertainment products. Might as through in a happy meal when you purchase it.

SolVanderlyn said:
I am 100% with you OP, even if I'm guilty of having used the term before.

It just sounds so cold, and bereft of love.

^^^^^

Thank you!

GuessMyUserName · Jul 8, 2019

Sometimes franchise is the easiest way to distinguish you mean the whole collection of works. Like if you say "the Mega Man series" it's ambiguous if you mean the classic series only, or if you're including Mega Man X / Battle Network / etc

Kurita · Jul 8, 2019

Aegus said:
I'm with the OP on this.

It's equating something that should be held in some artistic/creative regard to a fucking McDonalds. Conveyor belt entertainment products. Might as through in a happy meal when you purchase it.

But every popular entertainment "series" (or whatever word the crazy OP wants to use) are just products. It doesn't mean they're devoid of creativity, but at the end of the day the people making it want to sell it to you.
Maybe you are the ones who need to wake up :thinkingemoji

Kapryov · Jul 8, 2019

Aegus said:
I'm with the OP on this.

It's equating something that should be held in some artistic/creative regard to a fucking McDonalds. Conveyor belt entertainment products. Might as through in a happy meal when you purchase it.

It can be both.
Unfortunately this is how the entertainment world works (at least with anything successful). Lots of artists work within "the machine" to produce gold despite it.

That said, one series that fought against being a franchise was Calvin and Hobbes. It's still as popular as it was :)

Stantastic · Jul 8, 2019

Literally no one likes a franchise because its something that was made by a biusness to make them money, they like them because they like the works that fall under the umbrella that is that franchise.

Every reason you listed for why people should like things are the reason they like these franchises.

You are yelling at nothing and noone right now.

signal · Jul 8, 2019

Disgraced said:
I'm not suggesting this and I don't think I'm misunderstanding anything, @signal. I'm suggesting things sound sad and lame when you're specifically using the commercial term for them and using it very often even. It's sounds especially sad to me when someone is discussing their appreciation of something. Of art.

SolVanderlyn said:
I am 100% with you OP, even if I'm guilty of having used the term before.
It just sounds so cold, and bereft of love.

Aegus said:
I'm with the OP on this.
It's equating something that should be held in some artistic/creative regard to a fucking McDonalds. Conveyor belt entertainment products. Might as through in a happy meal when you purchase it.

Again, I think you all know what people are saying when you have a conversation with them and they say "oh I really like the star wars franchise." Yes it can mean a commercial license for McDonald's as well but you know they are referring to the multimedia nature of several works with a shared universe or characters or etc. No need to be mad at them lol.

Sabretooth · Jul 8, 2019

Disgraced said:
SERIES
saga
universe
mythos
mythology
There are so many other words.

or just I like "all the Star Wars stuff."
or maybe even just "I like Star Wars."
Content makes more sense to me and I use it fairly often, since it's content, or just another words for "things." But I understand where you're coming from. I'm not there yet though.
no u

People do need to wake up.

Not everything in a franchise need be in a serial format. Would you say that the Harry Potter books and movies are together part of a single "series"? If you do go with this argument, you're going to run into the need to clarify, because a lot of people are going to ask "Oh, you like the Harry Potter series? You mean the books or the movies?"

As for saga and universe, Is Final Fantasy a saga? It does not share a single universe either.

Mythos and mythology are intriguing and cool, but you can't use those to describe something that has no storytelling involved, like Tetris.

"All the Star Wars stuff" is neat, but that throws up problems when you think of all the works that share their franchise name with a work from that franchise. If I say "I like all the Deus Ex stuff", it begs the question of whether I'm talking about the Deus Ex franchise as a whole, or just the first game. If I say "I like Deus Ex", it leads to the same problem.

I mean, sure fuck the corporation and fuck art as a commercial product, but when the context is non-linear or multi-media properties, it's impossible to use any other word as a catch-all.

It's kinda comparable to the term 'brand'. It exists for a reason, because a brand gives a face and identity to something that's abstract. Yes, it's something corporations refine and exploit to the fullest extent possible, just like franchises (arguably, franchises are brands). But if that's how the model is, what good would it do to pretend it does not exist? Might as well ignore those 'franchises' and live with non-franchise artisan games from itch.io or something.

Serebii · Jul 8, 2019

Disgraced said:
Whenever someone says "I like," "I love," or "I'm such a fan of" this franchise or ntellectual [P]roperty all I hear is "I love this money-generator."

"I love this money machine!"

"I love throwing my money inside it!"

"I love throwing my money at the company!"

"I love purchasing merchandise!"

Fuck off! Just say series. Or film. Or game. Or comic. Whatever type of media you're discussing. I know, very many of these things you discuss are technically very much franchises. That's what they are. I get it, pedantic guy incoming. But do you like them because that's what they are? Do you like things because they're franchises? If so, get some help, you fucking consumer cattle.

