Why are people so obsessed with old and existing IP instead of hoping for something new?

[botossi]

I lot of valid comments already but adding my point of view... sometimes it feels also that developers lack ways to open various worlds within their own IP. Taking as a good example Nintendo... despite having a Mario legacy, they took from Mario, Captain Toad, Luigi Mansion, Yoshi Island and others.

Now, as a bad example also from Nintendo: they tried, in some degree, expanding Zelda universe with some bizarre game from that little seller if I'm not mistaken, but we never had a original Zelda only game, that I remember off..

Usually, an old franchise, has so many potential new IP from charismatic sidekick characters but it is not all "profitable" to invest in such risk universes.

I'm one of those that are always looking forward to new games from my favorite franchises, but after more 30 years gaming, always expecting something new (I'm looking at you Pokemon Co)!

 

[werezompire]

It's impossible to know if people are obsessed with old/existing IP instead of brand new IPs. You can start a thread saying that you wish Sega would make a new Phantasy Star and find people willing to discuss the premise because they know what Phantasy Star is. You couldn't start a thread a decade ago saying you wish Nintendo would invent Splatoon before they know what Splatoon is. And threads that are just "I wish X company would make a brand new IP" lose steam fast.

 

[TheHyde]

I have to say I very much prefer new IPs. The problem is that it is quite rare that a new IP manages to build the necessary lore and such to be immediately likable to the fanbase. But we have actually got quite a few even these. I don't mind some new approaches to old IPs mixed in, but yeah, definitely get your point OP and agree.

 

[Deleted member 8861]

It's easier to believe in something you know well than to believe in something you know nothing about.

 

[Combichristoffersen]

If I've found something I like, why wouldn't I want more of that instead of something new I might not like?

 

[ShinUltramanJ]

I'd imagine we all want fresh new experiences, but what's to discuss?

It's easier to talk about potential sequels to existing games we love, and can relate to.

 

[Inugami]

Sometimes you don't want to go through the whole world building aspect over and over. There are often tons of interesting stories to explore in worlds that already exist, and it can be exhausting going through "And these are the religions in this world, and this is the different kingdoms and their politics...." spiel that you inevitably get with every fantasy series for example.

It's not that the world building is bad, but rather so many series are so generic that you can sub in parts 1:1, but you have to put up with the game explaining it all to you anyways.

 

[Deleted member 37739]

Exposure Effect: people will always have a natural preference for that which they recognise over that which they don't. It's why successful IPs are so valuable - good or bad people are more likely to engage with them and this goes with everything. The vast majority of people would rather watch a bad film with actors and settings they recognise over a good film which is totally new to them.

This is true of everything.

Because new IP hasn't been amazing this gen.

It's not surprising that people prefer the next God of War or Doom.

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Is it that new IPs aren't genuinely as good or, being that people generally show a natural bias towards what they know, isn't it possible that new games are likely to come under greater scrutiny as people are more likely to overlook or excuse flaws in things they already know and love (as we all do with things we have an emotional pre-disposition toward)? DOOM 2016 is a great example, in that it was both a good game and it managed to recapture what people had loved about the series in the past. It promised a chance to have more of a thing you already loved - it's a very persuasive enticement and its one that original IPs can't bank on.

 

[Mirage]

Because new IP hasn't been amazing this gen.

Other than Bloodborne and maybe Horizon Zero Dawn, most new IP this gen felt ok.
They are well made (mostly) but didn't really stand out like last gen's BioShock & Mass Effect, not even close.

Anthem, Destiny, Evolve, The Division, Watch_Dogs, The Order 1886, The Evil Within, Days Gone, Death Stranding, No Man's Sky etc. these are the biggest new IP this gen that I can think of, and none of them are mindblowing.

It's not surprising that people prefer the next God of War or Doom.

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And in this example God of War basically is a new thing just using an existing series.

 

[Actual Simulation]

I guess I'm the minority, but I get excited for new things a lot. For example, this year, two of my favorite games were Blazing Chrome and Demon's Tilt. Both are kind of paying homage to older games (Contra and Alien Crush respectively), but they feel like new experiences.

That doesn't mean I don't get excited for big sequels. I'd kill for Forza Motorsport 8 and the next Mario game can't come soon enough.

 

[Rurunaki]

I just want the Chrono series to end with a trilogy. Is that too much to ask?

 

[Lord Azrael]

Because people already know they'll like it, or want a continuation to a story or characters they were already invested in. Seems pretty obvious; weird question

 

[Mauricio_Magus]

I actually enjoy sequels a lot so I don't get the obsession with either sequels or new IP, just give me good games.

 

[jacks81x]

Nostalgia is a powerful emotion. It's natural for people to be fond of things that they know and love. It's why most people have a favorite restaurant that they go to regularly, or that favorite pair of jeans that they wear all the time, etc.

