Three franchises microsoft should revive

**MrRaverX** Sun Feb 03, 2013 6:50 pm

Platform-exclusive games have been a mainstay of the hardware
marketing strategy for some time now. Each company dangles them in
front of gamers like a worm on a hook, waiting for us to bite.
Technology mega-giant Microsoft is no stranger to this practice and has
always been willing to unload the buckets of cash necessary to keep
specific titles solely on their Xbox 360. Fortunately for us as gamers,
near-infinite amounts of funding and development resources can often
translate into some pretty damn good games. In Microsoft’s stable
alone, franchises like Halo, Gears of War, and Forza Motorsports stand
as some of the most well-received titles in their respective genres.
However, not all titles exclusive to the Xbox 360 have managed to stay
in the limelight and, as a result, seem to have been all but forgotten.
Somewhere, in a back office in Redmond, Washington, some
tragically under-appreciated franchises are sitting on a shelf
collecting dust.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at three games that Microsoft
needs to revive

, not just because we love them, but also in order to
position itself for a more stable venture into the next generation of
consoles. While the aforementioned “Big Three” Xbox exclusives are all
great games franchises, they appeal to only a small portion of the
gaming public as a whole. Expanding their selection of exclusives in
order to attract a broader range of gamers is nothing short of a
no-brainer for Microsoft. In addition, doing so will breathe new life
into some franchises that sorely deserve it. With the next generation
of consoles inevitably on the horizon, there could be a real window of
opportunity for some of these to see new life

The Fable franchise and developer Lionhead Studios have been
with Microsoft since the original Xbox, dating all the way back to 2004.
Across three major installments in the series, players explored the
fictional land of Albion and watched it develop over the course of the
500 years that passed. That lengthy span of time allowed for various
technological, cultural, and political changes to play into the overall
plot of the series. Each title provided a large open world to explore
and enough narrative content to make every nook and cranny of the map
interesting. Some of Fable’s most notable features were its
ever-persistent brand of humor and the fact that choices made during the
course of the storyline made an impact on the overall narrative.
Whether it was the ability to greet townsfolks with a bit
of flatulence or the fact that unprotected sex could lead to contracting
a STD, Fable had far more surprises than RPG tropes – a rare quality indeed.

While all of the standard RPG elements existed throughout the series,
its aforementioned comedic nature and stylized visuals helped Fable to
appeal to newcomers and hardcore gamers alike. The ability to draw a
new audience without alienating your core customer is invaluable,
especially in today’s game market. This is an important business factor
for Microsoft, as well as any other major player in the industry, to
consider. In addition, bringing Fable back to the forefront of
their exclusivity showcase would add a respected RPG franchise to stand
alongside the shooters and racers that they already have in the fold,
thus expanding their appeal to fans of other genres.

Of any of the other titles on the remainder of this list, Fable IV probably
has the most realistic chance of actually seeing the light of day. The
franchise is still alive, as 2012 saw the release of a XBLA game, Fable Heroes, and a spin-off retail release, Fable: The Journey. However, those titles were a far cry from the deep and engaging experience of a true Fable game. Rumors of a proper follow-up to Fable III have made their way around the web, but doubts arose when Peter Molyneux, creative director of the Fable series, parted ways with Lionhead Studios.

Considering the franchise’s focus on the development of the gaming
world with the passing of time, it would be interesting to see where the
next installment lands. Fable III took place during the
Industrial Revolution and as a result, there is a much larger focus on
firearms and technology than in the first two games. A sequel could
focus on later stages of the Industrial Revolution. Albion could be a
very different looking place with the introduction of railroads,
steam-powered ships, and factories. While the world of Fable IV may look different, it would be one that I would be no less eager to explore.
Project Gotham Racing

I know what you’re thinking. If we’re talking about reviving
franchises that will help Microsoft provide a more varied selection of
exclusives, then why offer up another racer when Forza Motorsports is such a well-established franchise? While it is true that the Forza franchise
has been a resounding success for Microsoft, it is widely recognized as
a racing simulator, featuring realistic driving physics, tracks, and
upgrades. That perception amongst the general public narrows the
potential appeal of the franchise as many gamers are not interested in
that level of realism in a racer. Attempts to broaden Forza’s potential
audience have been made, including adding various “assists” that
players can select from and, more recently, the release of Forza Horizon, a title that moved the action onto the open road and away from the controlled track environment.

