What does it mean to be a 'fan' of a VG franchise?

I would say if you have some of the games in a franchise and you enjoy them then that would make you a fan.

I would say if you have some of the games in a franchise and you enjoy them then that would make you a fan.

JML897

Just because you happen to like a couple of games in a series it doesn't necessarily make you a fan. A fan is more like somebody with a sentimental attachment to a game franchise, the people behind the games, game characters, related merchandise and such - it goes beyond mere appreciation of a game, not seldom to an unwillingness to fair criticism of anything related to it, and/or to a defense of what is believed to be the "purity" and "essence" of it against "bastardisations".

I'm unsure if fandom in itself can ever be good, but when corporations milk franchises for mass appeal for profit, then I can only see myself taking the side of fans. But then there are fans that are allergic to any kind of change to what they're used to and love - and that's very likely the reason that franchises exist in the first place; because people want more of the same thing. It is problematic when it becomes a hindrance to the progression of new interesting game developments, when it pushes developers and designers to focus on the same old formulas if they want to continue to exist inside the industry and not outside of it - well, there's a reason the so called indie scene has appeared. The industry is drawn to eating it's own sh|t and sh|tting it out again for survival - many also seem willing to repeatedly gobble it up. I'm saying this because I've played lots of sequels to games that I've liked that I think are worse than the originals - and the crap just keeps coming.

It all depends on your definition of a fan. Does watching the only NBA Finals every year make you a fan of Basketball? Considering Fan is a shortening of fanatic I am of the opinion that to be a fan you must have an invested interestin the object of your fanaticism, beyond that of the general public, otherwise you are merely a casual observer. Specific to video games, fan has lost its connection to fanatic, you can be a FPS fan by merely buying into the annual COD cycle. I think this dilutes the meaning of what it is to be a fan. Final Fantasy has a great fan base in my opinion, who might purchase most things from Square, but also aren't shy from showing discontent for the direction specifically because they know where Final Fantasy has been in the past and they presume to know where it's moving in the future. To make these kinds of assessmentsof the Final Fantasy franchise you have to have a well of knowledge otherwise your opinion isn't well informed. As the Game Industry seeks to expand its influence it wants to move toward greater inclusiveness and this has spawned a recent era of porting which is great for people just entering the industry as consumers. To be a fan of Final Fantasy, must you have played Final Fantasy VI (released as III in the US) in its original form? No. But if you are trulya fan you would definitely seek to play a PSN port. If you are a fan of a franchise, you shouldn't have to ask 'Am I a fan?' you should merely be enthused by seeking out new and old entries in a franchise and expanding your well of knowledge on the particulars not because you have to but because you want to. Hence fanatic.

Wow, interesting definitions we've got there. Always nice to see a variety of opinions and perspectives :)

Just because you happen to like a couple of games in a series it doesn't necessarily make you a fan. A fan is more like somebody with a sentimental attachment to a game franchise, the people behind the games, game characters, related merchandise and such - it goes beyond mere appreciation of a game, not seldom to an unwillingness to fair criticism of anything related to it, and/or to a defense of what is believed to be the "purity" and "essence" of it against "bastardisations".

doubutsuteki

It all depends on your definition of a fan. Does watching the only NBA Finals every year make you a fan of Basketball? Considering Fan is a shortening of fanatic I am of the opinion that to be a fan you must have an invested interestin the object of your fanaticism, beyond that of the general public, otherwise you are merely a casual observer... if you are trulya fan you would definitely seek to play a PSN port. If you are a fan of a franchise, you shouldn't have to ask 'Am I a fan?' you should merely be enthused by seeking out new and old entries in a franchise and expanding your well of knowledge on the particulars not because you have to but because you want to. Hence fanatic.

