i agree with you. genres like franchise sports i think are necessary to have a game each year, but NFS, Splinter Cell, Guitar Hero, Tony Hawk... they are all the same game where each newest one seems more like an 'afterthought' to the previous, or at best, a level expansion.
These are among the top selling franchises every year, and Guitar Hero is especially hot right now. As long they remain that way, you're going to have to deal with it.
The Need For Speed games always have a new city to cruise around in, a new story, and new features. And they're still good. Guitar Hero? As I said, it's especially hot and like DDR, fans will pay for new songs to attempt to master. It does seem like GH II was just released, but that's mostly due to the late release of the 360 port.
x games = x * monies
(x + 1) games = (x + 1) * monies
It's sad for the quality of games when they're not given a chance to percolate and go through a full design process, but when people continually buy half-finished games as soon as they come out then there's no incentive to stop doing things that way.
Besides, Need for Speed is "fuckin pimp and krunklicious" as Mr. Belmount has stated. Can't have those wannabe gangsters spending their parents' cash on anything less, now, can we?
When it comes to Need for Speed, I've known that franchise since the freaking 3DO, and I've enjoyed a few of those games quite a bit. I think the very best Need For Speed, at least for me, was the very first Need for Speed Underground on Xbox 1. However, Underground 2, came out the next year, and personally, I thought it was crap. Then we got Most Wanted on the 360, and I actually thought that was a pretty good launch game, and somewhat underapreciated. Then Carbon last year. I tried the demo on Xbox Live and even rented the 360 version, but I have to say that Carbon just didn't do it for me at all. The Graphics were barely above Xbox 1 standards, and the whole idea of having a crew that you raced with, didn't appeal to me.
As for sequals in general, I just don't think the "We might as well release a new one every November" theory works in the long run. You end up Tomb Raidering your franchise, and then you have to hope that somebody comes along and resurrects your franchise from the ashes. Of course, as long as the sheep continue to hand over their cash for these yearly updates, the EA Canada's of the world will keep churning them out. It's kinda depressing, but hell, just look at the summer movies we got. Spiderman 3, Shrek 3, Pirates 3, ad naseum.
I think we should definitely give some love to the new IP coming out this year:
BioShock
Mass Effect
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
Heavenly Sword
Lair
Blacksite: Area 51
just to name a few.
I dunno, I guess I'm in the minority when I say that I don't mind sequels. Sure, some(if not most) of these franchises needs some refocusing, like Tony Hawk did last year, but if the game is decent, I'll play it.
I sympathize with the fact that companies are sticking to established brands since dev costs are going through the roof, quelling the new IPs.
EDIT:
After watching the new NFS teaser, I'm quite interested. If they keep the damage model and keep the graphics somewhat tight, they might have a real winner on their hands, absolutely worthy of the 'sequel' tag that's been placed on it.
I don't really mind sequilitis. I mean I know thse companies are in the game to make money, and if people are buying it, they're gonna make it.
What bothers me is the price of some of the games, like Guitar Hero. Now I know this fall part 3 is gonna come out, and it's gonna range in price from $49.99 - 89.99. Honestly there is no need for that kind of price, first of all all the games are are expansion packs with new songs, new characters etc, and second of all, they're not even that advanced.
The games are about as simple as you can get in terms of construction, static background, 5 moving dots on screen. I mean it could probably be programmed by one guy in his mother's basement in Cambridge.
I hoping now that MTV owns it, a company with more money than it knows what to do with, that last generation releases will be cheaper.
I mean if EA can put PS2 games out at 29.99 and 39.99, there's no reason for this 49.99 for an expansion type of shit.
\end rant
I'd have to say sports games are the worst. How is it that Madden can get away with putting out a game every single year with updated rosters and slights tweaks. They should only release a game when there's a new engine and then provide downloadable content for roster updates and any other patches they want to do. I know that they make a ton of money off of the Madden franchise but wow, how can people buy this game every single year.
You can defend GH somewhat because record companies charge games quite a bit of money to license their songs... but since GH doesn't use the real versions of songs, you would think they could bet them for cheaper, certainly less than the $2/song they're charging for the 360 downloads.
I enjoy the GH games, but I think they're the one series that has been mentioned on this topic that is in the biggest danger of burning out, especially with "Rock Band" coming out as well.