25 Gaming Franchises that lived and died on the last generation

When it comes to modern gaming, a large majority of new releases are part of a franchise but when the next generation of consoles comes about, not all of these can make the jump for many reasons. This list contains series that had more than one entry to their name but did not (or probably will not) reach PlayStation 4 or Xbox One anytime soon.

1. Motorstorm (PS3: Evolution Studios)

Motorstorm was one of the first PS3 exclusives; often bundled with the system upon its release back in 2006, the game was focused on off-road racing with many different vehicle and terrain types to consider. The series went on to host four more titles on the PS3 and PSP including the tropical island focused Pacific Rift but eventually came to a stop after Motorstorm Apocalypse and RC in 2011 and early 2012.

Why did it die off (or slow down)?

With Evolution Studios moving on to develop the social focused DriveClub for PlayStation 4, it’s easy to suggest that the MotorStorm festival has spent its last petrol tank on the racing scene. The servers for each title have gradually been shut down since 2012, fully closing the doors on the series.

2. Guitar Hero, Rock Band and DJ Hero (Multiplatform: Harmonix)

Debuting in 2005, 2007 and 2009 respectively, the peripheral based Guitar Hero, Rock Band and DJ Hero are easily the crown jewels in Harmonix and Activision’s efforts in the music genre. The plastic instruments may not have been realistic up to Rock Band 3 but that didn’t stop the three games from becoming immensely popular in party play. Rock Band was particularly revolutionary in that it brought the music genre to the mainstream, allowing for four players to play guitar, bass, keyboard, drums or even sing. The three series make up 11 games in total but have all since slowed down in the last few years.

Why did it die off (or slow down)?

All three music series started off strong in terms of sales and popularity but from 2009 onwards this gradually declined to the point where Activision cancelled the Guitar Hero and DJ Hero series. This could have been down to the advent of more realistic music simulators such as Rocksmith as well as the over-saturation of the rhythm genre, especially where Guitar Hero is concerned.

3. Army of Two and Kane and Lynch (Multiplatform: EA and IO Interactive respectively)

AOT and KAL are both similar games in that they both feature two tough-as-nails protagonists and both have a primary focus on cooperative gameplay. Both started towards the beginning of the seventh generation with the two titles making their debuts on PS3 and Xbox 360. There were three titles for Army of Two, and two for Kane and Lynch which tried to different levels of success to fill the coop shooter niche from 2008 through to 2013 with ‘’Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days’’ and ‘’Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel’’ rounding off the two series.

Why did it die off (or slow down)?

Army of Two and Kane and Lynch both started off with mixed to mildly positive critical reception but as things went on, the series both got more mediocre and tedious, refusing to push forward whilst magnifying what was wrong with the games to begin with. Kane and Lynch in particular fell flat on its face with Dog Days as it had a painfully short single-player campaign and an all-around lazy design.

4. LittleBigPlanet (PS3: Media Molecule)

LittleBigPlanet arrived in the first much needed wave of exclusives for PS3 and it met expectations brilliantly, revolutionising user-generated content for consoles in the process and giving the system its first major mascot. Thousands of fully-fledged levels were made using the in-game editing tools and the 2011 sequel pushed things even further by allowing full games to be made. There were also two handheld entries on the PSP and PlayStation Vita and a kart racing spin-off, all of which did well both critically and commercially. Since 2012 the series has not been heard from however.

Why did it die off (or slow down)?

With the enormous amount of DLC and user-generated content made in both games, LittleBigPlanet is more than capable of sustaining itself over the years to come. Developer Media Molecule has been getting into other projects including Tearaway and an unannounced PS4 title. The series that made them famous could make it to PS4 at some point but at the moment, the developer may want to try something new for a new system.

5. Dead Space (Multiplatform: EA)

Debuting in 2008, Dead Space was once a staple in modern horror gaming with its unique combat system of strategic dismemberment, rather than constantly aiming for the head. The original took place on the claustrophobic and blood-streaked corridors of the Ishimura, the sequel opened things up on Titan Station and the third moved to the icy Tau Volantis, with mixed results. There were also a few spin-offs here and there, including Ignition and Dead Space Mobile but since DS3 there has been no word of any future games in the series.

