10 Short Lived Video Game Franchises

10 Short-Lived Video Game Franchises

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking at video game franchises whose output only lasted a few years before disappearing forever.

“Kane & Lynch” Series (2007-10)

Beginning with 2007’s “Dead Men,” the story of Kane & Lynch followed the titular escaped convicts as they dealt with gangs and police alike. It was a decent, albeit flawed, third-person shooter that sold well enough to convince Square Enix it was a franchise worth investing in. Indeed, a film adaptation from Lionsgate was announced the very same year, and a sequel to “Dead Men” was released three years later. However, the movie never got off the ground, “Dog Days” received the same middling reviews, and it didn’t seem there was much interest in a third. Developer IO Interactive also lost the rights to the franchise in 2017 after separating from Square Enix, who is seemingly happy to do absolutely nothing with it.

“Onimusha” Series (2001-06)

Some may fondly remember “Onimusha” as a huge series in Capcom’s library, yet it surprisingly only lasted five years. 2001’s “Onimusha: Warlords” took inspiration from the studio’s own “Resident Evil,” just with demons instead of zombies and hack and slash mechanics instead of resource scrounging and gunplay. Sequels followed soon after, many of which were just as well received. “Onimusha” got six games in its five-year lifespan, though diminishing sales of it and increasing sales of Capcom’s other IPs caused it to get left behind. A browser game in 2010 and a remaster of the first in 2018 did little to drum up excitement. We haven’t heard from “Onimusha” since, which is a shame considering it seemed to have such promise.

“Prototype” Series (2009-12)

Released just two weeks after the first “Infamous” game, “Prototype” made it seem like players might be in for an original, superpowered rivalry. But it sadly didn’t have the longevity of its competition. It followed Alex Mercer, an amnesiac anti-hero with the ability to devour and take on the form of his enemies, as well as access their memories. After the success of the first game, Activision greenlit a sequel, which was released in 2012 and focused on a new character. While reviews for “Prototype 2” were fairly good, sales apparently weren’t. Activision chose not to continue the series, and laid off many employees at developer Radical Entertainment before turning it into a support studio for its other subsidiaries.

“Bushido Blade” Series (1997-98)

There are lots of ways a fighting game can stand out from the pack. “Bushido Blade” for the original PlayStation did so by taking away the time limit and health bar. Instead, players could defeat their opponents in one hit, with a traditionally fatal move, or hinder their performance and skill by attacking other body parts. Adding a tactical edge was completely unique at the time, which is why a sequel was released just a year later. While mechanics were a bit different, it was still a must-play for any fighting fans who had the system. Sadly, developer Lightweight chose to move on after two games. While the studio has produced several spiritual successors, none of them ever quite reached these heights.

“Army of Two” Series (2008-13)

If you liked “Kane & Lynch,” chances are you also enjoyed EA’s bombastic foray into two-player action around the same time. The first “Army of Two” placed you in the shoes of mercenaries, following their roles in different points in political history. Strangely, it was also considered for a movie that would never come, this time at Universal. More importantly, it was a strong seller, earning two sequels: 2010’s “The 40th Day” and 2013’s “The Devil’s Cartel.” Unfortunately, the third left a lot to be desired. It replaced the two leads with more generic characters, Alpha and Bravo, who had absolutely no comradery or chemistry between them. It was pretty mediocre all around, and sold poorly in the face of fierce competition like “Tomb Raider” and “BioShock Infinite.”

“Gravity Rush” Series (2012-17)

Who’d have thought the creator of “Silent Hill” could give us something like this? Another game about an amnesiac with powers, “Gravity Rush” puts you in the role of Kat, who can manipulate how gravity affects her. It’s much lighter than Keiichiro Toyama’s previous work, if you’ll forgive the pun, and navigating Kat’s city was exceptionally fun due to her powers. Its sequel was equally fantastic, but was a pretty poor seller. Sony eventually moved developer Japan Studio into a more supportive role before folding it into another one of its internal studios, Team Asobi, in 2021. However, the next year, Sony announced plans of a film adaptation with its own PlayStation Productions. But we won’t hold out hope that it will lead to a “Gravity Rush 3.”

“Dino Crisis” Series (1999-2003)

We’re sure there are a lot of diehard Capcom fans out there who would kill for a new “Dino Crisis.” Essentially “Resident Evil,” but with dinosaurs, the first entry brought all the thrills and excitement of a Jurassic Park visit gone wrong. Its sequel was just as good, if not better, making for another stellar series for OG PlayStation players. Sadly, things went South when “Dino Crisis” jumped to the next generation. The PS2’s light-gun spin-off, “Dino Stalker,” was criticized for poor controls, repetitive mechanics, and an incoherent plot. But that’s a spin-off. The Xbox’s “Dino Crisis 3” on the other hand…well, was also pretty bad, mostly thanks to its awful camera and a lack of variety in enemy types. “Dino Crisis” died then and there, after only four years.

“Mercenaries” Series (2005-08)

“Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction” told you exactly what you’d get out of it with the title. It dropped you in a fictionalized North Korea, where you could take on jobs as explosively as you wanted. With a completely destructible sandbox to run around in, it was very freeing. Its sequel, 2008’s “World in Flames,” had issues with its AI and co-op mode, but was still a strong enough seller for EA to keep the series going. Sadly, developer Pandemic was working on a third game when it closed down in 2009 due to a variety of factors. While EA tried to get another installment off the ground around the same time with developer Danger Close Games, nothing came of it.

“Viva Piñata” Series (2006-08)

You can accomplish an awful lot in two years. Case in point: “Viva Piñata.” Developed by Rare for the Xbox 360, the first game in the life sim series had you looking after different piñata animals, which is just as delightfully silly as it sounds. It was very creative and distinct from every other first party release on the 360, prompting Rare to create and release two full sequels and a DS spin-off by 2008. It was intended to be a big franchise from the get-go, with an animated series releasing alongside it and ending in 2009. Unfortunately, it was never a big seller, which is probably why Rare moved on to other projects and we haven’t heard from it since.

“Viewtiful Joe” Series (2003-05)

We know it’s the third Capcom franchise on the list, but we just can’t ignore “Viewtiful Joe.” The 2003 original was a highly inventive take on superheroes, following a guy who gets powers when he’s sucked into the world of a movie. It made great use of its cel-shaded visuals, and Joe’s film-centric powers never failed to entertain. It got a strong sequel the following year, an anime and manga adaptation, two so-so spin-offs in 2005, and that was that. The series never sold that strongly and the team that developed it, Clover Studio, dissolved in 2007. Although Joe has been included in some of Capcom’s “VS” fighting games, it has shown no interest in reviving a series that was never that well-known to begin with.

What’s your favorite short-lived game franchise? Share your thoughts in the comments and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great gaming videos every day!