You should like things because of the stories they tell. Because of the characters you understood, related to, or identified with. Because of the worlds they build. You shouldn't like things because of how huge they get and how much money they make. "Well Disgraced, that's why I like things and I just call things franchises because that's what they are and everybody says it and everybody knows what you mean when you do."

EXACTLY. I know. But people know what you mean when you use other words too. It's okay to like and buy the things corporations sell you, but consider avoiding using, propagating, and celebrating their (really specific) language. It makes art sound so clinical and soulless when you do.

What if it transcends one form of media? It's more than a series, or a film, or a game

Deleted member 1656 · Jul 8, 2019

signal said:
Again, I think you all know what people are saying when you have a conversation with them and they say "oh I really like the star wars franchise." Yes it can mean a commercial license for McDonald's as well but you know they are referring to the multimedia nature of several works with a shared universe or characters or etc. No need to be mad at them lol.

I tried to address this first thing, man. We're just kind of repeating ourselves. I hate the word. People are going to do what they do. My plea is for ResetEra.com's consideration.

Sabretooth said:
Not everything in a franchise need be in a serial format. Would you say that the Harry Potter books and movies are together part of a single "series"? If you do go with this argument, you're going to run into the need to clarify, because a lot of people are going to ask "Oh, you like the Harry Potter series? You mean the books or the movies?"

As for saga and universe, Is Final Fantasy a saga? It does not share a single universe either.

Mythos and mythology are intriguing and cool, but you can't use those to describe something that has no storytelling involved, like Tetris.

"All the Star Wars stuff" is neat, but that throws up problems when you think of all the works that share their franchise name with a work from that franchise. If I say "I like all the Deus Ex stuff", it begs the question of whether I'm talking about the Deus Ex franchise as a whole, or just the first game. If I say "I like Deus Ex", it leads to the same problem.

I disagree. 🤷

I don't think these discrepancies come up very often and if they do they're easily cleared up.

Sabretooth said:
Might as well ignore those 'franchises' and live with non-franchise artisan games from itch.io or something.

I'm not there yet, but I'm kind of getting there tbh.

Serebii said:
What if it transcends one form of media? It's more than a series, or a film, or a game

anything but the commercial term

signal · Jul 8, 2019

Disgraced said:
I tried to address this first thing, man. We're just kind repeating ourselves. I hate the word. People are going to do what they do. My plea is for ResetEra.com's consideration.

Get a browser extension to auto change the word fr******e to "universe"!

SolVanderlyn · Jul 8, 2019

signal said:
Again, I think you all know what people are saying when you have a conversation with them and they say "oh I really like the star wars franchise." Yes it can mean a commercial license for McDonald's as well but you know they are referring to the multimedia nature of several works with a shared universe or characters or etc. No need to be mad at them lol.

I don't think anybody is mad at anybody in particular, it's the term we have an issue with. I'm not gonna hate on my buddies because they use a particular slang I don't like, even if I myself am against using it. Just as an analogy.

FormatCompatible · Jul 8, 2019

I have to agree with others that this is some pedantic shit OP.

signal · Jul 8, 2019

SolVanderlyn said:
I don't think anybody is mad at anybody in particular, it's the term we have an issue with. I'm not gonna hate on my buddies because they use a particular slang I don't like, even if I myself am against using it. Just as an analogy.

Well I guess personal issues with disliking a word are hard to overcome, but if you understand what they are referring to then all is well.

Bishop89 · Jul 8, 2019

Don't tell me what to do bruh

Sabretooth · Jul 8, 2019

Disgraced said:
I disagree. 🤷

I don't think these discrepancies come up very often and if they do they're easily cleared up.

Haha, I was messing with you.

I know what you mean, and I avoid the term in my writing too (unless I am talking about the commercial brand). It's all about the nuance, but ultimately, I just don't think it's a very big deal.

GuessMyUserName · Jul 8, 2019

Saga = a collective narrative/story
Universe/Mythos/Mythology = in-world lore
Stuff = material goods or digital objects of either official or unofficial capacity
Series = connected branch/line of works

None of these are good replacements of 'franchise', the closest (although still distinguishable) would be 'brand', which is even more intrinsically linked to concepts of marketing and thus a worse choice under the basis of your complaints.

Deleted member 1656 · Jul 8, 2019

Sabretooth said:
Haha, I was messing with you.

I know what you mean, and I avoid the term in my writing too (unless I am talking about the commercial brand). It's all about the nuance, but ultimately, I just don't think it's a very big deal.

Dang, you're good lol. It isn't a huge deal. It bugs the shit out of me though!

kitchenmotors said:
Why are you getting worked up over nothing?

So many other things to get worked up over yet to focus on something so insignificant.

it's all nothing in the end

Pillock · Jul 8, 2019

This is real free-thinker thinking here. Time to wake up I guess and find a better word that's less sheeple and more against the grain.

Francheries!

I hate the word "franchise" so much

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