Franchise-Milkingô

Tails_155 · **on:** February 03, 2008, 02:22:17 AM

anyways... Franchise-Milkingô is the process in which a main character of a popular series is taken, and stamped across various, TOTALLY unrelated gaming types... Examples:

Super Mario USA

Mario Party
Mario Party 2
Mario Party 3
Mario Party 4
Mario Party 5
Mario Party 6
Mario Party 7
Mario Party 8
Mario Party DS
Mario Party Gamma
Mario Party LIEK OMGZZ IS ANOTHER ONE OF DEEZ!

Mario Kart
Mario Kart 64 (Though not entirely a bad game, still an example)
Mario Kart Double Dash

Mario Tennis
Mario Tennis Sequel
Mario Tennis SEQUEL WITHOUT MARIO EVEN IN IT!!!

Mario Super Strikers
Mario Super Strikers Sequel

Mario Golf
Mario Golf Sequel

Mario 3-on-3 somethingorother basketball omgwtf
That other basketball game that had Mario in it...

Mario Paint (Though I enjoyed it, doesn't make it not a prime example)

Mario Picross

Dr. Mario

Yoshi
Yoshi Cookie

Mario is Missing

to some extent Mario Teaches Typing

Donkey Kong Jr. Math

Pac Man Fever

That Soul Calibur Game with Link in it... though less so, as he fit in well I guess... and it made a bit more sense...

Diddy Kong Racing (Though I once again, enjoyed the game, still an unnecessary stamping)

PokÈmon Puzzle Matching game thingy

Kirby Pinball Land
That Kirby Breakout game

Robotnick's Bean thingy...

PokÈmon Snap... somewhat

Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games
Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games DS

In all honesty...

Super Smash Bros.
Super Smash Bros.: Melee
Super Smash Bros.: Brawl

I'm certain there's beyond a plethora of others...

Even technically the Mario RPGs are not quite along the same lines, though they at least keep with the pattern that gets us to buy a Mario game... Save the Princess or whatnot...

Here's the question.....

IS IT RIGHT to stick a name on a game, that could be just as fine without it, when the name doesn't really affect the game in any way other than juxtaposing a specific character in a place that doesn't need to be set up so? If a game is quality, does one really need to stick a character in it as the franchising that didn't need to be?

Before you say it makes the game good: How many of you would go out and buy just a Tennis game with cartoon characters of no name doing roughly the same stuff? Racing game? Basketball? Soccer? Typing? Tetris-style puzzle game? Pinball? How many of you bought the game that just so happened to have some character in it? Would you have bought the game, with ALL the same settings, but just none of those characters in it?

It is one of those things that just makes me so mad

WeirdRaptor · **Reply #1 on:** February 03, 2008, 04:40:56 AM

In Mario's case, I think you're taking things out of proportions. In the Mario univers, just about any concept is doable for a game, so why not Doctor and tennis players and such? For Mario, in its own twisted way much like the main series, it works.

On the topic of other franchises, I'd have to agree.

Asfor Super Mash Brothers. Hey, they're all damn fun games. Who cares? The next will be just as fun, despite your insistance of unfairly blasting it before you've actually ever had the chance to play it.

Kor · **Reply #2 on:** February 03, 2008, 05:22:21 AM

This will continue to be done since it works so not a lot anybody can do about it. It doesn't really bother me to much unless I try to put all of say the Mario into the same universe to make it all cannon. It's best to ignore that stuff as best as you can. Since they will not stop doing that, likely it'll go on forever.

Tails_155 · **Reply #3 on:** February 03, 2008, 11:50:57 AM

I'm not saying they're bad games here, I just don't understand why companies don't have enough faith in a concept to release it without stamping unneeded faces on it

and I get you completely Kor

it is just a game of ignoring in the end

WeirdRaptor · **Reply #4 on:** February 03, 2008, 04:41:53 PM

It may not necessarily be that they don't have faith in their products, Tails. A part of it may be simply wanting to find new things to do with them. Shigeru Miyamoto, the reator of all of Nintendo's best franchises has a very creative mind and he's not a afraid to use it.

