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"What Makes A Sequel?"

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Sat 24/08/02 at 15:14
Regular
Posts: 787
A silly question, you might ask, but take the Quake series:

Quake: A game where you play a marine fighting a load of baddies who spawned from the readme file.

Quake 2: After a spectacular intro (one of the best ever in my opinion) you are put in the boots of a DIFFERENT character in a DIFFERENT world. In fact, the only resemblance this has to the original was that it was made by the same people.

Quake 3: Was weird. I didn't get the plot (if any).

But my point is: the only similarity between Q1 and Q2 was their name (and their genre, obviously)! You don’t have film sequels about different scenarios do you? Imagine the outrage if Terminator 2 had featured Woody Allen in a story about love and relationships. It doesn't happen in the film industry, so why does it happen in the gaming world? In contrast, true sequels are often given different names (Alpha Centauri, to name one) these are sequels that have opted not to keep the originals name. Why do people do this? What games have the right to be called a TRUE sequel? Is it a game that expands the story of the first, picking up where it left off? Or is it a game that does the whole thing again, but with better graphics, and more features, etc?

Well, the whole “It doesn't happen in the film industry, so why does it happen in the gaming world” isn’t totally true:

Critters / Highlander - Turned into Sci-Fi
Gremlins / Gremlins 2 - Became a knockabout comedy
Tom and Jerry / Tom and Jerry: The Movie: Teamed the two up together

However, on the Tom and Jerry front, just because they make a truce (i.e. do something unexpected) does not mean this is a counter to my argument. To equate it to Quake / Quake 2, Tom and Jerry: The Movie would feature a different cat and mouse doing sort of the same thing, except in a different surrounding, say, a spaceship, or something. I suppose in the case of the Quake games it would be brand awareness. Quake was already an iconic name in the gaming world, so instead of having to create a new one, they can use the old one, and guarantee better sales. Obviously, the original is named after the big boss baddie. But there is no character called Quake in episodes II or III. Perhaps this is because the plot of the Quake games has always come second to the rest. They did Quake all gothic like because they thought that was cool and because the engine liked brown. They did Quake II in space because they are all just Sci-Fi nuts and needed a place where you could blow a lot of stuff up. Quake III was a load of different styles, just whatever looked good. Each new Quake engine is different from the last and the plots change with them. Perhaps these huge changes are made to help show that the new engine is completely different to the last.

The fact that Quake 1, 2 and 3 are all different "characters" and different scenarios is irrelevant, considering the amount of years between the games, a lot was going to change. Just like Wolf3D - RTCW. The point is you're still shooting stuff. Er…I think that's the point anyway. The Quake series of games was more of a franchise - a brand expansion - than sequels. For a game to be a true sequel, I would expect the same as in movies: recurring characters, storylines, locations etc. This is why Doom 2 was a true sequel to Doom. Compare it to the Outer Limits if you like - just a different story, different setting to make people interested. It's all based on the evolution of technology (ID Soft are hardware geeks you know). Yes, maybe, ID's games are just an excuse to showcase their new technology. So, should everyone scream and shout about sequels when (in the case of the Quake games) the games are completely different in their own right? If Quake 2 was called 'Alien Abyss: Fuzzy Strikes Back' would it be considered a sequel? It's all in the name. Plus, none of the Quake scenarios are particularly brilliant so nobody would want to play in them more than once. I mean, come on. Quake was gothic monsters and such. Quake II was "You're stranded on a hostile alien planet!” Quake III was some weird stuff about some kinds of crazy gods who teleport you into fights and such. None of those are particularly original or clever. Good games though, if not debatable.

The thing is with sequels is that people demand to see the same thing with just a different kind of shine a new innovation. With Quake the plots may have changed but the core of the game was the same, the new technology was the innovation and the change in plot was too provide a new perspective on it, so people can see the innovation.

So, what IS a sequel?
Ryu
Wed 28/08/02 at 16:05
Posts: 0
UW congrats to the newbie who won it.
Wed 28/08/02 at 14:22
Posts: 0
*Eyes pop out of head*

I won GAD! Wahooo! Thanks SR, greatly appreciated. Now, what to choose? Hmmm. Final Fantasy X methinks! :D
Wed 28/08/02 at 13:58
Regular
Posts: 10,364
Techno freak wrote:
> Ask Nintendo they have resurrected Mario more times than Jason from
> Friday the 13th.

Mario is a nintendo franchise, non of them are sequels (except the odd few) get your facts right before you sauy them.
Wed 28/08/02 at 13:51
Regular
Posts: 234
Ask Nintendo they have resurrected Mario more times than Jason from Friday the 13th.
Wed 28/08/02 at 13:18
Regular
Posts: 1,150
hurray proof that newbies can win, always been a dought in my mind about it before even though everyone said it can happen.

As for the topic, great, this sort of subject has always been "played" around with but never really been tryed to be answered.

I for one call sequals ones like burnout becuase its the same only more tracks and cars with a few extras that soon are boring, in other words if they had room they could put it all on 1 cd. As for final fantasy that not a sequel its the same name same idea of play but completely diffrent, like saying Perfect dark and timesplitters are the same becuase they are both shooters.

again well done mate.
Wed 28/08/02 at 10:57
Regular
"¬_¬"
Posts: 3,110
Congratuliations on the Gameaday win, my friend. See, I was right about you! I was right!

Heh heh. Nice one.
Sat 24/08/02 at 19:32
Posts: 0
Whitestripes wrote:
> I'll tell you what makes a sequel, a silly sub-title or a big 2 after
> the name.

Good point.

Spy Kids 2 *Hint* *Hint*, although this wasn't intended to turn into a discussion about movies - there's a seperate forum for that. Thanks for all the replies :)
Sat 24/08/02 at 19:10
Regular
Posts: 11,875
Drunk Cow wrote:

>
>
> or a big 3 after the name .......... nope it came out better for you

It wouldn't be a sequel then, it would be a Trilogy.
Sat 24/08/02 at 18:56
Regular
"sweats salad dressi"
Posts: 4,599
Whitestripes wrote:
> I'll tell you what makes a sequel, a silly sub-title or a big 2 after
> the name.


wow i couldnt of said it better myself. OH WAIT


or a big 3 after the name .......... nope it came out better for you
Sat 24/08/02 at 18:50
Regular
Posts: 11,875
I'll tell you what makes a sequel, a silly sub-title or a big 2 after the name.

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