 

[Gelf]

This does bother me particularly with Sega discussions about so called neglected franchises. One of the things that was special about Sega in thier heyday to me was the amount of times they put out something I didn't know I wanted. I'd just be asking for new Streets of Rage and Golden Axe but then they'd surprise with Panzer Dragoon, Nights, Jet Set Radio etc. It would have been impossible to do both.

 

[Kolibri]

You like something, you want more of it. Seems simple enough to me?
Doesn't mean we don't want cool new games as well.

 

[MattHeus]

People here like to speculate...
It is easier to speculate about something that you already know than imagining something completely new.

 

[Beef Supreme]

That's the way entertainment currently is. Movies, music, you name it. I don't understand it either. I would much rather have something new.

 

[astro]

I really do not understand how the concept of wanting more from a universe you love is so alien to you and others, OP.

I'll take a healthy mix of both new and expanded.

 

[Mass_Pincup]

Because being an new IP means absolutely nothing in termes of quality or interest.

I wouldn't care for the game if ND made a racing games after TLOU Part 2 for exemple, even if I played and liked all of their games.

 

[Deleted member 1726]

How can you be excited for something you don't know exists lol?

 

[Deleted member 8593]

Sometimes I like new.

Sometimes I like more of the same.

Crazy, I know.

 

[Sweeney Swift]

What if I want both :O

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You're an outlier. Most people, given two things, will instinctively try to choose one instead of wanting both, and unfortunately the trend (it obviously doesn't apply just to gaming either) has clearly been to choose "stick with what's safe and that you remember liking once upon a time" rather than "take a risk in the hopes of expanding your horizons and viewpoint". Nostalgia isn't always bad, but we need more risks

 

[Phellps]

"Why are people more excited for things they know and love vs things they may or may not like"

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Yeah, I mean... it's this. These aren't even mutually exclusive either. People can be, and most likely are, excited about new things, but it's just far easier to be excited about things you already know you enjoy. Because there is a precedent.

 

[Calabi]

I'm the same OP I don't really understand it either. I was there when most of these old games originally came out and while I love and enjoyed them and maybe sometimes like to play them again I'd much rather see newer IP's and more new creative games. Like I went through a nostalgia phase of kickstarting a load of old game remakes, but when I played them I realised they were too similar to old games and didn't really like that or want that.

I'm disappointed with the Final Fantasy 7 remake. The original is probably my favourite game and yet I don't want to replay it with a new coat of paint. I'd much rather play through a new FF with a new story where I don't know what is going to happen. It seems like new IP's don't have any chance any more though.

 

[Derktron]

.....sigh

 

[skillzilla81]

I'm the same OP I don't really understand it either. I was there when most of these old games originally came out and while I love and enjoyed them and maybe sometimes like to play them again I'd much rather see newer IP's and more new creative games. Like I went through a nostalgia phase of kickstarting a load of old game remakes, but when I played them I realised they were too similar to old games and didn't really like that or want that.

I'm disappointed with the Final Fantasy 7 remake. The original is probably my favourite game and yet I don't want to replay it with a new coat of paint. I'd much rather play through a new FF with a new story where I don't know what is going to happen. It seems like new IP's don't have any chance any more though.

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So...Just wait for FF16. It's not like "wanting more Final Fantasy" is something new.

 

[mazpratim]

Because sequels are usually better than new IPs since they improve on past flaws in the series

 

[Meriadock]

Would be ok if JK only released Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone?

 

[Core Zero]

The analogy that popped into my head is food. I make an effort to try new foods, recipes, and restaurants regularly, and I find new things I like often enough that it's worth seeking out more new things to try. However, when I get a craving, one of those late-night gotta have it NOW kind of cravings, it's going to be for something I already know I love.

I'm always up for developers coming up with new IPs. See my avatar, for instance. I bought a PS4 solely to have the ability to play H:ZD, having never played another Guerrilla game. But if you ask me generically "what games are you excited to see announced" it's going to be those cravings. New Metroid, new Bayonetta, and more Aloy too please I hope it's coming!

 

[Renna Hazel]

I like new stuff too, but no new IPs have been better than Mario or Zelda in their respective genres so I tend to ask for those. I'll take new 3D platformers as well, but none of them have surpassed Mario in over 20 years. Mario has historically given me the better game than the dozens of new platformer IPs that have come since.

 

[Kunka Kid]

I think Skate is a bad example, because nothing came out to replace the series once it was shelved.

There are no quality skateboarding sims available, and there's an audience for them.

 

[Gestault]

Someone who likes mint chocolate-chip ice cream has more interest in that flavor (and the ability to share that enjoyment with like-minded people) than a theoretical new flavor. Not knowing if they like that new flavor means they can't make a real connection with others about it. A "good" flavor is more appealing than an uncertain/undefined flavor, whether it's an individual or a group.

