Repetitiveness is a common factor in the gaming world, especially with game releases. Typically, once a game becomes popular we see a franchise spawn from it; Super Mario Bros being the perfect example. As time has progressed, we've seen many franchises rise from the ashes and become yearly releases. Games such as Call of Duty and FIFA have honed their popularity and marketed their releases to revolve around a virtuous yearly cycle; making them two of the most formidable names in the gaming world.

However, while these game developers and publishers have been churning out game after game within the same series, they've failed to notice that fatigue is beginning to set-in for the majority of us. For the most part, gamers have grown tired of seeing the same game franchises light up the charts each year, while more deserving games are forced to hide in the shadow of these colossus titles. Despite our deteriorating patience, parent companies such as Ubisoft and Activision are hell-bent on milking the last drops of potential out of their developers and squeezing the life out of franchises that just aren't interesting anymore.

Below, you'll find the top three gaming franchises that have been tirelessly churned out either yearly, or rapidly enough to make us tired of them, and subsequently need to die (or at least take a break).

3. Resident Evil

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In recent times, Resident Evil hasn't only been a yearly franchise for gamers, but also for film buffs. Each year, you can bank on either a Resident Evil game or film coming out. This is disappointing to say the least, as Capcom has tainted the franchises' once humble beginnings; where we witnessed a cult hit being born in the form of the original Resident Evil game, along with its two successors Resident Evil 2 and 3. After Resident Evil 3, it took Capcom a whopping six years to produce the critically acclaimed Resident Evil 4- which is arguably why the game was such a success.

Ever since then, we've seen yearly films, games and spin-off's being released at a nauseating level that's taken us beyond the threshold of caring. Each year, we see failed attempts at innovating the series to the point where zombies aren't even zombies anymore; now they're crazy tribe-people with tentacles spawning from their face and guys who can transform from a massive dog to a massive fly (RE6 reference)- it's comical really, but saddening that Capcom have forgotten their roots.

For Resident Evil to once again become relevant, they need to take a break and reboot the franchise with a more simplistic approach that we all originally fell in love with. Otherwise they can make like a zombie and well...Die.

2. Gears of War

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Ever since the Xbox 360 hit shelves around the world, Gears of War has been a household name for any gamer. After the original Gears of War took the world by storm, we've seen two more instalments follow up its commercial success, but not its critical success. The past two instalments in the franchise have failed to live up to the hype that their predecessor set, with many players quickly transitioning away from the games after a matter of mere months. To make matters worse, Epic have been very fixated on micro-transactions in Gears of War 3; forcing players to buy a season pass just to play on dedicated servers - which incidentally was one of the original marketing prospects of the game: Free dedicated servers for all.

With them going back on their word, much faith has already been lost. In a few days, we'll witness the fourth instalment in the franchise being released. Early reports of the fourth game, Judgement, are grim already; with many players claiming that Epic have well and truly fell on their own sword this time. Multiple sources suggest Judgement is simply a rehash of the past games, only with a different story that explores the origins of the Gears universe in an ungraceful and forgettable fashion. For the majority of gamers, it's been sad to see Epic go down such a dark street, as we all know they're capable of greatness; illustrated through the likes of Unreal Engine and Shadow Complex. For them to return to their peak, they need to wash their hands with Gears of War and start a new project, or go back to Shadow Complex!

1. Assassins Creed


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Ubisoft have become well-known for milking franchises, with them lately stating that they're wanting to take a step back from the diluted Prince of Persia series - in which they released a ridiculous eight games in ten years! Their latest IP, Assassin's Creed, has became one of the most recognisable brands in modern gaming and an industry leader on both the commercial and critical fronts.


Since the original Assassins Creed game in 2007, we've seen an astounding six games in five years. With their recent stint, Assassins Creed 3, being a flop in many fans eyes, a lot of us were left hoping that Ubisoft would take a break and regroup at where they went wrong. Unfortunately, they've decided to exhibit true audacity by announcing yet another title: AC: Black Flag - set for a early 2014 release. The most haunting thought of all is that they can keep releasing Assassins Creed games. They have two teams working on it, and a virtually unlimited bases to create each game under; you can be an assassin in any time period, and it looks like they know that. For now it looks like Assassins Creed is going to fall under an almost yearly ritual, which will undeniably ward off many fans who've been yearning for the story to be wrapped up.

Agree? Disagree? What game franchises do you think need to die? - Leave it all in the comments below