10finalfantasy

So is it then right for me - as a relative newcomer to most franchises, to see myself as a 'fan' despite only having started playing the games a mere five to six years ago? I wouldn't say I have a 'sentimental attachment' to most franchises, with the probable exception of FF's Fabula Nova Crystalis sub-franchise (due to the fact that FFXIII is the only game I took time off from a trip to Japan to queue up in Akihabara to buy Day One). That said, I take special interest in the stories of the characters I come across in the games I play. Take the following personal examples:

Final Fantasy: My first exposure was through Advent Children. Having thoroughly enjoyed the movie, I decided to try out FF7 (PC) - and unfortunately didn't enjoy the gameplay and presentation. The storyline, however, interested me greatly, and I went on to read up on the character stories behind the FF7 universe, including a playthrough of Crisis Core - not a bad game in itself, but not one that really engaged me on an emotional level. It wasn't until Dissidia that I really got into the full swing of enjoying Final Fantasy - a game I really, really loved, as it was the closest I could get to the Advent Children experience. After I had completed Dissidia, I took to the iOS versions of FFs 1, 2 and 3, and the DS ports of 4 and 6 - Sadly, I just couldn't get into them for various reasons. Not long after, I picked up FFXIII, and that game just blew me away. It may not have been as open-world or as 'deep' (gameplay-wise) as other RPGs, but it was the first FF I played that had stellar presentation and cinematic storytelling. I've owned every major (offline) FF title ever since, (XIII, XIII-2, Type-0, Theatrhythm), and not a single one of them has let me down. Suffice to say, the Lightning Saga and FNC lore has really engaged me, and I'm really looking forward to Vs13 and Lightning Returns, to see what is going to happen to the characters I love. My enjoyment of the series is at a state where I have gone ahead to amass a sizeable collection of Play Arts Kai action figures, posters and even the canned drinks featuring the FFXIII characters. For the sake of completion, I am also eagerly awaiting the Vita port of FFX - It's a chapter (along with FFX-2) I've always wanted to experience but was never able to because I never owned a PS2. And I certainly wouldn't mind seeing where they can take the series with a future 15th, 16th or even 17th installment of the series.

Resident Evil: I was first introduced to RE via RE5 - a game I thought was really exciting and fun to play. It got me interested in the stories behind Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, and I went ahead with some simple background searches and wiki-surfs, and further investments in RE: Operation Raccoon City and RE: Revelations. In anticipation of RE6, I went back and purchased the PSN ports of REs 1, 2 and 3, and the HD ports of RE4 and Code Veronica. I played through all of them - and contrary to what seems to be the norm in the RE fanbase, I actually enjoyed 4, 5 and Revelations far more than I could the games prior to the gameplay overhaul in RE4, and technical glitches aside, the RE6 demo got me pretty excited for the latest installment. The clunky, sluggish gameplay and cheesy, aged presentation just didn't do it for me. That said, I did really enjoy the settings, atmospheres and deep stories as presented through the comics and novels (I loved the novels, especially - spent a couple of months hunting them down both on e-book format and at the local library). Nevertheless, I can't wait to finally get my hands on the Nintendo Wii/Gamecube RE1 remake once the Wii U comes in, just to see the updated visuals and controls make all the difference. And if Jill Valentine and Claire Redfield don't appear in RE6, I'm damn sure I want an RE7 so I can see their stories be fleshed out even further.

It's pretty much the same story for a lot of the franchises I follow - Ace Combat, Tomb Raider, Street Fighter, Metal Gear Solid: I start off with the latest installment, and then I work backwards to learn more about the story. Sometimes, I don't quite enjoy the older games, but I stick around for the sake of learning the story, and future installments always get me excited, as it almost always means I see the characters I love again (in the same light, making their stories more complete; or like in Tomb Raider and Metal Gear Rising, from completely a different perspective, offering an interesting, intriguing take that deviates from the norm) - Are these reasons alone sufficient to consider myself a 'fan' of these series?

To most, it means blindly fellating a developer.

To me, it means loving a series enough to fully support it when it's doing something right, and stomping its nuts when it isn't. I subscribe to the "tough love" style of being a fan. My support is earned and maintained -- it's NOT something that is unconditional.

To most, it means blindlessly fellating a developer.

To me, it means loving a series enough to fully support it when it's doing something right, and stomping its nuts when it isn't. I subscribe to the "tough love" style of being a fan. My support is earned and maintained -- it's NOT something that is unconditional.

