The New York Times > Technology > In Video Games, Sequels Are Winners

The New York Times > Technology > In Video Games, Sequels Are Winners "The videogame industry has a lot in common with the movie business in that both industries bank heavily on special effects, big releases and even glamour. And increasingly, the game industry shares something else with Hollywood: a heavy reliance on sequels. In the six-month period ending in June, only two of the 10 best-selling video games were based on original ideas, according to the NPD Group, a research firm. Most were spinoffs from other best-selling games or were licensed from pro sports; a few were based on blockbuster movies and books. The only original title in the top five is Halo, a first-person shooter game from Microsoft. The rest - MVP Baseball 2004, NFL Street, Pokémon Colosseum and Fight Night 2004 - are all sequels or sports spinoffs.
...
According to one agent who represents developers but declined to be identified because he negotiates with the major game publishers, the industry is now controlled by managers who have a background in the packaged goods industries, rather than entertainment."