Each of the five systems this generation- Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS and PSP- has sold in access of 70 million units each, with the PS3 and Xbox 360 quickly touching the 80 million mark, the PSP in the high 70s, the DS having crossed the 150 million mark and the Wii about to get to the 100 million mark.

But while the hardware department has definitely grown by what must be a momentous percentage- with approximately 465 million hardware units sold in the last 7 years if you only consider the 7th gen systems (the ones mentioned above)- its the software department that has had an unexpectedly bloated growth.

Mario and Pokemon and other such far-reaching franchises have had impressive sales in the hundreds of million before, yes, but recent times have seen people coming out and striving to get their favourite new games as soon as they launch.

So here is a top 10 list of the biggest first week launches for all video games in video gaming history. Of course, you should note that this list doesn’t include games that were bundled with consoles (such as Wii Sports and the like) and is only talking about the games’ first weeks on sale. We re-iterate, this article is not representing the all-time sales of any of the games mentioned.

With those formalities out of the way, let’s begin! Read, enjoy, and have all the heated discussions you want in the comments section below.

Below is a list of twelve “Big Three” franchises that we think need a revival, and soon. We’ve listed four franchises for each of the Big Three. Give us your feedback via your comments below!

Nintendo

Star Fox

Last Installment: Star Fox: Command
System: DS
Release: 2007
Chances of Revival: High

We haven’t seen a Star Fox game since Star Fox: Command came out on the DS in 2007. It’s been five years, and Nintendo has been tightlipped on the future of one of their premier franchises. With Star Fox 64 3D having come out on the 3DS this year, we have some hope of seeing a new full fledged sequel some time in the future after all, but with five years having gone past without a single Star Fox game, we wouldn’t be so sure. Who knows, maybe Nintendo will announce something at E3 this year- maybe the Star Fox – Metroid crossover is a real thing.

F-Zero

Last Installment: F-Zero
System: GCN
Release: 2003
Chances of Revival: Moderate

Shigeru Miyamoto has said time and again that it’s time a new F-Zero game came out, and it’s a surprise Nintendo hasn’t done that so far already, seeing as the franchise was very successful for them and performed well commercially and critically. But many Nintendo reps have also stated that there’s no use reviving the franchise now. It’s a shame that they think this way, because F-Zero games have always been absolutely fantastic, and fans have been waiting for a new installment for a long time now. Hopefully, Nintendo will be releasing a new F-Zero game on either the 3DS or the Wii U (or, hopefully, both).

Advance Wars

Last Installment: Advance Wars: Days of Ruin
System: DS
Release: 2008
Chances of Revival: Low

The Wars series is one of the best franchises Nintendo has ever, but ever since the second DS AW title, there’s been no development. Intelligent Systems, the developers of the Advance Wars games, recently developed Pushmo, and are also working on Fire Emblem: Awakening and Paper Mario 3DS, so there’s little chance of them working on a new War title. It’s a shame really, because it’s a great series that is being criminally underused. Let’s hope Nintendo releases an Advance Wars title on the 3DS sometime in the future.

EarthBound

Last Installment: EarthBound
System: SNES
Release: 1995
Chances of Revival: Zero

Known for its unique setting, stark undertones, witty dialogue, excellent story and amazing soundtrack, EarthBound is, perhaps, one of the most acclaimed and controversial Nintendo franchises of all time. Why’s it controversial? Because Nintendo’s only ever released one game of the trilogy in the west- quite stupidly, that one game is the second game of the trilogy. The franchise is basically done and dusted, and the chances of revival are absolutely zero, but heck, Nintendo could at least give us remastered versions of the trilogy in the west, where we’ve never even played the first and the last game of the franchise.

]]> https://gamingbolt.com/12-big-three-franchises-that-need-to-be-revived/feed 1 90710 https://gamingbolt.com/12-exclusive-playstation-3-games-to-play-in-the-next-12-months https://gamingbolt.com/12-exclusive-playstation-3-games-to-play-in-the-next-12-months#comments Wed, 22 Sep 2010 16:06:40 +0000 http://gamingbolt.com/?p=11372 It’s no secret that Sony and the developers they work with are on a roll. There seems to be a lot of PlayStation 3 exclusives getting released every year and the next twelve months look extremely exciting to be PlayStation 3 owner. Through this article we will take a look at 12 games that will keep you occupied for the next 12 months.

12. Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One

Release date: September 1^st, 2011

Oh, the most adorable couple ever, Ratchet and Clank are back in All 4 One, and will feature 4 player co-op with Dr. Nefarious and Captain Qwark. I won’t spoil the plot for you but Ratchet and Clank will have to work with their arch nemesis Dr. Nefarious and the story does not follow the Future series.

11. Sorcery

Release date: Q2, 2011

Sorcery is one the games that we saw at E3 this year, utilizing the PlayStation Move and is being developed and published by Sony. Eventhough much of the game looks very much similar to our very own Harry Potter, the whole idea of using Move as wand in the game is something that is sure to interest fans. The demo shown at E3 looked very promising and with almost 9 months left for development, Sorcery could be the one to watch out for.

10. Twisted Metal

Release date: TBA, 2011

The eighth game in the series, Twisted Metal is under development by Eat Sleep Play and just like its predecessor will focus heavily on multiplayer madness with 4 player split screen and 16 players online. There will be four factions in the game: the Dolls, the Clowns, the Skulls, and the Preacher. The game will include an all new Nuke Mode and as the name suggests the player has to nuke the opposition’s giant statue.