Shame-usBlackley

Knowing as many things as possible for that franchise.

[QUOTE="Shame-usBlackley"]

To most, it means blindlessly fellating a developer.

To me, it means loving a series enough to fully support it when it's doing something right, and stomping its nuts when it isn't. I subscribe to the "tough love" style of being a fan. My support is earned and maintained -- it's NOT something that is unconditional.

GodModeEnabled

RE:ORC was a love-hate relationship for me... I really enjoyed Co-op mode, but not so much on my SP playthroughs... That said, that was outsourced to Slant Six if I remember correctly; the 'main' RE team did an excellent job on Revelations, so I haven't found a reason to doubt them yet.

[QUOTE="Shame-usBlackley"]

To most, it means blindlessly fellating a developer.

To me, it means loving a series enough to fully support it when it's doing something right, and stomping its nuts when it isn't. I subscribe to the "tough love" style of being a fan. My support is earned and maintained -- it's NOT something that is unconditional.

GodModeEnabled

If you like the games, you're a fan of them. I agree with that quote.

Wow, interesting definitions we've got there. Always nice to see a variety of opinions and perspectives :)

[QUOTE="doubutsuteki"]

Just because you happen to like a couple of games in a series it doesn't necessarily make you a fan. A fan is more like somebody with a sentimental attachment to a game franchise, the people behind the games, game characters, related merchandise and such - it goes beyond mere appreciation of a game, not seldom to an unwillingness to fair criticism of anything related to it, and/or to a defense of what is believed to be the "purity" and "essence" of it against "bastardisations".

disneyanime91

It all depends on your definition of a fan. Does watching the only NBA Finals every year make you a fan of Basketball? Considering Fan is a shortening of fanatic I am of the opinion that to be a fan you must have an invested interestin the object of your fanaticism, beyond that of the general public, otherwise you are merely a casual observer... if you are trulya fan you would definitely seek to play a PSN port. If you are a fan of a franchise, you shouldn't have to ask 'Am I a fan?' you should merely be enthused by seeking out new and old entries in a franchise and expanding your well of knowledge on the particulars not because you have to but because you want to. Hence fanatic.

10finalfantasy

So is it then right for me - as a relative newcomer to most franchises, to see myself as a 'fan' despite only having started playing the games a mere five to six years ago? I wouldn't say I have a 'sentimental attachment' to most franchises, with the probable exception of FF's Fabula Nova Crystalis sub-franchise (due to the fact that FFXIII is the only game I took time off from a trip to Japan to queue up in Akihabara to buy Day One). That said, I take special interest in the stories of the characters I come across in the games I play. Take the following personal examples:

Final Fantasy: My first exposure was through Advent Children. Having thoroughly enjoyed the movie, I decided to try out FF7 (PC) - and unfortunately didn't enjoy the gameplay and presentation. The storyline, however, interested me greatly, and I went on to read up on the character stories behind the FF7 universe, including a playthrough of Crisis Core - not a bad game in itself, but not one that really engaged me on an emotional level. It wasn't until Dissidia that I really got into the full swing of enjoying Final Fantasy - a game I really, really loved, as it was the closest I could get to the Advent Children experience. After I had completed Dissidia, I took to the iOS versions of FFs 1, 2 and 3, and the DS ports of 4 and 6 - Sadly, I just couldn't get into them for various reasons. Not long after, I picked up FFXIII, and that game just blew me away. It may not have been as open-world or as 'deep' (gameplay-wise) as other RPGs, but it was the first FF I played that had stellar presentation and cinematic storytelling. I've owned every major (offline) FF title ever since, (XIII, XIII-2, Type-0, Theatrhythm), and not a single one of them has let me down. Suffice to say, the Lightning Saga and FNC lore has really engaged me, and I'm really looking forward to Vs13 and Lightning Returns, to see what is going to happen to the characters I love. My enjoyment of the series is at a state where I have gone ahead to amass a sizeable collection of Play Arts Kai action figures, posters and even the canned drinks featuring the FFXIII characters. For the sake of completion, I am also eagerly awaiting the Vita port of FFX - It's a chapter (along with FFX-2) I've always wanted to experience but was never able to because I never owned a PS2. And I certainly wouldn't mind seeing where they can take the series with a future 15th, 16th or even 17th installment of the series.

