In the ever-growing world of video games, developers keep having a lot of trouble coming up with new IPs, or intellectual properties (games that never been done before). Games like Halo, Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Assassin’s Creed were once new and fresh ideas, but seems like publishers keep pressing their luck by releasing yearly releases for these big budget titles. Games like Call of Duty and Battlefield rely too much on multiplayer for their yearly releases. Making a couple of new maps and game modes with an under whelming single player experience make for a game that only has the scent of being over-milked just for its popularity. This type of behavior needs to change because a lot of developers who love their job are being driven out of business. (Pandemic Studios was one of them). In a preview for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, GameInformer stated that it feels just above an expansion for COD: MW2, but less like a full sequel. However, games like Halo and Assassin’s Creed try to add as much as they can with new important game modes that add a lot of content. Halo 3:ODST added a new mode called Firefight that sent you fighting hordes of aliens. Halo: Reach redefined the concept by “tweaking [the settings] to your heart’s content.” (IGN, Greg Miller) Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood added a new multiplayer mode that rewarded players who used strategy by using stealth and careful planning. It was well received by critics and added a fresh look into the world of multiplayer where all you do is mindlessly shoot whatever moves. Its new installment, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, UbiSoft will try to fix all of the multiplayer bugs while also tying up the tale of its main protagonist, Ezio Auditore.
Will the new wave of consoles that hit shelves in two years change how the industry views video games? Only time will tell. Will developers learn from their mistakes and try work harder on their games even though it would cost them more money? Probably not. But a new console will always demand new and innovating games.