Not meaning to sound snippy, but that's don't want new things or won't enjoy new things when they experience them, but "a bird in the hand" is an idiom for a reason. I totally relate to what you're saying though, especially when people settle into particular brands rather than a game style/genre.

 

[fourfourfun]

It is easier to wish for something you know than to conceptualise something that doesn't exist.

 

[hrœrekr]

Yeah, but the POSSIBILITY of something new to love! You already know you like that old thing, why not hope to find something totally awesome and new to love in addition!

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New IPs can be either good or bad. It's unknown.
Old IPs can also be good or bad, but the bad ones we forgot and just don't talk abou it. That's what makes you think there is a bias towards the past.

 

[astro]

Also who are these hypothetical people who only obsess over sequels that OP is rallying against? I'm sure they exist, but why do they need to be called out like this?

This thread feels a little like grandstanding about OP's superior taste, talking down to others for their own.

 

[Hobbun]

Look at this way, because for many of the games we grew up on or just enjoyed when we were younger, we are not certain we will see one of them again. So when we do, we are going to certainly be more excited about it.

For example, where I didn't 'grow up' on Wild ARMs, I enjoyed it in my younger days. It is one of my favorite RPG IPs. Alas, it is a series we will probably never see a game in again. But if that changed, of course I'm going to be damn excited, more than a new IP I have never heard of before or sure what it will be about.

I may give the new IP a shot as well, nothing is preventing me from doing so. But the here and now I would be much more excited about the (hypothetical example) WILD ARMs being released because I thought I would never see one again.

There is always going to be new IPs that will be released, but a game in a series we thought would never see the light of day again, a series that I loved, is most certainly going to make me more excited.

 

[Bit_Reactor]

For me it's because franchises I loved either stopped at one or two entries or its gameplay and/or story could be rereleased on modern hardware for more wider audiences. Sometimes it's because hardware limitations of "Ye olden days" means that games that are "good" could be made even better with a new coat of paint. Sometimes it's because I know of the art and game direction of an established IP and want to see it iterated upon.

Everything is derivative anyways, so something "new" is really just the skin it wears.

Look at this way, because for many of the games we grew up on or just enjoyed when we were younger, we are not certain we will see one of them again. So when we do, we are going to certainly be more excited about it.

For example, where I didn't 'grow up' on Wild ARMs, I enjoyed it in my younger days. It is one of my favorite RPG IPs. Alas, it is a series we will probably never see a game in again. But if that changed, of course I'm going to be damn excited, more than a new IP I have never heard of before or sure what it will be about.

I may give the new IP a shot as well, nothing is preventing me from doing so. But the here and now I would be much more excited about the (hypothetical example) WILD ARMs being released because I thought I would never see one again.

There is always going to be new IPs that will be released, but a game in a series we thought would never see the light of day again, a series that I loved, is most certainly going to make me more excited.

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This is how I feel too. Several of my favorite old franchises like Golden Sun, Breath of Fire, Wild ARMs, Star Ocean, etc are either stuck in gacha land mobile bullshit or other bad titles, with no one replicating the formula.

 

[EndlessNever]

You can't want something you don't know exists.

 

[Potterson]

Well it's hard to get excited about "something" that may come and be totally new, because you have nothing in your mind to be excited about, really.

 

[Xx 720]

Didn't get a ton of new ips that hit this gen, ps3, 360 era seemed to of had more luck. Also, it would seem as game development costs have gone sky high, publishers are reticent to double down if a new ip doesn't become huge out the gate. Last gen games like Assassins creed, Uncharted got killer sequels, blew up and became iconic series. This gen, stuff like The Order, Sunset Overdrive we're dumped after the first game despite showing potential.

 

[LookAtMeGo]

Its worked for Nintendo

 

[K Samedi]

There's no point in discussing things we don't know about. It will only be ideas and everyone has drastically different views of what a good and bad idea is. I didn't know I needed a Switch until it released.

 

[Issen]

People grow attached to game worlds and characters, just like they grow attached to places and people in real life.

 

[Cloud-Strife]

Because I need a remake similar to RE2 Remake for so many games:

Chrono Cross
Valkyrie Profile
Xenogears
Vagrant Story
Breath of Fire IV
and many more

 

[Deleted member 8852]

KOTOR3 vs Anthem.

 

[Deleted member 2834]

Because they have a super conservative taste and score low on openness to experience. I think it's a mistake and creators are throwing their talent away by creating samey games over and over.

 

[PeskyToaster]

i can't ask for something I don't know exists.

 

[DidactBRHU3]

KOTOR3 vs Anthem.

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Pretty much lol

 

[Korigama]

"Why are people more excited for things they know and love vs things they may or may not like"

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.

Simply a matter of known quantity vs. unknown quantity.