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TreyoftheDead

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Playing it Safe

For weeks now, Bungie fans have been in a constant state of speculation as to what the Halo creator is currently working on. Would it be a brand new IP? Something that would blow our socks off as Halo did when it first came out? Or would it be a return to the Marathon series of old? Or maybe a new Halo title?

Well, Bungie canceled their announcement at E3 and it seemed that speculation would continue. Then Microsoft confirmed that the new project was indeed another game set in the Halo universe.

Really? Another Halo game?

I have long contended that the Halo games are overrated, but that does not mean they are bad games. On the contrary, they are actually quite good. This is because Bungie is a solid developer who knows how to make a great game. They put the time into fine tuning their products so that once they hit the shelf they won't be plagued with problems like so many other games that seep out of companies every year (I'm looking at you EA).

With that information in mind I think it's perfectly logical to assume that Bungie is capable of creating an exciting new IP for us gamers to enjoy. And yet, it has now been confirmed that they are working on a new Halo game, which will probably takes a couple of more years at the least. In fact, by the time it is finished I'm sure the 360 will be near the end of it's lifespan, with Microsoft's next console announced and on the verge of being released. And once it does come out, do you think they are going to want for Bungie to develop a new IP? No, they are going to want a new Halo with next generation graphics and features.

Why is this? Why do companies with talent spent time retreading over the same ground over and over again. Because big franchises sale games and as gaming companies are in the business to make money, they would rather play it safe...the only assured way of bringing home the proverbial bacon. Bungie could be dazzling us with a game set in an entirely new and interesting universe, but instead they are milking the money making Halo franchise as much as they can.

The really sad thing is, Microsoft and Bungie aren't the only ones guilty of this. Everyone is. Sequels are forever being announced in both the gaming and movie industry. There is virtually an infinite amount of untapped ideas out there and yet the most talented developers are stuck on beating their beloved franchises over and over and over again like a dead horse.

However, the real danger here is that beating that horse is still fun. Pick up Halo 3 and you'll have a great time and I'm sure the next Halo will be just as good. Blizzard is known for sticking to their well established IP's and every single sequel is just as good or better than the original. And we can't discuss franchises if we don't mention Nintendo, whose last quality new IP was Pikmin, but all of their rehashes are still solid games. Admit it, if Twilight Princess had been the first 3D Zelda game it would be praised just as much as Ocarina of Time is now.

As long as these various IP's are still making money, the publishers are going to keep churning them out, keeping talented developers from giving us a whole generation of new and interesting ones. This is a problem that seems to have no end, but simply must be addressed. If only I could make my voice be heard I would implore the gaming gods to bring forth an entire library of new games created by the publishers we most admire.

Thankfully, on the other side of the coin, there are developers out there who are bringing us new games as we speak. Brave people who aren't going to play it safe, who are risking putting out a new idea and hoping it takes hold within the gaming public. One must wonder though, if they do (and some most certainly will), will their creators be swept away down that all too familiar river that is almost completely devoid of creativity? Money says yes, sir...yes, sir.

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