New IP’s (Intellectual Property) have always been the games people are most interested in learning about. They involve completely new stories, new characters and new worlds to discover and explore. They sometimes offer never before seen gameplay mechanics or graphics engines that blow your mind. Most importantly though, these new IP’s are usually exclusive to a certain console and can make or break that console’s sales and user base.

In my opinion however, I feel like Sony has brought the most innovation to its PS3 when it comes to new IP’s. With just a quick search you’ll find games like inFamous, LittleBigPlant, The Last of Us (coming soon), Heavy Rain, Uncharted and many more that literally changed the way we play games especially with the latter two perfectly combining elements from both gaming and cinema. While Microsoft may have revolutionized gaming more than Sony initially, when the 360 and PS3 were released, it seems to be regressing ever since. The release of Gears of War brought with it a relatively new shooter focusing on over the shoulder combat and on a cover system that has yet to be excelled by another game. The 360 also gave us Halo 3 which to this day still remains one of my favorite games to play online and was one of the first few games to allow both split-screen and online multiplayer simultaneously. However, as an owner of both consoles, I often find myself leaning more towards the PS3 which constantly churns out new exclusives that never cease to amaze.


While I just spent the first half of this article commending the greatness of new IP’s, the recent announcements of Twisted Metal, Command and Conquer: Generals 2 and a rehashed Tomb Raider showing us the origins of the iconic Lara Croft all got me more excited than the announcements of the previously mentioned new IP’s. This begs the question: how often should developers release new IP’s versus sequels/reboots of old games? Nintendo is probably the biggest example of how mainly releasing new games based on old IP’s can succeed with games like Super Mario Galaxy, Super Smash Bros. and Zelda. Wii owners may seem to be content with this system but is it enough? Nintendo can only manage to release a new game in each of these series every 2-3 years leaving Wii gamers with nothing much to do between each subsequent release. It’s in times like these where these new IP’s should come in and entertain the masses and it’s for this reason that the Wii currently isn’t doing as well as it was. Gamers have come to the realization that the higher price tag for the 360 and PS3 are worth it in the long-run since they’re actually getting the most out of the system.


Moving on, there are still two gaming franchises which have remained hidden for too long that I’d like to see resurface. The first is Crash Bandicoot. While no longer developed by Naughty Dog, Activision should still find an appropriate developer, maybe Insomniac or Sanzaru Games (currently working on Sly 4). Whoever is picked in the end shouldn’t try to change much but should just stick to the same mechanics that were successful in the original which would set the nostalgia train rolling. The second game is Warcraft. I really cannot wait until Warcraft 4 is announced. But again, Blizzard seems to be too caught up with World of Warcraft and will soon be even busier with the release of Diablo III.


So what are some gaming franchises you would like to see revived?

Posted: Jan 08, 2012 12:13 am

Source: http://www.gigalb.com/2012/01/new-ips-and-reboots-101/