Microsoft and Sony have cushioned the landing pads for the their next-gen consoles.
The Xbox One and the PS4 are, essentially, PCs wrapped in a proprietary candy coated shell. With both systems dropping next month, and manufactured console wars being waged in the comment sections of the Internets it's important to remember one indelible fact: Some franchises don't have the legs to make it to next-gen.
When a game like Tomb Raider moves 4 million units worldwide and is still considered to have missed its sales goals by Square Enix, one is forced to question the viability of the franchise in the next-gen arena. AAA games are often times hampered by bloated development teams, unrealistic sales expectations, sequel/reboot fatigue, and a general hunger for new IPs.
Sega and Capcom have both recently posted layoffs. Konami is getting by on Metal Gear Solid and the house of Kojima. Where does that leave these franchises? Resident Evil 6 and Dead Space 3 both moved almost 5 million units and were still considered failures. One has to ask what hope these franchises have in the next generation.
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