Why did it die off (or slow down)?

Like many survival horror titles in modern gaming, Dead Space gradually fell into the trap of being butchered into an action game in an attempt to appeal to as wide an audience as possible and when this reached boiling point with Dead Space 3, fans were decidedly angry, even more so for the micro-transactions that EA placed into the title. Despite these complaints, the game still sold well and the story left things open for a fourth game in the series. But no thanks to the sales forecasts that were not met, EA has effectively pulled the plug on Dead Space.

6. The Conduit and Red Steel (High Voltage Software and Ubisoft respectively)

Much like Army of Two and Kane and Lynch, The Conduit and Red Steel were both motion controlled first person shooter games for the Nintendo Wii. The latter anchored the launch of Nintendo’s system whilst the former sought to reach the success had by Metroid Prime 3 two years later. Both made fairly good use of the console’s motion controls for pinpoint shooter controls but ended before they could reach ‘’system-seller’’. The Conduit 2 in particular suffered from a cliff-hanger that continues to tease fans to this day.

Why did it die off (or slow down)?

Both The Conduit and Red Steel thrived because of the Wii’s motion controls which allowed for precision gunplay but when Nintendo moved away from this scheme with the Wii U’s tablet controller, the series would have lost what made it enjoyable for fans. The Conduit in particular possesses development problems; a third game in the series would have a hard time appearing on the Wii U because of High Voltage’s independent publishing.

7. Supreme Commander (PC: Gas Powered Games)

The Supreme Commander series is incredibly complex in terms of strategy, boasting a huge amount of different units and an even bigger amount of thought needed to succeed in battle. But with all its complexity the series also brought some new ideas to the table, including the ACU (armoured command unit) used to build and maintain bases. The series had two main games from 2007 to 2010 with the Forged Alliance expansion in-between, but as of 2012 Gas Powered Games seems to have gone into hiding with little word on what they are working on next.

Why did it die off (or slow down)?

The strategy genre is often very crowded and from 2010 onwards many long awaited RTS games were released including StarCraft 2, Civilization 5 and the Total War games seemed to shift Supreme Commander from its top spot and gained significantly more popularity in the process. If Supreme Commander 3 was released it would face some stiff competition against its contemporaries.

8. Overlord (Multiplatform: Triumph Studios)

Overlord was an interesting series for what it was; playing as an evil Overlord commanding a horde of minions mixed role-playing and strategy into a fairly solid mix with the two main games in its lifespan. Not only would the Overlord battle through varied levels but he would also build and upgrade his base of operations; a great incentive to keep playing for fans of the series. The game was often very humorous too with Rhianna Pratchett’s patented writing making its way into the series.

Why did it die off (or slow down)?

Overlord had some good moments but the series suffered from persistent issues such as camera problems and fiddly multi-tasking that may have contributed to lowered review scores and therefore stopped the series from progressing any further. Triumph Studios has since returned to other franchises, such as the recently released Age of Wonders 3. At this point the studio will either return to Overlord at some point in the future or start something completely new.

9. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Multiplatform: LucasArts)

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed had some brilliant potential; the gameplay showing off the most destructive uses of the force was eventually paired with a great story which filled in the gaps between Episodes 3 and 4 of George Lucas’s Sci-Fi epic. But when the two games in the series were actually released they failed to live up to the hype promised by the trailers, growing repetitive very quickly and being rather restrictive in the amount of destruction that could take place on screen.

Why did it die off (or slow down)?

With the closure of LucasArts last year, the fate of ‘’The Force Unleashed’’ now lies within the hands of Disney and EA who are handling the development of all future titles in the Star Wars Universe. Though given the lukewarm critical response of both games it’s difficult to see the series making a comeback; EA’s current focus is clearly on delivering the next Battlefront game whereas Disney has full control over the license.