Why alter the successful Forza template when you already have a viable second racer sitting in the garage? Project Gotham Racing, developed
by now-defunct Bizarre Creations, was Microsoft’s big-name racing
exclusive on both the original Xbox and the 360, at least for the first
couple years of its existence. Over-the-top, arcade-style speed and
handling were the trademarks of the four-game series. The “Kudos”
point-system encouraged drivers to push their vehicles to the limit by
awarding points based on a variety of actions including power sliding,
catching air, overtaking other racers, and so on. The last entry in the
series, PGR4, was released in 2007 and garnered a great deal of
critical praise. Unfortunately for the franchise, Bizarre Creations was
purchased by Activision and Project Gotham Racing has since been idle. They did release Blur, often considered to be the spiritual successor to PGR4, in 2010 across all major platforms.

Cranking up the engine of the PGR franchise will allow Microsoft to all but own the racing genre, as far as exclusives are concerned. Forza performs comparably, if not slightly better, than Sony’s Gran Turismo franchise. With the addition of PGR, they
can cover both fans of hardcore simulations and arcade racers, thus
broadening the customer-base to which they can appeal. While other
popular arcade-style racing games, such as Need for Speed and GRID, exist
in the market, they are multi-platform titles that don’t influence the
sales of hardware. Since Sony has no real competition to pit against a
potential PGR5, the impact of reviving the series could be more significant than many would anticipate.

So what would PGR5 look like? The last entry in the franchise
touted the inclusion of motorcycles and real-time weather effects, both
of which were fantastic elements that would need to return. To
differentiate the series from Forza, less track-based races would
make the most sense. A selection of street races based in cities
around the world was a mainstay of PGR, so expanding on that idea and adding more variety would be welcome. Honestly, PGR was
a fantastic arcade racer that saw a fair amount of critical and
commercial success, so if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Just put fast
cars on great looking tracks and let me put the pedal to the metal.
Viva Pinata

Don’t pretend that you didn’t play Viva Piñata. Developed by
Rare, it was released for the Xbox 360 in 2006 and epitomized the term
“charming”. The cute piñata characters and vivid color palette helped
the game appeal to kids and casual gamers, while disguising a fairly
deep gameplay system that more seasoned veterans were able to enjoy.
Often compared to games like The Sims and Animal Crossing, Viva Piñata tasked
players with turning an abandoned plot of land into a lush and
beautiful garden. Doing so helped to attract various piñatas to the
garden, adding a sort of city management element to the game. Two
piñatas of the same species opened up the opportunity for breeding, at
which point the game would employ a somewhat infamous “mating minigame”
which, in spite of the name, was actually only a fairly simple maze-like
puzzle. Sexy…

The Viva Piñata franchise, including the second game Trouble in Paradise,
was, by all accounts, a resounding success. Over 2 million games were
sold and a slew of awards earned, including 6 nominations from the
Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. However, Viva Piñata seems
to have mysteriously disappeared. Fans continue to search for any
clues of a possible third entry into the series, but any hope of that
seems to have dwindled as the years have passed. Considering that Rare
has now been relegated to developing Kinect Sports titles, it would seem
that the piñatas have been put out to pasture.

Viva Piñata seems like one of the most obvious franchises for
Microsoft to revive

, for a number of reasons. For one, while the clamor
for luring in casual gamers may have quieted a bit over the years, they
are still a valuable segment of the customer base to consider. As
aforementioned, the basic elements of Viva Piñata are an
immediate draw for that particular portion of the gaming population. In
addition, due to its surprisingly deep gameplay, Microsoft can leverage
that appeal, without alienating the core gamer. Secondly, there is an
already established customer base longing for another entry in the
series. A simple internet search will reveal a number of message boards
and forums full of folks wondering where the beloved franchise has
gone. It goes without saying that an established customer base
translates to almost guaranteed sales, making the revival of the
franchise a much lower risk venture.

A third Viva Piñata game could also be a viable opportunity to
showcase Microsoft’s Kinect peripheral. While I’m not the most likely
gamer to get caught jumping around in front of my TV, it’s hard to deny
that the younger audience would appreciate the opportunity to dance with
their favorite piñata or actually perform the basic movements
associated with building a piñata home or planting seeds. As long as
there is an option to use an actual controller for less spry gamers like
myself, I wouldn’t protest. Where Microsoft’s focuses currently stand,
there seems to be a real opportunity to pursue the revival of the
franchise. Hell, it’s called “Viva Piñata” or “long live piñata”. Long life implies more than just two release, so let’s get crackin’ on a third!

Guest Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:06 pm

Toatally agree with Fable. The Fable games were amazing. Fable 2 was my first game I have ever downloaded and I was so astonised when I played it. Fable 3 was a bit of a letdown and Fable:The Journey (AKA Fable 4 apparently) I have yet to try but I would like to see a proper fable 4 that is more like the original 2 fable games.

Three franchises microsoft should revive

Three franchises microsoft should revive

Re: Three franchises microsoft should revive