Franchise Musings

With the recent (and heavily stressful, no doubt) release of Diablo III, it got me to thinking; after all the years people have been waiting for this game, isn’t it a really, really simple concept? You simply click on an enemy until they die and pick up whatever they leave behind, move on ad infinitum. This formula has been seen in lots of other games over the years. Now anyone who knows me knows I’m about to say Titan Quest, but don’t worry I’m not going to go on about it, simply mention it for purpose then move on.

Depending on your personal preference Diablo may not actually be all it’s cracked up to be, even if it is considered the king of the loot ‘em up genre. All those years ago, I was in love with Diablo II, sinking a lot of hours into it with friends, sleepless nights when loot and progress was more important, but then I saw Titan Quest sitting on a shelf in, I believe a GAME store of all places, back when PC games weren’t treated as leprosy carriers in there. I bought it and took it home, immediately installing it based on the striking Diablo similarities on the back of the box. Better graphics? A more interesting setting in ancient Greece, China and Egypt? Mythologically related loots? I’m in! Years later I still play it, and I’ve yet to buy Diablo III and I can’t say I’m in any rush to do so.

The point of that little memory lane trip is this - how is it the biggest franchises become the biggest? Titan Quest, especially through its expansion pack, Immortal Throne, is no slouch in a a-rpg sector, and it does have a certain internet following, but why did it never become as big as Diablo? Why did it not become as popular? Aesthetic appeal aside, it arguably had a better character advancement system which is a big part of these games. This goes for other genres, too.

Obviously the top dogs in the shooter category are Battlefield and Call of Duty. Why so? Battlefield because of its vehicle combat and large games, presumably, but Call of Duty is a fairly average shooter with perks that seem to be getting out of hand with each new installment. Why don’t other multiplayer shooters get the same love? It’s not quality, I don’t think. It seems to be habbit. Countless times I’ve seen a new shooter be released to positive reviews directed towards its multiplayer, only for it to be deserted a month later when everyone goes back to their favoured franchise.

Racing games you have Forza and to an extent, although maybe not so much these days, Gran Turismo hogging the market while the likes of GRID and DiRT have followings but are never met with the same kind of long-term love.

Is it always habbit? Is it that you play something when you’re younger and you stick with that franchise until its grisly end? That’s what it is for me. Even after all those years on Diablo II, Titan Quest gripped me tight with its setting and mechanics, and even now I’m looking forward to Grim Dawn, the next game from Crate (formerly Iron Lore) more than I am the inevitable day I buy Diablo III just to have it. Titan Quest and any other a-rpg’s from Crate is now my chosen franchise, if you can call it that. The same reason I’ll always have a soft spot for Ms. Lara Croft over Nathan Drake when it comes to adventure platformers, or Gods allowing, when a good new Sonic game is released I’ll be on it like.. well, Sonic, even if what may be a superior platformer is released at the same time. Simple habbit. I enjoy a franchise, I immediately seem to assume every other game in that specific genre isn’t going to be as good, and while I’ll play the other games I always end up drifting back to my favoured franchise.

I’ve rambled. I always ramble, but I think I got my point across in my own special way. I may have also lied about going on about Titan Quest. I’m not sorry.