So why is it, pray tell, that most of the games we see today are either sequels or spin-offs? You've got BioShock 2, Resident Evil 5, Patapon 2, God of War III, Fable 2... the list goes on. Yes, from time to time new IPs pop into the picture, but they're few and far between, unfortunately.

Maybe an article at Reuters can shed light on this "sequel spammage" scenario. They were able to get a handful of quotes from some of the top developers, producers, publishers, and designers working on sequels in established IPs.

Some of the industry's more influential developers discuss the hows and whys, and the pros and cons of creating a sequel. Some of them also talked about the obstacles they've faced and decisions they had to make in order for their sequel to be more approachable by the general market.

Ted Price, Insomniac Games, Resistance 2:

Developers can hit the ground running with sequels. The game's story and art style have a solid base, the tech and tools are stable and the basic gameplay mechanics have gone through plenty of tuning in the first game. It's certainly a liberating experience when you're no longer arguing over the main character's name, or waiting for basic systems to be implemented. The end result is usually a game that's bigger, more polished and has more innovative features than the original game.

Todd Howard, Bethesda Softworks, Fallout 3:

I think it's good for people to miss things. Ten years between 'Fallout' is a bit long, but I think there's this nostalgia factor.

(Interestingly, Howard also suggests that a three year span between games is also a "good time frame" - thus suggesting to Reuters that we could expect Fallout 4 come 2011.)

Peter Molyneux, Lionhead Studios, Fable 2:

We've designed this game to allow the player to do whatever they wish, including getting married and having kids, playing mini-games and creating a custom character that will evolve as you play.

Cliff Bleszinski, Epic Games, Gears of War 2:

We want casual gamers to play the game and be sucked into the universe and finish the game. We want them to potentially finish with a friend and become a fan of the characters and the setting.

Daniel Suarez, Activision, Call of Duty: World at War:

The developer spent two years working on the technology behind this game, which includes four-player cooperative play and the introduction of new weapons like flame throwers and flame tanks.

---

Related articles:

• Phil Harrison: game projects fail because of rushing
• Shigeru Miyamoto: developers don't have to resort to violence