Interesting discussion at developer's request

[Ashmo]

I think the misconception is that Franchise + Numbers = Sequels.

Just because you put a number at the end of an existing title, it doesn't make the game you're slapping that label on a sequel. Likewise, you don't have to carry over the old title with a new number to make a sequel.

There's more to making a sequel than just taking an existing game, putting it in a blender and adding, replacing and removing as you see fit.

When there has already been at least one sequel to a game, it's actually much easier. At any given moment you can take your design and compare it to what's already there. Ask yourself "Would these work as a trilogy/series?" and if the answer is No, you're probably doing something wrong.

Granted, not all sequels share the original vision, but that's what distinguishes GOOD sequels. For example, the Matrix trilogy really isn't a trilogy, it's a film and a sequel split in half -- Matrix 3 could easily have been made an expansion pack to Matrix 2 if they had been games.

The debate really isn't about semantics. It doesn't matter what you want to call the game, it's about the relationship between the new game and the old games. And that relationship is vastly different from that between the first two games and much closer to that of the originals with the acknowledged spin-offs -- so don't go around denying its nature just because you need the moneys.

 

[cocacolacowboy]

i didn't vote because i have yet to play fallout 3,my question though is why didn't beth just make their own post apocalyptic game,surely they didn't need the fallout license,they could've easily made an entirely new game set in a post nuclear world and called it "THE TOMORROW LARPERS" and Game magazines,fanboys would be eating it up

 

[Moving Target]

my question though is why didn't beth just make their own post apocalyptic game

Well... that is the question, isn't it. Lots of people have their theories, but we don't really know. That certainly would have avoided the (well-founded) Fallout fan dislike/hatred of what they're doing to the game.

Though if they'd done that, the game probably would have about as much attention as Hellgate London had (oh noes!) On the bright side, there'd be less confusion about NMA hating Bethsoft on principle.

 

[cocacolacowboy]

nah,i think it would've sold.just slap on the "from the people that brought you oblivion" and people would be eating it up.but at the same time "slapping fallout's name on the game would definately rake in the money and hype.

 

[Moving Target]

Rake in the money? From where? Fallout's a classic cRPG, not a mass-market PR stunt like Oblivion. Just slapping the name of Fallout onto their very different (except for the Vault and PipBoy designs) game is what got Beth into this problem in the first place.

It certainly would've sold well, but at least we wouldn't have to deal with the whole silly "insane harcore fan" rep getting Xeroxed (tm) all over the Internet by Beth fanboys/mindless Internet dittoheads/console bovines (I think there's a slight distinction between each, though it fades to nothing behind the constant calls of "I PWN U!!!111!1!!!111!" and so forth.)

Though the funny thing is, it was just that ridiculous rep that sent me here, to see if everyone here really WAS that nuts. And lo and behold, nobody was! Not even Rosh- who's more like a force of nature with a HELL of a lot of knowledge and insight to the gaming industry.

 

[Ravager69]

Though the funny thing is, it was just that ridiculous rep that sent me here, to see if everyone here really WAS that nuts. And lo and behold, nobody was! Not even Rosh- who's more like a force of nature with a HELL of a lot of knowledge and insight to the gaming industry.

Same here - before B showed the infamous Fallout 3 trailer, what I thought of NMA it was like "Wow, cool. *Another* Fallout fansite. And a crazy one, too", but after the trailer (which pissed me off srsly - years of waiting and all I got was a crappy show off of a bus and a BoS soldier, with a nice track in the background, not to mention the trouble to download and play it) I registered on the forum. So here I am now, a part of a massive Bethesda-hating (joke) machine. No regrets.

 

[cocacolacowboy]

Rake in the money? From where? Fallout's a classic cRPG, not a mass-market PR stunt like Oblivion. Just slapping the name of Fallout onto their very different (except for the Vault and PipBoy designs) game is what got Beth into this problem in the first place.

It certainly would've sold well, but at least we wouldn't have to deal with the whole silly "insane harcore fan" rep getting Xeroxed (tm) all over the Internet by Beth fanboys/mindless Internet dittoheads/console bovines (I think there's a slight distinction between each, though it fades to nothing behind the constant calls of "I PWN U!!!111!1!!!111!" and so forth.)

Though the funny thing is, it was just that ridiculous rep that sent me here, to see if everyone here really WAS that nuts. And lo and behold, nobody was! Not even Rosh- who's more like a force of nature with a HELL of a lot of knowledge and insight to the gaming industry.

i wasnt condoning what they're doing,i'm speaking the obvious.they could've made their own post nuclear game,but taking a name of an old franchise and slapping it on their game would be making mags like douche informer masterbate,and increase the hype,you're right,they could've avoided all the hardcore fan's outrage by making their own game,but at the same time us bitching is contributing to the hype and making fallout 3 more popular/nfamous...i'm sure in Todd Howard's eyes "Only bad publicity is no Publicity"..

think about it,fallout has one of the most hardcore fanbases,and most articles i've seen usually mentions NMA at leat once,and i think might've also saw the Codex mentioned a couple times.Only thing i think could top this kind of backlash,would be if Beth Announced Planescape:torment 2,

 

[RPGenius]

There's a chance that Planescape Torment has a larger fanbase. I doubt they have as loyal a fanbase as Fallout, though to be honest. I reckon planescape 2 wouldn't gather such a backlash.

 

[cocacolacowboy]

There's a chance that Planescape Torment has a larger fanbase. I doubt they have as loyal a fanbase as Fallout, though to be honest. I reckon planescape 2 wouldn't gather such a backlash.

ehh i dunno,i know some PS:T fans that have stated they would castrate Todd,Pete,and Emil if they ever fucked with planescape