10 EXACT Moments That RUINED Video Game Franchises
#10: Chasing the MCU
“Marvel vs. Capcom” Series (1996-2017) Beginning with 1996’s “X-Men vs. Street Fighter,” Capcom’s time with the Marvel license produced several incredible fighting games. “Marvel vs. Capcom 2” is still widely regarded as one of the best in its genre over 20 years later. Unfortunately, the success of the MCU had wide-ranging consequences both positive and negative. When Disney allowed Capcom to make a new installment, 2017’s “Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite” felt pretty empty. The overall roster was much smaller than previous entries with few new inclusions; namely, the Marvel side mostly featured characters established in the MCU, and no X-Men or Fantastic Four members. It was also comparatively bland in its style, and ended up disappointing fans and selling poorly.
#9: Evolving the Wrong Way
“Star Fox” Series (1993-2017) Nintendo has failed to reinvent “Star Fox” a couple of times. But the biggest nail in its coffin was 2016’s “Star Fox Zero.” Prior to this game, there hadn’t been a new release in 10 years, with only a 3DS remake of “Star Fox 64” to bridge the gap. “Zero” was a bit of a relaunch for the brand, with Nintendo and developer PlatinumGames using the Wii U’s GamePad as an entirely new way to play. Unfortunately, that new way ended up being the problem as most felt it was awkward and frustrating. What should have gone through an evolution was mission structure, which was criticized for being outdated. Nintendo hasn’t done much with the series since.
#8: The 2013 Launch
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“SimCity” Series (1989-2014) The sim genre as a whole owes an awful lot to Will Wright’s 1989 classic, “SimCity.” It is rightfully seen as a groundbreaking title. And it spawned a legacy of ports, sequels, and spin-offs over the years. Then came the 2013 installment. Due to the game’s requirement to be played online, launch day was an absolute nightmare plagued by network outages, crashes, and lost save data. It was a phenomenally bad first impression that would go down as one of the worst launches in video game history. After an already-planned expansion pack, developer Maxis closed down. A mobile “SimCity” was released in 2014, but the franchise has otherwise stayed quiet.
#7: Three Choices
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“Mass Effect” Series” (2007-) “Mass Effect 3” caused quite the big stir when it was released. The series had been billed as one that placed more emphasis on player decision than any other, with wide-ranging consequences carrying across games. More than that, players had been assured the climax wouldn’t boil down to a simple decision. So, when Shepherd was given those three choices when activating the Crucible, many felt they’d been wronged. Especially since each outcome featured more than a few similarities. So much so that the backlash caused government bodies to weigh in on whether or not BioWare had misled consumers. While there were many other factors in the failure of the next game, “Mass Effect: Andromeda,” many fans view this conclusion as the beginning of the end.
#6: Frank’s Comeback
“Dead Rising” Series (2006-17) Capcom’s “Dead Rising” franchise became well-loved for its sense of humor, survival elements, and main character, Frank West. And in the eyes of the diehard fanbase, “Dead Rising 4” ruined all of that. Seemingly in an attempt to appeal to a wider audience, the game was made fairly easier by removing staple features like the time-limit. It was also more serious in tone, particularly with its protagonist. That, along with his change in look and voice actor, immensely displeased longtime fans, which was reflected in the game’s poor sales. While a sequel was considered, it was canceled when Capcom Vancouver closed in 2018. As far as we know, “Dead Rising” went with it.
#5: Going Open World
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“Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon” Series (2001-19) Just because many franchises have thrived after going open world doesn’t mean all of them should. Ubisoft’s “Ghost Recon” series was established as a tactical shooter, characterized by tight gameplay within tense face-offs. The studio chose to expand its world with 2017’s “Wildlands,” which, to be fair, reviewed well and sold even better. But it took the series in a negative direction. 2019’s “Breakpoint” was thought by most to be bland, formulaic, and weighed down by microtransactions. Ubisoft attempted to chase another trend with the announcement of “Frontline,” an open world battle royale. Its trailer and beta were so poorly received by the fanbase that Ubisoft canceled it in 2022 amid other financial struggles.
#4: Changing Too Much
“Command & Conquer” Series (1995-2020) EA has run its fair share of franchises into the ground, but we’ll forever feel sorry for the “Command & Conquer” fanbase. The series was one of a few that led the RTS genre charge throughout the 90s, becoming one of the most famous names on PC. Things continued strongly until 2010’s “Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight.” Gone were major elements of the series, like a need to farm resources. Single player campaigns featured dull stories and repetitive gameplay thanks to tedious mission structure. Even worse was the forced online connectivity, meaning that if you somehow got disconnected, you could lose a ton of progress. A browser game, a mobile spin-off, and a remastered collection of the first two games are all we’ve gotten since.
#3: More Action Than Scares
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“Dead Space” Series (2008-) The original “Dead Space” and its sequel are paragons of survival horror. Sadly, the second game was seen as a financial disappointment to publisher EA. So when it came time for a third installment, the studio forced developer Visceral Games to include elements it thought would drive up sales. “Dead Space 3” was a significant shift towards multiplayer action over its beloved and terrifying roots. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t “Dead Space.” And since it wasn’t what the fanbase wanted, sales were even weaker. This caused EA to close developer Visceral Games and put the entire franchise on ice until the 2023 remake of the first game. It was survival horror, through and through, selling and reviewing well because of it.
#2: Games as a Service
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“Batman: Arkham” Series (2009-) “Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League” has been criticized by every corner of the internet for many things. From how it disrespects its iconic characters to its monotonous gameplay, all of its problems can be traced back to the decision to follow the games-as-a-service model. One of the industry’s latest and most unwelcome trends has resulted in an incredibly shallow experience. DC fans would be understandably upset regardless, but the fact that it’s set within the ‘Arkhamverse’ makes it so much worse. The series was seen as a major step forward in superhero games, and were notably praised for their stories, characters, and gameplay. To throw all that out the window in favor of this was too much for most players to bear.
#1: Kojima’s Departure
“Metal Gear” Series (1987-2018) For a long time, Konami’s “Metal Gear” series was at the forefront of gaming. A huge part of its success should clearly be attributed to creator Hideo Kojima. Unfortunately, prior to the release of 2015’s “Metal Gear Solid V,” Kojima and Konami had a huge falling out. Reports have since detailed how poorly Konami treated Kojima and those that worked under him. Additionally, Kojima was already over budget and behind schedule, which led to Konami issuing a stricter deadline and some content being removed from the final game. Of course, the consequences of this fall-out went beyond missing content. 2018’s “Metal Gear Survive,” which had no input from Kojima, was a generic multiplayer shooter that failed miserably. What moment do you think ruined a gaming franchise? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to subscribe for more great videos every day!