10. Crackdown (Xbox 360: Microsoft)

Just as LittleBigPlanet was a major exclusive for Sony, so too was Crackdown for Microsoft. Beginning in 2007, Crackdown was initially seen as a pricey ticket into the then highly anticipated Halo 3 multiplayer beta. But it also went beyond that by offering an addicting gameplay experience akin to being a superhero. The super-agent could scale the tallest of buildings, pick up the heaviest of objects and commandeer the most hi-tech vehicles in the open world of Pacific City. A sequel came out in 2010 from Ruffian Games but then the series seemingly vanished without a trace from then on.

Why did it die off (or slow down)?

Crackdown was a surprise hit in 2007 but this may have been down to the fact that it came with a key to the Halo 3 beta rather than the game itself. Because it didn’t have this incentive for purchase, Crackdown 2 was much less successful than the original in terms of sales. Phil Spencer has talked briefly about bringing the series back on Xbox One, but until that happens, the series remains in limbo.

11. The Darkness (Multiplatform: 2K)

Beginning as early as 2006, The Darkness (based on the comics) put players in the shoes of Jackie Estacado, a man with the power to summon and conjure demons at will. This provided a welcome twist to the usual first person shooter gameplay with differing abilities granted from the demons at Jackie’s disposal. The game also followed the comics well, portraying a dark and brooding atmosphere. A belated sequel came out six years later but the series has since stopped completely.

Why did it die off (or slow down)?

With the fairly definitive ending which left Jackie trapped in an impossible situation, there seems to be little room or point for another game in ‘’The Darkness’’ series. Because the two games were released so far apart from each other, fans had mostly lost interest in ‘’The Darkness’’ by the time 2 came along and other games had taken control of the market. 2 was also much less successful critically, sporting flaws such as predictable enemy A.I and a short campaign for the asking price.

12. Destroy All Humans! (Multiplatform: THQ)

Beginning in 2005 on the PS2, Destroy All Humans was one of the first games that focused entirely on quite literally, destroying all humans in all sorts of wacky ways as alien invader Crypto with the backdrop of classic 1950s science fiction. After its original developer Pandemic went bust, the series made it onto PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii but eventually stopped after the release of Path of the Furon in 2009.

Why did it die off (or slow down)?

Path of the Furon may have been released on what was then next-generation hardware but it suffered from a poor critical reception, leading to the cancellation of the series. Not only that but both THQ and Pandemic have closed their doors, leaving it up to Nordic Games as to what to do with the franchise.

13. Medal of Honour (Multiplatform: EA)

Debuting in 2010, the modern day reboot of Medal of Honour was EA’s attempt to oust the annual Call of Duty juggernaut that continues to rake in millions to this day. The reboot series had two titles with the first taking place almost entirely in the Middle East and the other following the more straight-forward layout of a world-wide conflict. Like Call of Duty it also adopted a similar multiplayer style with fast-paced on foot combat developed by DICE.

Why did it die off (or slow down)?

Just like Dead Space, the Medal of Honour reboot is a franchise that landed in the ash can because in EA’s eyes, it was not successful enough to continue. After a lacklustre effort in 2012’s ‘’Warfighter’’ and a failure to best it’s biggest rival, both EA and DICE likely decided to use Battlefield as its premier shooter franchise, leaving Medal of Honour to fall back into obscurity once again.

14. Mafia (Multiplatform: 2K)

The Mafia series is best known for its story which manages to take the best of the classic crime drama films while also adding a detailed family drama of its own. With that said, the game’s third person shooting and open world environment don’t really make too much of an impression when compared to its contemporaries.

Why did it die off (or slow down)?

Because of its failure to stand alongside the best crime simulators, Mafia 3 is unlikely to make an appearance and given that 2K Czech hasn’t been heard from since 2011, it’s difficult to tell what the future holds for the series.

15. Lost Planet (Multiplatform: Capcom)

Lost Planet is a major example of a Capcom title which had outstanding production values but never quite reached its full potential from a gameplay standpoint. The series took place on an inhospitable frozen planet where thermal energy and vital suits were essential for survival. Lost Planet: Extreme Condition and Lost Planet 2 were the most ambitious and extravagant of the two with 2 boasting full four player coop while the third was much more scaled back and distant, having been passed over to Spark Unlimited.