Resident Evil: I was first introduced to RE via RE5 - a game I thought was really exciting and fun to play. It got me interested in the stories behind Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, and I went ahead with some simple background searches and wiki-surfs, and further investments in RE: Operation Raccoon City and RE: Revelations. In anticipation of RE6, I went back and purchased the PSN ports of REs 1, 2 and 3, and the HD ports of RE4 and Code Veronica. I played through all of them - and contrary to what seems to be the norm in the RE fanbase, I actually enjoyed 4, 5 and Revelations far more than I could the games prior to the gameplay overhaul in RE4, and technical glitches aside, the RE6 demo got me pretty excited for the latest installment. The clunky, sluggish gameplay and cheesy, aged presentation just didn't do it for me. That said, I did really enjoy the settings, atmospheres and deep stories as presented through the comics and novels (I loved the novels, especially - spent a couple of months hunting them down both on e-book format and at the local library). Nevertheless, I can't wait to finally get my hands on the Nintendo Wii/Gamecube RE1 remake once the Wii U comes in, just to see the updated visuals and controls make all the difference. And if Jill Valentine and Claire Redfield don't appear in RE6, I'm damn sure I want an RE7 so I can see their stories be fleshed out even further.

It's pretty much the same story for a lot of the franchises I follow - Ace Combat, Tomb Raider, Street Fighter, Metal Gear Solid: I start off with the latest installment, and then I work backwards to learn more about the story. Sometimes, I don't quite enjoy the older games, but I stick around for the sake of learning the story, and future installments always get me excited, as it almost always means I see the characters I love again (in the same light, making their stories more complete; or like in Tomb Raider and Metal Gear Rising, from completely a different perspective, offering an interesting, intriguing take that deviates from the norm) - Are these reasons alone sufficient to consider myself a 'fan' of these series?

Well, who cares? If you find a need to put a label on yourself I'm not going to stop you - you might be more of a Resident Evil-fan than I am myself. From what I've heard and read and from the trailers I've seen the mood, atmosphere and the gameplay has changed to the point that it doesn't resemble the old games anymore. Capcom themselves have confirmed that they've sold out to the shooter crowd. I've got to agree that the old games are kinda crude in many aspects, but that was part of their appeal to me. Apparently they went for more of a Hollywood-styled presentation starting with Code Veronica, but they largely kept the things I liked about the games: exploration, non-straightforwardness, about an equal focus on adventure and action (not saying the controls and camera in the old games were very good though). Resident Evil 1 to me was a great B-movie in game form, unintentionally comical yet strangely appealing from a horror standpoint - with cheap jump scares but also with a brooding and unsettling atmosphere that grew on you, in part thanks to the relatively slow pace, and evocative despite the crudeness (not in the least in the graphical department) much thanks to the interesting diaries to read. It also was quite hard and frustrating and kept challenging you. Conserving ammunition and herbs was necessary, and it made you feel vulnerable. Well, the series didn't change much for the first games. The characters were interesting and likeable and also helped keeping the games from feeling generic - up to a point. I grew tired. I haven't touched the series since Code Veronica. It just didn't seem to me that RE4 was the kind of much needed change I wanted. I've moved along.

I don't think that great games should need to leave the player needing to feel like they always want to find out more to warrant the purchase of a sequel. I'm not saying that sequels are always bad - definately not -, but when it becomes clear that games are designed just to establish a universe to keep expanding on infinitely for it's own sake that pretty much kills my interest in it, it's like it's never enough and that a game cannot stand on it's own - experiencing the story from different angles in the same game is cool and interesting! I'd probably even go as far as to say that I think that many games would be better remembered if they didn't spawn seemingly endless amount of sequels - many of which risk being disappointments one way or another anyway, because they need to stay "true" in one sense or another to original to be justified - comparisons are inevitable.

