Top 10 Failed Gaming Franchises

#10: “Advent Rising” (2005)

Mental note: if you're aiming to start a trilogy, make sure your first game is as rock solid as possible. Otherwise the end result may be similar to “Advent Rising”, an action-adventure game about human hero Gideon Wyeth's battle to protect humanity from the extraterrestrial race known as The Seekers. The game had more than a few good selling points – such as a script co-written by Orson Scott Card and a soundtrack with work from Tommy Tallarico – but none of it made up for poor sales and leukwarm reviews. So much for the planned sequels.

#9: “MediEvil” series (1998-2005)

The “Gex” games might be odd, but this concept is more of a loss. Beginning with the 1998 game “MediEvil” for the Sony PlayStation, this series was pitched as a blend of Gothic imagery and comedic horror. However, the franchise never expanded beyond three games, including a rather mediocre remake of the original game entitled “MediEvil: Resurrection”. Lead designer Jason Wilson would eventually reveal that, despite having a solid fanbase, the series was never given the greenlight by Sony to continue.

#8: “Blaster Master” series (1988-2010)

For a series that's been around a while, it doesn't seem to have done much with that time. “Blaster Master” was a run-and-gun platforming game for the Nintendo Entertainment System, focused on the exploits of a tank-piloting boy named Jason. The game's five sequels kept the series going, though critics felt the quality wavered with each subsequent game. Finally, in 2010, gamers were treated with “Blaster Master: Overdrive”, but by that point the writing was on the wall.

#7: “Prey” (2006)

Such an interesting idea... such a disappointing outcome. Developer 3D Realms had a dream in 1995: to make an innovative portal-based game featuring a Native American hero. However, over the next eleven years, a gruelling sequence of setbacks and changes in plan delayed said game's release. Though “Prey” eventually did hit store shelves to positive reviews and commercial success, the future of the franchise was left in limbo when new owner Bethesda Softworks cancelled “Prey 2”; their reason being that the game wasn't measuring up to their standard of quality - after being in development for 6 years.

#6: “Rage” (2011)

Speaking of Bethesda's properties, here's a potential series that had every reason to succeed. For one, “Rage” was a new intellectual property from id Software, the makers of “Doom” and “Wolfenstein 3D”. For another, it was a post-apocalyptic tale reliant on the then-new id Tech 5 game engine and top-tier voice actors. Yet upon release the game faced criticisms for its weak story and uninteresting characters, which we compounded by a rough launch that features numerous bugs – the most galrring being the infamous texture pop ins.

#5: “Kane & Lynch” series (2007-10)

There'll be no more tales for these dead men to tell. Starting in 2007, the “Kane & Lynch” series moved forward in earnest with third-person shooting action and a grim story about the titular hitmen coming into conflict with their former employers. Right out of the gate, the franchise generated a doozy of a scandal when it was discovered that Gamespot reviewer Jeff Gerstmann was fired over his less than stellar review of the first game. Despite this falter, Kane and Lynch's first adventure sold well enough to warrant a sequel, “Dog Days”. Sadly, developer IO Interactive elected to put all of its focus into its “Hitman” franchise, officially cancelling plans for a third “Kane & Lynch” game in the process.

#4: “State of Emergency” series (2002-2006)

A more fitting title for a stillborn franchise, we might never find. “State of Emergency” was conceived as a budget title, a small-scale beat 'em up known for then-graphic violence and a satircal edge to its humour. Despite the good will, though, people were less than receptive to its sequel – a game largely panned by critics for lacking quality and a sense of fun. Add to that controversy over the first game's events being similar to the 1999 Seattle World Trade Organization protests, and it's clear where things went wrong.

#3: “Bubsy The Bobcat” series (1993-96)

With a catchphrase like “what could go possibly go wrong”, they must have seen the writing on the wall. Anyway, “Bubsy in Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind” began this mascot-based series that “tried” balanced platforming action and a more-than-healthy dose of puns – clearly trying to cash in on current the popularity of Sonic the Hedgehog. Though Bubsy Bobcat's next two games were generally viewed as respectable but underwhelming, most notably because of shoddy controls, it took the universally-reviled fourth instalment “Bubsy 3D” to bring an end to the franchise.

#2: “Ride to Hell” (2013)

There might be a joke about seeking retribution somewhere, but this one isn't worth it. “Ride to Hell: Retribution” was pitched in 2008 as an open-world game about riding and fighting atop all sorts of motorcycles. Yet it took five years and one restructuring for the game to see the light of day – as a more restricted and typical action-adventure game. More to the point, wide-spread disdain for “Retribution” among gamers has ensured that planned spinoff titles and any theoretical sequels wouldn't see release. We’ll never get to see Ride to Hell: Dry Hump to Heck.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
“Clayfighter” (1993-1998)
“De Blob” (2008-2011)
“Baten Kaitos” (2003-2006)
“Vectorman” (1995-1996)
“Zool series” (1992-1993)

#1: “Too Human” (2008)

Like humanity, this series opener was flawed – unlike us, it couldn't overcome said flaws to find greatness. Instead “Too Human” fell victim to a drawn-out development cycle; the story goes that it was originally envisioned as a PlayStation game, then transitioned to the Nintendo 64, then to the GameCube, and finally to the Xbox 360. When Silicon Knights' Norse mythology-based role-playing game finally hit shelves, plans for a trilogy were in sight... until the game's poor critical reception and limited sales, combined with Silicon's own disastrous legal troubles, ensured this franchise ended before it could truly begin.

Do you agree with our list? What video game franchises do you think have failed? For more reflective Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.