Why did it die off (or slow down)?

Lost Planet tried three times to reach the golden standards met by the likes of other Capcom franchises but in all attempts, numerous flaws dragged the series down to the point where the company saw no point in taking the series any further. Extreme Condition suffered from an awful story and finicky controls, 2 couldn’t fix these issues despite going bigger in every way and 3 was far too shallow to make an impression and stepped too far from what made the series unique.

16. Epic Mickey (Multiplatform: Multiple developers led by Warren Spector)

In collaboration with Disney, the creator of System Shock and Deus Ex, Warren Spector produced a licensed game for the mega-company’s most recognised mascot. With such a big name behind the project, everyone expected the Epic Mickey series to be a huge hit, but in the end it only had two main titles to its name, both of which failed to capitalise on the developer’s previous successes.

Why did it die off (or slow down)?

In modern gaming, Disney appears to be operating under a similar mind-set to EA in that any series that does not meet lofty critical and commercial aims should not be continued and that is precisely what has happened with Epic Mickey as Junction Point was shut down by the publisher due to poor sales and Warren Spector hasn’t been heard from since.

17. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii: Nintendo)

The Super Mario Galaxy series was without a doubt one of the finest efforts on the Nintendo Wii, once again proving that the Japanese Company does first party titles like no one else. The original re-invigorated the platforming genre with its gravity defying traversal while the sequel greatly expanded on it, adding more challenge and variation to become more than just a straightforward sequel.

Why did it die off (or slow down)?

With every new Nintendo console released, the company finds a way to produce a new perspective or hook on its first party franchises to keep them from going stale after numerous games over many years. Despite the huge success enjoyed by the two Super Mario Galaxy titles, the series will remain on Wii so that Nintendo can do something new with the portly plumber when he eventually makes his full 3D debut on Nintendo’s system.

18. Prototype (Multiplatform: Activision)

Unlike its biggest rival InFamous, Prototype went for full-on carnage and all-out madness in every aspect of its gameplay. Playing as the biologically enhanced Alex Mercer (and James Heller in the sequel) there was no structure in being good or evil, it was all about wreaking as much havoc on the people and bio-terrorism units of New York City. But where InFamous made it onto PS4, Prototype came to a screeching halt in 2012 and hasn’t had another entry since then.

Why did it die off (or slow down)?

Prototype’s cancellation is purely down to the heavy lay-offs that hit developer Radical Entertainment in 2012. Activision said that the series failed to reach a strong commercial audience, which was likely because of the greater popularity enjoyed by the InFamous series. The sales of Prototype 2 were also disappointing compared to the original which meant the series will not see a third instalment anytime soon.

19. Crysis (Multiplatform: Crytek)

Crysis was once the pinnacle of technical prowess on PC and consoles; it pushed hardware to the limit but also had some stellar gameplay to back up its stellar technical presentation. Utilising the nanosuit’s strength, speed and invisibility powers led to a game which offered a great deal of player choice in how to tackle each combat situation. There were three main games, all of which were developed by Crytek.

Why did it die off (or slow down)?

In a similar way to Dead Space, Crysis slowly grew less and less enjoyable as the series went on. The original Crysis was brilliant, setting high standards in open world combat and enemy AI. But from there things slowly went downhill. Crysis 2 became a linear affair, with some bugs in enemy behaviour and Crysis 3 didn’t get much better, despite boasting a fairly decent story. With the story now complete, Crytek has gone on to make Ryse and now the upcoming Homefront 2.

20. Raving Rabbids (Multiplatform: Ubisoft)

Beginning at the start of last generation, Rabbids was initially an experiment by Ubisoft to go beyond the Rayman character but eventually turned out to be one of their most successful franchises targeted towards children. The Raving Rabbids have become just as famous as the character they were spawned from, journeying across numerous platforms and putting out one game every year from 2006 to 2013.

Why did it die off (or slow down)?

After eight games, Ubisoft has recently returned to Rayman with Origins and Legends and in doing so, has greatly satisfied fans of platformers in the process. Rabbids seems to be moving away from gaming in the future and will instead invade television with a fully-fledged cartoon series to be broadcasted in the coming years.