[QUOTE="GodModeEnabled"][QUOTE="Shame-usBlackley"]

To most, it means blindlessly fellating a developer.

To me, it means loving a series enough to fully support it when it's doing something right, and stomping its nuts when it isn't. I subscribe to the "tough love" style of being a fan. My support is earned and maintained -- it's NOT something that is unconditional.

Black_Knight_00

Oh god a FF13 fan. Put that thing down son you're gonna go blind!!!!! :PGodModeEnabled

[QUOTE="Shame-usBlackley"]

To most, it means blindlessly fellating a developer.

To me, it means loving a series enough to fully support it when it's doing something right, and stomping its nuts when it isn't. I subscribe to the "tough love" style of being a fan. My support is earned and maintained -- it's NOT something that is unconditional.

GodModeEnabled

LOL, I said blindlessly... no more tequila shots for me...

Anyway, yeah, I think there are a ton of people who worship these series that were once iconic and no longer are. I also think there is a segment that wants to be part of the popular crowd, so they start worshipping games they don't particularly care for. It's just like clothes designers. Their friends tell them they suck if they don't buy Lucky jeans, so that's what they buy. They don't buy a pair of Lucky jeans for the cut or the fabric. They buy them because they are mindless sheep who enjoy following instead of leading. I have no problem if someone buys something and can clearly enumerate reasons that back it up -- even if it's something I think is total dogshlt. But that's usually not the case.

LOL, I said blindlessly... no more tequila shots for me...

Anyway, yeah, I think there are a ton of people who worship these series that were once iconic and no longer are. I also think there is a segment that wants to be part of the popular crowd, so they start worshipping games they don't particularly care for. It's just like clothes designers. Their friends tell them they suck if they don't buy Lucky jeans, so that's what they buy. They don't buy a pair of Lucky jeans for the cut or the fabric. They buy them because they are mindless sheep who enjoy following instead of leading. I have no problem if someone buys something and can clearly enumerate reasons that back it up -- even if it's something I think is total dogshlt. But that's usually not the case.

Shame-usBlackley

It seems as thought forums is riddled with folks like this. Fans are nothing but drones. They can't think objectively and believe that the item,series, game they are a fan off is eternally great when in reality its not. This is not to be confused with someone who enjoys said item,series or game.

Well, who cares? If you find a need to put a label on yourself I'm not going to stop you - you might be more of a Resident Evil-fan than I am myself. From what I've heard and read and from the trailers I've seen the mood, atmosphere and the gameplay has changed to the point that it doesn't resemble the old games anymore. Capcom themselves have confirmed that they've sold out to the shooter crowd. I've got to agree that the old games are kinda crude in many aspects, but that was part of their appeal to me. Apparently they went for more of a Hollywood-styled presentation starting with Code Veronica, but they largely kept the things I liked about the games: exploration, non-straightforwardness, about an equal focus on adventure and action (not saying the controls and camera in the old games were very good though). Resident Evil 1 to me was a great B-movie in game form, unintentionally comical yet strangely appealing from a horror standpoint - with cheap jump scares but also with a brooding and unsettling atmosphere that grew on you, in part thanks to the relatively slow pace, and evocative despite the crudeness (not in the least in the graphical department) much thanks to the interesting diaries to read. It also was quite hard and frustrating and kept challenging you. Conserving ammunition and herbs was necessary, and it made you feel vulnerable. Well, the series didn't change much for the first games. The characters were interesting and likeable and also helped keeping the games from feeling generic - up to a point. I grew tired. I haven't touched the series since Code Veronica. It just didn't seem to me that RE4 was the kind of much needed change I wanted. I've moved along.

doubutsuteki

That I cannot disagree - Resident Evil definitely has changed; for better or for worse, however, I would think that's rather subjective. When it comes to games, personally, it's all about the presentation and storytelling. I can forgive a cliched/linear story if it's told in an interesting, engaging and/or spectacular manner. In Resident Evil 1, I lost it at 'Jill Sandwich'. The voice acting was just so sub-par, un-emotional and dead-pan that I just couldn't take it seriously as a 'horror' game. Of course, I'll admit to that being a grossly unfair judgement becuase I am, after all, comparing a 16-year-old game to the standards set by the latest in video game entertainment. With 4 and 5, at least there were well-crafted, well-'filmed' CGI cutscenes that I could sit back and enjoy. I can understand if others don't like it; I suppose it all comes down to personal preference, as with everything.