Kor · **Reply #5 on:** February 03, 2008, 04:49:16 PM

True, and they do it also since mario tennis, mario soccer, ect will sell more then just wii tennis, ds tennis, ect would alone.

Tails_155 · **Reply #6 on:** February 03, 2008, 05:46:31 PM

yea, I guess, but I just can't stand a franchise stamp that seems out of place... I don't like to think that people will go out and buy a sports game, ONLY if it has Mario in it (such as my friend =\ =/)

But what about that Mario Tennis DS game? My friend said Mario isn't even in it, and he usually plays games all the way through

WeirdRaptor · **Reply #7 on:** February 03, 2008, 06:03:28 PM

We really don't care, to be perfectly frank. It bothers you, but it doesn't bother us as long as its not too ridiculous. Its Mario Tennis because of the presence of Mario universe character.

Tails_155 · **Reply #8 on:** February 03, 2008, 06:09:52 PM

in this case, I am just curious what made it Mario, I'd need an elaboration, if there is some Mario reference in it then that's fine, I just didn't understand what the reasoning behind a name with no face was...

and don't think for a minute I believe a game BAD because of it, I just find it peculiar...

I personally like a number of the games on the list, but I could see playing them without the characters too

KingdomKey23 · **Reply #9 on:** February 03, 2008, 06:18:22 PM

Quote

But what about that Mario Tennis DS game? My friend said Mario isn't even in it, and he usually plays games all the way through

Mario Tennis DS game? I can't recall a...oh, wait! Are you referring to Mario Power Tennis for the Gameboy Advance? True you play the game as different characters, but once you beat the game you have the option to go the Mushroom Kingdom to face Mario himself. Plus, the expedition mode also has Mario as a playable character, so technically Mario is in the game.

Tails_155 · **Reply #10 on:** February 03, 2008, 06:19:32 PM

thanks for clearing that up, comment retracted, I wonder if my friend knows that yet... hmm

WeirdRaptor · **Reply #11 on:** February 03, 2008, 09:58:29 PM

Wait? So you have to be in a certain mode for Mario to be playable? Hmm. Odd. Oh, well.

In any case, I think the whole "franchise milking" is a mullhill. The best you can do if you don't like it in this case is not to support, I guess.

Kor · **Reply #12 on:** February 04, 2008, 12:01:46 AM

Wonder why they've not tried to do Mario Pokemon, imagine how well that may sell.

Flathead770 · **Reply #13 on:** February 04, 2008, 01:44:01 AM

Quote

don't like to think that people will go out and buy a sports game, ONLY if it has Mario in it (such as my friend =\ =/)

I have the similar attitude towards this. The main reason that i like Mario Sports games is because i find them way more fun then the serious/realistic sports games. Realistic sports games i find get dull after a while and i hate how they realese yearly updates that are almost similar. At least most of the Mario sports come out every couple of years.

Kor · **Reply #14 on:** February 04, 2008, 02:51:15 AM

If they alter a game so Mario tennis or golf is different then regular tennis or golf then it is a different game I'd guess. And you can put in some Mario humor as well, not sure if they do but it is possible to do so.

WeirdRaptor · **Reply #15 on:** February 05, 2008, 12:12:35 AM

I am indifferent towards the Mario sportsgames, myself. As long as franchise milking doesn't go so far as: Solid Metal Gear: ER, featuring Snake as a doctor who has to break into rival hospitals to get the medicine for his patients.

Kor · **Reply #16 on:** February 05, 2008, 02:37:57 AM

How about

Solid Metal Gear: Golf
Solid Metal Gear: Bejewled
Solid Metal Gear: Dogz

Petrie. · **Reply #17 on:** February 05, 2008, 09:21:37 AM

Milking can only occur if something has entirely worn out its welcome (as in its not popular) and the company continues to produce it. Apparently Mario is a popular character somewhere (maybe more in Japan than the U.S.) hence all the games. Same goes for any of the Pokemon games. Much of its popularity is gone in the U.S. but its still a big thing in Japan, so hence, Pokemon Diamond/Pearl.

The U.S. doesn't dictate what should be released and what shouldn't be.