21. The Legend of Spyro (Multiplatform: Sierra Entertainment)

After three outstanding titles on the original PlayStation (and a few mediocre efforts when the series left Insomniac) Sierra Entertainment and Krome Studios picked up the character for a trilogy of games in which the titular dragon faces off against Cynder and her oppressive Dark Master. The series scraped onto PS3, Wii and Xbox 360 with Dawn of the Dragon. But the character would not see another title and was instead placed into the now widely popular Skylanders series.

Why did it die off (or slow down)?

The Legend of Spyro clearly marked itself as a trilogy and the story was fully completed at the conclusion of ‘’Dawn of the Dragon’’ and now that Spyro has moved to Skylanders, the purple dragon may never see another fully-fledged single-player adventure. Perhaps his time as a mascot has long passed? Ever since Insomniac handed the character over to other developers, Spyro has had his ups and downs but from here on in, he may only be seen as a collectable toy and nothing more.

22. No More Heroes (Multiplatform: Grasshopper Manufacture)

As one of the few third party game to take full advantage of the Wii’s capabilities, No more Heroes told the story of Travis Touchdown as he carved his way through a ring of assassins in an over-the-top and cell-shaded style. In doing so the game also set itself apart from the usual family friendly Wii games at the time. There were two main games on Nintendo’s system before the series eventually made it to the PS3 with Sony’s PlayStation Move controller.

Why did it die off (or slow down)?

Along with Zack and Wiki, No More Heroes was one of the few third party titles to make a big impression on Nintendo’s system, but because there was so much shovel ware on the Wii, the series was inevitably buried under a mound of rubbish. Things continue to look grim for third party support on the Wii U and with motion controls thrown out the window; Travis Touchdown may have swung his last beam katana.

23. Tom Clancy’s HAWX (Multiplatform: Ubisoft)

Of all the game series based off Tom Clancy’s fiction, HAWX was the only title to dive into aerial combat with two games on the previous generation of consoles. To differ from the traditional gameplay of a cockpit view, HAWX allowed players to view the outside of the fighter jets to better track opponents and execute maneuverers more effectively. Both games offered single player modes of adequate length but they shined much brighter online where a highly unpredictable competition awaited budding pilots worldwide.

Why did it die off (or slow down)?

Where Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six have continued over the years, HAWX was only a temporary franchise made just for the PS3 and 360 generation. The series just doesn’t have the depth or replayability to endure across multiple generations, nor can its multiplayer be placed on the competitive scene the way its contemporaries can. Add to this the mixed reception and it’s easy to see why we haven’t seen a HAWX 3.

24. F.E.A.R (Multiplatform: Vivendi and WB Games)

F.E.A.R differed from most first person shooters at the time in that it mixed in a huge dose of horror along with a futuristic setting. The protagonists would take on regular human opponents but throughout the ordeal they would also be forced to deal with enemies of the supernatural kind. The series lasted from 2006 through to 2011 but didn’t quite manage to break into the current generation.

Why did it die off (or slow down)?

Though the F.E.A.R series could do with another coop based ride through the demon hordes, the series seems to have been put to rest for good with Day 1 Studios being acquired and rebranded by Wargaming.net, developer of World of Tanks.

25. Resistance (PS3: Insomniac Games)

Finally we come to Resistance, whose multiplayer servers have recently been shut down by Sony. The series had three main titles to its name along with Retribution on the PSP and prided itself on offering action packed shooting mixed with a dash of horror elements. The first game was certainly the best title of the PS3 launch line-up, the second upped the ante in every respect and the third was decent, but ended up leaving the series on a significantly lower note.

Why did it die off (or slow down)?

Resistance was Insomniac’s final series that was exclusive to Sony consoles and they are now working on Sunset Overdrive for the Xbox One. It’s quite a shame that the series had to end with such an anti-climactic ending and derivative multiplayer that ended up being so stripped back from R2. Sony may pass the series to another developer but as of 2012 with Resistance Burning Skies, there has been no confirmation of this or any other news on the future of the series.