To be honest, unlike a lot of people (I think), I don't attach particular expectations to any series. I don't expect all RE titles to be 'Survival Horror' as with RE1, 2 and 3 - it said 'Action/Adventure' on the box of RE5, and that's what I got; With RE: Revelations, it said 'Dramatic Horror', and that's exactly what I got as well, so I don't have any complaints there.

Put simply, I expect change in any series that's going to stretch beyond three titles. That's my personal threshold - I'm fine if you keep the first three or so games similar, but beyond that, a series will need something new, something different, even something game-changing to keep me hooked. Which is why I absolutely loved Ace Combat: Assault Horizon and its dogfighting system, and am incredibly excited for the Tomb Raider reboot and Lightning Returns FFXIII (I enjoyed the first two games as they were, but the addition of something that's completely new to the FF series with the direction LR is going has busted my interest levels sky-high).

And forgive me for bringing this in but in my opinion, that's where Infinity Ward failed, and Treyarch succeeded.

I don't think that great games should need to leave the player needing to feel like they always want to find out more to warrant the purchase of a sequel. I'm not saying that sequels are always bad - definately not -, but when it becomes clear that games are designed just to establish a universe to keep expanding on infinitely for it's own sake that pretty much kills my interest in it, it's like it's never enough and that a game cannot stand on it's own - experiencing the story from different angles in the same game is cool and interesting! I'd probably even go as far as to say that I think that many games would be better remembered if they didn't spawn seemingly endless amount of sequels - many of which risk being disappointments one way or another anyway, because they need to stay "true" in one sense or another to original to be justified - comparisons are inevitable.

doubutsuteki

True. There are many great games out there that have (and would have) functioned perfectly well as solo titles: Borderlands, Bayonetta, No More Heroes, Ninja Gaiden, Jade Empire, KOTOR, Black, etc. On a more personal level, though, I'd disagree with you; I'm the kind of person that enjoys ever-expanding stories and universe-building. To me, sequels aren't absolutely necessary, but I certainly woul love to have them. For example, I enjoyed Borderlands immensely when it was its own game, but once Borderlands 2 came out, that was all it took for me to want Gearbox to do Borderlands 3. For this same reason, I tend not to take as well to 'lore wipes' and 'universe-changing' at first (e.g. despite enjoying Ace Combat: Assault Horizon's combat, I was greatly disappointed by the decision to put the story in the real world rather than in the pre-established Ace Combat 'parallel Earth'. Also, I still have a lot of reservations about the new Devil May Cry; On one hand, it's Ninja Theory, a studio that has impressed me with great storytelling; On the other hand, what's up with that new Dante design? D: ).

Don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean that I automatically like all the games that come after - I get excited for them, but if they do fall short of my (already quite lax) expectations, I do get disappointed. Ninja Gaiden 3 is a prime example of this, but that doesn't mean I won't give Team Ninja a second chance with NG3:Razor's Edge - especially since they've made me happy with Dead or Alive 5 :P

It always amuses me how some may think that you're a mindless sheep for still being a fan of a franchise that they may have fallen out of. Like turning around and disliking something just because others have will make you somehow more credible. :lol:Archangel3371

Well, when you're a fan of pretty much everything you play, you become a much easier target for such an accusation. Not that anyone was accusing you prior to you seemingly getting butt-hurt over something or other.

And no offense, but you're the most undiscerning person I know, and that's fine -- I just completely disregard everything you have to say about just about anything related to games, as I'm sure you do wiith me. We are oil and water tastes-wise, but hey -- it takes all kinds of people to make the world an interesting place, eh?

