Question Of The Month Reader Responses: Issue #228

by Jeff Marchiafava on Mar 06, 2012 at 08:21 AM

A few months ago we asked readers what video game franchise they would permanently kill and why. The latest issue of Game Informer contains some of the series our readers nominated for early retirement, but here are some more that were called to the chopping block. Haters gonna hate.

Call Denied:

It would be Call of Duty. While it's been great to see Activision churn out the latest installment of this FPS franchise annually, I say it is time for them and FPS gamers alike to step away from this practice. Sooner of later, they will run out of unique ideas for the franchise. Combined with the FPS fatigue that many gamers like myself are having right now, I say it's time to put this franchise to rest.

Chad Simplicio
I would kill off the Call of duty franchise. It has been getting more and more repetitive over the years and I would not be surprised if the modern day setting gets overused just like World War II did.

Ryan Hines
If I had the power to kill one franchise, it would probably be Call of Duty. Why? Because it spoiled us. Why do we even need mics when teamwork is out of the question? COD got everyone in the habit of being a one-man-army, and now team-based games like MAG aren't any fun! I love to play COD once in a while, but I lose 90 percent of the Domination matches I play because my team doesn't listen to my suggestion: Defend the two bases we have, we can win without all three, stop trying to capture that third base before the enemy gets both of our bases."

W. D. Hatchell
If I could kill any game franchise I would kill the Call of Duty franchise. Call of Duty is best known for its multiplayer. Each new Call of Duty feels buggy, boring, and more repetitive than the one before it. MW 3 has been out for about three months and I stopped playing it after about 20 hours of total gameplay. I also have friends that went back to previous Call of Duty titles because of the repetitiveness of the new game. The series is being rushed. How can IW pay attention to bugs and other problems when they know they have to make a new game in less than two years?

Chris Poplaski
If i were given a chance to destroy any current video game franchise it would undoubtably be the Call of Duty series. I am currently in college studying for a game art and design degree and my disgust for Call of Duty has only grown the more I learn about the art form of video games and how they are made. COD is the McDonald's of video games. It is a cheap, poorly executed imitation of something real and well done. Not only is the series making massive amounts of money by releasing the same game over and over again, they are setting a false standard that has the potential to destroy a genre. Before the success of COD, all shooters had a uniqueness to them. They all played a little different with different mechanics and control schemes. Now most shooters are COD with a different skin. Every new installment in the series claims to be innovative and bring something new to the table. It's a shame nobody seems to realize the only difference from one game to the next is a different color laser sight or some minor new attachment function. I don't mean to be so harsh, it just pains me to watch something so shallow and so overworked and outdated shine above games that are trying to set the bar higher or rewrite the rules to create a better experience for all gamers.

Ben Schultz
If I had the power to kill a franchise, it would have to be the Call of Duty series. Because of that franchise I have to hear whinny cry baby 11-year-olds talk about how much they prestiged. The annual release schedule for a rancid bag of dog crap doesn't turn me on, and I'm tired of the game stealing the spotlight. There are plenty of awesome games that come out every year and I get sick of people comparing any game to Call of Duty. No game is the same unless it's made by infinity Ward and any affiliation to Call of Duty, which blows.

Robert Hart
If I could kill one franchise permanently, it would without hesitation be Call of Duty. I believe it to be one of the poster children for everything that is wrong with our industry (marketing violent games to children, the lack of civility in online play, the same tired formula every year, etc). Additionally, I'd really like to see all those people go play something else for a change – there are far better games to play than Call of Duty.

Brad Geoffroy
I would kill the Call of Duty franchise. Not only would this give the creators a reason to make a new franchise, but let's compare. It's about, what? Five hours in single player? And Skyrim is about 100+ hours. See the difference?

Emory Boll

The Real Final Fantasy:

The one video game franchise I would permanently kill would have to be Final Fantasy. I haven't gotten much of a chance to play any of the main games because there are so many. It had a good run, but I won't even play new ones because of the size and weirdness of the franchise at this point.

Nic Harris
If I had the power to destroy any video game series, I would destroy Final Fantasy. Not that I don't like it. Actually, I love it. I'd just like everyone to know of the power I possess. Also, then I just might get to have a rare encounter with the fabled Sephiroth. Of course, my life span may be dramatically decreased because of said visit...

Nathan Dennison
I would definitely kill off Final Fantasy. It has gotten to the point where they need to put dashed numbers on the end of their numbered titles. Really? Plus, they've sucked since FF VII, in my opinion. Put it to rest!

Joe Schueller

Metal Gear See Ya:

Metal Gear Solid. I'll be the first to admit that MGS has moments of genius, but what almost no reviewer has ever mentioned is that they are buried under miles of stupidity. For every interesting, well thought-out challenge, there is a two hour segment where you hunt for a gun that you could have taken off of any of the 50 soldiers you've killed in that time. For every interesting character, there is at least one nude torture scene, nude escape scene, junk grab scene, being urinated on scene, or bizarre gender mask-swap option. But most of all, for every "plot point" (I have to use the term loosely) which is kind-of, sort-of explained, there are hours and hours of horrifically written, emotionally juvenile dialog spouted via cut scenes. I won't even comment on the controls.

David Johnson
I think it's time for Metal Gear Solid to die. This is by far my favorite series in all of gaming and it has had a profound effect on my life. However, the new direction the series is taking with Rising looks like it will destroy an epic stealth series by turning it into a crappy hack and slash. Please let the series die before it turns into another story like the Metroid series.

David Warner

Halo And Goodbye:

If there was one franchise I could get rid of it would be Halo, because when I played it the gameplay did not meet the hype. I admit the games are cool, but the hype felt like it was coming from Madden and 2K jocks who have never played great games before.

