They’re everywhere. Resident Evil 5, Saw 7, and Shock Value 2. When is enough, enough? When will the entertainment industry stop recycling the same things over and over again? As customers, we deserve better.
It seems like every time you turn around there is another sequel coming out and I for one am getting sick of seeing the same old thing time and time again. It wouldn’t matter so much if the sequels were actually getting better but they aren’t. I can’t even count the number of times that I’ve wasted time and money on a sequel only to find out it was horrid within five minutes of playing, listening, or watching. So why I do I keep buying them? Because they’re my favorite series and I have hope that they will be fun and entertaining, but they never are. I always regret my purchases and feel stupid for falling for the same crap again.
I can remember when I heard Timbaland had announced Shock Value 2. I was exited for the album because I enjoyed the first one so much. It had many catchy songs and also several deep ones. Some songs were done in a way I’ve never heard before and it made the album more appealing. Timbaland had even worked with artists I’d never heard of, and I ended up buying their albums just because I loved their sound so much. About this time last year a fake track list for SV2 was posted online and sadly, I think I was more excited over the fake list than the real one. When Shock Value 2 came out, I bought it and have regretted it to this day. The feel and energy of the first was gone. Instead, I was treated to recycled beats and over hyped celebrities like Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry. Honestly, I only like three songs on the entire album. This shows how the entertainment business works. The first CD was such a success that they figured a second would be just as successful. So, they threw something together and released it. It hasn’t done as well as the first and I know that I won’t be buying Shock Value 3 when it’s released.
It isn’t just the music industry though. This also applies to video games and movies. Think about it. How often have you gone to see the sequel to your favorite movie and ended up leaving in a rage or feeling disappointed? How often do you spend fifty or sixty dollars of your hard earned money only to find out the sequel to your favorite game isn’t even worth five?
Don’t get me wrong though. Not all sequels are terrible. Some have lived up to the first or previous game, some even exceed expectations. Take Resident Evil 4 for example. It is honestly one of the best Resident Evil games I’ve ever played. It kept me entertained and challenged the entire time. Kingdom Hearts 2 was good too. It added more features and a bigger, more dynamic story that kept you interested the entire time. This is what all sequels should be like. As good as the first or better. Never worse.
The biggest problem is money. Companies make games, movies, and music that they think will be commercially successful. If a video game does well and makes the company five times what they spent to make it, it’s no surprise that they would want to turn it into a franchise. You can’t blame them, they’re there to make money.
The issue is that fans will gladly hand over their money just because they like the franchise or loved the first game so much that they don’t care how terrible the sequel is as long as they get to keep playing as that character. This is what needs to change, if you stop spending your money on terrible sequels, the companies won’t have any choice except to start making something of quality that you’d enjoy playing, watching, or listening to. You’d see higher quality entertainment and hopefully some new, better ideas. We have the power to change it all. Playing a new Sonic the Hedgehog game? If you took Sonic out of the game and inserted a generic character, would you still want to play it? Try that approach to all of your entertainments and decide whether they’re worth your money or not and we can change these industries for the better.