Anyone who has known me over the last decade knows the LAST thing I'm trying to do is win a popularity contest.As for credibility -- I don't seek it from anyone. Nor should you. :)

Well, when you're a fan of pretty much everything you play, you become a much easier target for such an accusation. Not that anyone was accusing you prior to you seemingly getting butt-hurt over something or other. And no offense, but you're the most undiscerning person I know, and that's fine -- I just completely disregard everything you have to say about just about anything related to games, as I'm sure you do wiith me. We are oil and water tastes-wise. Anyone who has known me over the last decade knows the LAST thing I'm trying to do is win a popularity contest. As for credibility -- I don't seek it from anyone. Nor should you. Try it, you'll be much happier. :)Shame-usBlackley

[QUOTE="Shame-usBlackley"]Well, when you're a fan of pretty much everything you play, you become a much easier target for such an accusation. Not that anyone was accusing you prior to you seemingly getting butt-hurt over something or other. And no offense, but you're the most undiscerning person I know, and that's fine -- I just completely disregard everything you have to say about just about anything related to games, as I'm sure you do wiith me. We are oil and water tastes-wise. Anyone who has known me over the last decade knows the LAST thing I'm trying to do is win a popularity contest. As for credibility -- I don't seek it from anyone. Nor should you. Try it, you'll be much happier. :)Archangel3371

Fair enough.

And as I said, there are rare instances where people can clearly justify why, say, Madden 2012 is worth the money when they already own the past six, but that is the exception rather than the rule. I suppose it all comes down to people like what they like, but I don't think there's any denying that there's a pop culture aspect to video games that shades the decision-making process for some when it comes to games. Take Final Fantasy, for example. By most accounts, XIII was not just an uneven RPG, but a pretty damn uneven Final Fantasy. Its arrival was highly controversial both critically and among buyers, yet it still sold 5+ million copies.

Fair enough. And as I said, there are rare instances where people can clearly justify why, say, Madden 2012 is worth the money when they already own the past six, but that is the exception rather than the rule. I suppose it all comes down to people like what they like, but I don't think there's any denying that there's a pop culture aspect to video games that shades the decision-making process for some when it comes to games. Take Final Fantasy, for example. By most accounts, XIII was not just an uneven RPG, but a pretty damn uneven Final Fantasy. Its arrival was highly controversial both critically and among buyers, yet it still sold 5+ million copies.Shame-usBlackley

If you like it, you're a fan.NiKva

That I cannot disagree - Resident Evil definitely has changed; for better or for worse, however, I would think that's rather subjective. When it comes to games, personally, it's all about the presentation and storytelling.disneyanime91

I can forgive a cliched/linear story if it's told in an interesting, engaging and/or spectacular manner. In Resident Evil 1, I lost it at 'Jill Sandwich'. The voice acting was just so sub-par, un-emotional and dead-pan that I just couldn't take it seriously as a 'horror' game. Of course, I'll admit to that being a grossly unfair judgement becuase I am, after all, comparing a 16-year-old game to the standards set by the latest in video game entertainment. With 4 and 5, at least there were well-crafted, well-'filmed' CGI cutscenes that I could sit back and enjoy. I can understand if others don't like it; I suppose it all comes down to personal preference, as with everything.

To be honest, unlike a lot of people (I think), I don't attach particular expectations to any series. I don't expect all RE titles to be 'Survival Horror' as with RE1, 2 and 3 - it said 'Action/Adventure' on the box of RE5, and that's what I got; With RE: Revelations, it said 'Dramatic Horror', and that's exactly what I got as well, so I don't have any complaints there.

Put simply, I expect change in any series that's going to stretch beyond three titles. That's my personal threshold - I'm fine if you keep the first three or so games similar, but beyond that, a series will need something new, something different, even something game-changing to keep me hooked. Which is why I absolutely loved Ace Combat: Assault Horizon and its dogfighting system, and am incredibly excited for the Tomb Raider reboot and Lightning Returns FFXIII (I enjoyed the first two games as they were, but the addition of something that's completely new to the FF series with the direction LR is going has busted my interest levels sky-high).

And forgive me for bringing this in but in my opinion, that's where Infinity Ward failed, and Treyarch succeeded.