Gustavo Lopez
I would kill Halo. Not because I hate the game, because I hate the fans for worshiping a series that is of the same quality as every other FPS.

Andre Burnett

Don’t Gotta Catch ‘Em All:

Sad to say, but the Pokémon franchise needs to be put down like Old Yeller. Don't get me wrong, I love Pokémon, and Red, Blue, and Yellow were the first handheld titles I ever played. I grew up watching the show after school, collected and still have my Pokémon cards, and yes, I did cry during Pokemon: The First Movie. Yet now I feel it's past its heyday. The series has become repetitive, and the Pokémon are ridiculous now! It feels like they have the two manatees from South Park picking the names from the random toy balls. "Uh deer? Uh chicken? Cool, let's call it a Dicken and put a horn on it." The good die young; Pokéballs need to be put on the shelf for good.

Rodrigo Torres
If I was capable of plunging a knife into the throat of a franchise, I'd have to murder Pokémon. Not because it sucks the life (and money) out of little kids, but because there is hardly ever any kind of innovation. I used to be an avid PokéNerd, but i saw the light. Nintendo needs something else to waste kids' lives, other than over-powered stuffed animals.

Jacob Varela
I would definitely kill the Pokémon series since it turns little kids into freaks.

Anonymous

Don’t Shoot The Messenger:

If I could permanently kill one video game franchise, it would be Sonic. Am I the only one who doesn't care about the gripes of Sonic fanboys? Especially when their letters, however funny, are lacking in intelligence and mental stimulation.

Joey Ascher
If I could kill one franchise it'd be Sonic. I think the fact that he hasn't had a decent game since Adventure 2 justifies my decision.

Jacob Lamarche
I consider myself a Sonic fan. I grew up on Sonic games and even remember some of the original cheat codes to some of the games. But over the years Sonic has become Sega's prostitute. And before the next issue is filled with rabid Sonic fans out to say I'm wrong, here are a few points to defend my case. First, there hasn't been a really good Sonic game since Sega Saturn and even then it wasn't fantastic like the older ones. Second, Mario vs. Sonic games – as a child I would dream of a game where they fought against each other, but now instead of a knock down, drag out fight (with the exception of Brawl) they race at the Olympics. And if Mario can beat Sonic the Hedgehog in a foot race, there is something horribly wrong with the world. Third, he's doing car insurance commercials – I don't know if you've seen the Progressive commercial with Sonic, but he's not only in there, his voice makes him sound like a woman. I think Sega should kill that franchise only to put poor Sonic out of his misery.

Nick Oliver

Life Finds A Way:

If I could kill one game franchise, it would be the Jurassic Park games. Someone needs to stop that s---.

Adam Wilson

Play Ball:

If I could kill one video game franchise it would be 2K Baseball. Then EA's vastly superior MVP series could finally return.

Greg Andersson

Not So Legendary Anymore:

I hate having to say it, but Zelda. Zelda's a 25-year classic. Some of the most classic video games of all time were a part of the franchise, like the original Legend of Zelda, Link to the Past, and Ocarina of Time. But it's been 25 years. Unfortunately, Miyamoto and Aonuma are running out of ideas. The new ones aren't very good. Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks. QED. Skyward Sword is probably the best Zelda can be. The controls were the pinnacle of the Wii. I believe you said that it was what you felt the Wii should have always been, with the 1:1 swordplay and controls. But Nintendo is pretty much done with the Wii. Their new platform is the Wii U (worst name ever) and while it can use motion technology, it probably won't. Without the motion technology of the Wii, you will never have as much control of Link as in Skyward Sword. Everything after it will only remind you of how much better Skyward Sword was. Not to mention the official timeline is a complete mess. Honestly, they should quit while Zelda still means amazing games like Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask, Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword, instead of bad Phantom Hourglass clones like Spirit Tracks.

Rick Diaz

For The Greater Good:

Elder Scrolls! I can't stand that wretched, evil series of amazing RPGs. It's such a perfect but sinister set of games. Curse it for the hundreds of hours I have spent playing Morrowind up to Skyrim. It's so hard to put the game down. The only option left for us Elder Scrolls addicts is to destroy the franchise as a whole so we all may roam Earth once again, free from the bonds of Bethesda.

Shaine Kruel

Make Love Not Warcraft:

World of Warcraft. You will all thank me someday.

David Ahmadi

Silence, Please:

I have to answer Silent Hill. Don't get me wrong, it's by far one of my favorite series ever, but Konami just needs to kill it. I can't help getting excited over each new game, but ever since Origins I've been horribly disappointed. Everything after Silent Hill 4: The Room just didn't feel like a proper Silent Hill game. Instead of playing mediocre games from non-Japanese developers, I'd rather just see it die.

Mitchell

Rest In Peace:

If I could kill any one franchise, it would be all games involving zombies. Seriously. I am so sick of zombie games. I would have said Resident Evil in specific, but Capcom seems to be doing just fine killing that series by itself.

Jonathon

A Second Chance:

If you had asked me a month ago, I would have said Rayman and the Rabbids without hesitation. However, after playing Rayman: Origins, I can safely say that I definitely want Ubisoft to continue the series. Still, I wouldn’t mind the Rabbids vanishing into obscurity.

Caleb Siems
I was contemplating all the different franchises I'd like to see bite the bullet when I had a revelation. The recent/amazing/unexpected/awesome turnaround in the Batman franchise has proved to me that no franchise is beyond help. Therefore, I say that there's really no franchise that should drop off the face of the Earth.

Wesley Williams