- Primary Subject: Xbox Gaming Industry Strategy & Franchise Fatigue [2026 Reset]
- Key Update: Amid sweeping management overhauls and massive division restructuring, the article argues that continuous reliance on milked triple-A franchises and safe remakes is driving industry fatigue.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: August 6, 2026
- Quick Answer: Franchise fatigue occurs when triple-A developers endlessly milk safe, familiar properties and bloat sequels, forcing players to crave bold new original intellectual properties instead.
I’ve been reflecting on the somewhat recent Xbox management changes, and I have mixed feelings about the new direction. Aside from the horrifying layoffs that occurred during this change in management, I find that Xbox going back to its roots might be a disaster in disguise. Sure, there is still a part of me that will always be excited when a new Gears of War or Halo game is announced, but how much can they really milk their cash cows until they’ve overstayed their welcome? I believe that time is coming soon, and it’s time for developers to wake up and start branching out, lest they be left in the dust.
Let’s face it, franchises are appealing because they’re familiar to the people, and that’s one of the biggest driving factors. Not only does it take twice or thrice the amount of marketing and development funds to create, market, and sell a new IP, but it is also a gamble. Not every new franchise that comes out is going to be a smash hit with your target audience, evidenced by games like Marathon, Saros, and Returnal. I believe that games these days cost too much to make, and it’s sort of understandable that huge triple-A video game studios are hesitant to take those risks, which is why they always go back to ol’ reliable.
Over the recent years, companies like Infinity Ward and Ubisoft, although far from perfect, have started to recognize the franchise slop that they’ve been putting out every year. Back then, you would get Assassin's Creed games almost every year, or so, like it was clockwork, and the quality eventually took a dip. This dip is characterized by both fan and developer fatigue, being forced to slosh away at the same gameplay but with a new coat of paint. ID has done a good job so far with the Doom franchise, keeping things fresh gameplay-wise, but the cracks have started to show among the player base. If video game fans can say “no thank you” to a blockbuster game like Doom, then who knows what other video game franchise goes stale next?
Another reason why I believe video game franchises will eventually peter out is because of this constant need to improve upon the previous game. Developers need to give players a reason to play the newest iteration of a game for reasons other than a story, and this can be seen in some of the games that have come out recently. Spider-Man 2, although not necessarily a franchise, is an example of a game that thought bigger is better. Instead of polishing the things that worked and adding just a few more toys to play with, the city and mechanics were bloated to the point of being almost unrecognizable from the first game.
Another factor that not many people consider when it comes to franchises is the eventual lore bloat. Similar to what’s happening with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, eventually franchises will reach a point where all the legacy information gained from previous entries in a franchise will become tedious. Looking back at the Yakuza games, although I wouldn’t really complain if we had more of them, I remember groaning at the chore of having to backtrack and learn the stories from the previous games just so I could get the whole picture. This is also the reason why Fighting Game stories and mechanics can get so lost in translation over different iterations of the game, and why there’s such a high barrier of entry for newer fans of the series.
But franchises aren’t all bad, especially if you handle them with care. The only time that a franchise gets tedious is when developers like 2K, Infinity Ward, and even Bethesda, to some extent, continually milk their franchise. I am one of the many fans that rejoiced at the news of Bethesda openly announcing a Fallout 3 and New Vegas remake, but I also would have loved to see newer stories within the world. And no, I’m not talking about Fallout 76 DLC, please, for the love of everything.
I believe that with all the remasters, remakes, and franchise entries nearing the double digits, video game fans all around are actively looking for the next big franchise that sets their heart ablaze. We will eat up these franchise entries because they are familiar and comfortable, but we all look for something new eventually. This franchise fatigue was why I praised Xbox Game Studios for looking towards indie game studios for new and refreshing ideas within the gaming sphere, but after all the layoffs, I see now that my faith in the company was misplaced.
So, if you are a game developer out there who somehow manages to find this article, I hope that you take the plunge into originality and carve your own franchise into the books. Because I might just go insane if I have to sit through another half-assed remake.
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