True. There are many great games out there that have (and would have) functioned perfectly well as solo titles: Borderlands, Bayonetta, No More Heroes, Ninja Gaiden, Jade Empire, KOTOR, Black, etc. On a more personal level, though, I'd disagree with you; I'm the kind of person that enjoys ever-expanding stories and universe-building. To me, sequels aren't absolutely necessary, but I certainly woul love to have them. For example, I enjoyed Borderlands immensely when it was its own game, but once Borderlands 2 came out, that was all it took for me to want Gearbox to do Borderlands 3. For this same reason, I tend not to take as well to 'lore wipes' and 'universe-changing' at first (e.g. despite enjoying Ace Combat: Assault Horizon's combat, I was greatly disappointed by the decision to put the story in the real world rather than in the pre-established Ace Combat 'parallel Earth'. Also, I still have a lot of reservations about the new Devil May Cry; On one hand, it's Ninja Theory, a studio that has impressed me with great storytelling; On the other hand, what's up with that new Dante design? D: ).

Don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean that I automatically like all the games that come after - I get excited for them, but if they do fall short of my (already quite lax) expectations, I do get disappointed. Ninja Gaiden 3 is a prime example of this, but that doesn't mean I won't give Team Ninja a second chance with NG3:Razor's Edge - especially since they've made me happy with Dead or Alive 5 :P

As far as horror goes, Resident Evil is quite lame - The Silent Hill games, the Penumbra games and Amnesia: The Dark Descent are on a different level, just to mention some examples.doubutsuteki

Can't argue with that :P Personally, I don't consider most zombies to be 'horror', or even scary in the least. If it can be rationalized (in the case of zombies, as some sort of plague or virus), it's not scary to me anymore. Of course, that doesn't mean I don't enjoy them - Zombies and/or Bio-organic weapon-monsters just don't scare me. On the other hand, games like Silent Hill, Siren, Amnesia and even Slender don't offer explanations, and that's what really pushes the 'terror' factor for me. Ever tried Fatal Frame? That game literally gave me nightmares XD

OK. I cannot comment on the FF-series, as I've basically just played FFIV and FFVIII - and that's well over a decade ago. But I'm interested in what Treyarch did so well compared to Infinity Ward, besides simply bringing "change" (?).doubutsuteki

To be more accurate; a better way of phrasing it would be to say 'where Infinity Ward HAS failed, and where Treyarch WILL POSSIBLY succeed.'

On the part of Infinity Ward: Modern Warfare was a refreshing change from the masses of WW2 first-person shooters that the Call of Duty and Medal of Honor machines were churning out, bringing to the 'competitive multiplayer' table a nice 'create-your-class' mechanic with the concepts of perks and killstreaks. However, IW failed to innovate further in any department, not the least in their game engine, gameplay style and storytelling - as a result, MW3 remained a forgettable outing that failed to stand out in any way.

On the other hand, while Treyarch first stuck with the WW2 shooter for World At War, Zombies mode was an interesting addition. They tried something new with Black Ops - they tried a more 'Hollwood' approach with an over-the-top story. I can't say that it worked out especially well in comparison to what its contemporaries were doing, but it was a memorable aspect of BO that made me enjoy it a bit more than I did MW2 (a simple rehash of MW1). Black Ops 2 hasn't been released yet, so I will reserve final judgement until I've played it, but branching storylines, back-forth non-scripted interaction between 'ground troops' and 'eyes-in-the-sky', as well as multiple possible mission outcomes, are things I have yet to see implemented in many military action-shooters. Not to mention an open-world sandbox Zombies mode.

Put simply, comparing the current state of IW against Treyarch (MW3 versus BO2), Black Ops 2 has a lot of potential to outshine MW3 in many, many ways.

Of course, a large part of the blame would lie with Activision, for insisting that the two studios be churning out their respective titles on a yearly basis causing a massive desensitization and 'boredom' factor with Call of Duty amongst many gamers, including me. But when BO2 announced its features, I'm willing to give it just one more chance.

Haha, wow, I must say it's been interesting having this discussion. XD