July 5th, 2008. Console sequels and marketing and you.

This week, we're going to discuss how come it takes so long for game major developers to release their big name products as the years go by, and we're going to start with the big boy, Halo.

When the original Xbox was released in 2001, one of the first games for it was Halo. Now on the 360, Halo 3 was released in 2007, two years after the 360 launch, and 2 two years before the 360 is replaced. That means we aren't getting a Halo 4. Why not? Because Halo 4 will sell the next gen console that replaces the 360. Now you're saying the Halo story is complete. That's why they got Master Chief in status we guess.

So what does Microsoft do? They give us Halo Wars, which is the only and last Halo related game coming to the 360. The original Xbox had Halo 2. Looking at Halo in terms of plot, graphics, and the game engine, we can't imagine why they don't release Halo 4 for the 360 other than for marketing the 360 replacement.

The exact same thing is happening to Grand Theft Auto. The PS2 had 3 new GTA titles and 2 new titles around the same cities. The 360 gets one title with new content. Where's GTAIV San Andreas or whatever they want to call it? We know GTAV will be for the 360 replacement, but where's the other cities and characters? We're in the middle of the 360 lifespan and we don't hear anything.

Now compare those franchises with Koei which releases like 10 Dynasty Warriors titles per console generation. We concede that it's probably easier to squeeze out these action game titles than GTA or Halo, but it's not like Halo 4 or GTA Your City Here is going to use a new engine, unless it's for a new console.

Considering the cost of hardware and making a game engine, it makes more sense for companies to release sequels to get as much money as they can for their efforts. Take Two has done this with the GTA engine, and it has worked well for them financially.

Then what's the push for releasing less marquee titles during the lifespan of a console when everything is available right now in terms of gaming engine, human resources, and consumers? We can only conclude that marketing believes that it is somehow more beneficial to them to release fewer marquee titles as newer consoles are introduced.

The problem is that gamers are getting less bang for their console investment buck. Consider the fact that the 360 is in the middle of its lifespan and all the big titles have been released on it except for Metal Gear Solid 4. We only have Saints Row 2 and Dead Rising 2 left, and those are only being released because the originals sold well.