There's a FF7.75?!?!

[Crop]

I know there isn't, but does it annoy anyone else when game developers make a good game with a story that you get into but then it's hard to follow because they keep bringing out spin offs, prequels, and games on different platforms?

It annoys the hell out of me. The prime examples being:

Kingdom Hearts: I loved 1 and 2...then I realized there was one in between that they didn't release in Britain...now they have two other ones on two different handhelds, right? I don't own either expensive handheld, I've totally lost track and intrest in the story.

Dead Space: Just got this for christmas, and loved it....but wait, there's one for the wii? What's it about? An animated movie coming out? Huh?!

What happened to just doing 1, 2, 3 etc?
Anyone else bugged by this? With examples? Or am I just a complete grump?

[JKTrix]

I think it's fantastic. Sure, it sucks if you don't have all of the systems, but it's nothing that a Wikipedia article or a dedicated fan site won't be able to brief you on if you really care about the story. Or even YouTube videos.

I much prefer making alternate/spinoff stories on other platforms (not so much other mediums) than making the *same* game on different platforms. Particularly when taking a game from consoles to portables. It keeps the creators creative, and expands the universe for other people who might not have the system that the 'main game' is on.

On the business side, more/different games on more/different systems is more potential for more money.

[Faris]

The way they did it for Kingdom Hearts was a bit of a pain, I agree. Now they've got CoM on the PS2, which is great but it took them a while to do so though. When a series is sold out on various platforms (Assasin's Creed II for example) it's great. If I want to carry it around I'll get it on DS. I don't have the PS3! Awesome, I can get it on Xbox or PC ect.. but when it's only one different console per chapter, it's like wtf

[Shoeberto]

I just sort of accept that I'm going to miss chapters from a series. It's sort of upsetting when it's a great series like Metal Gear Solid, and I know I'm never going to buy a PSP, but meh. Wikipedia and LP videos can get me the story so it's not worth losing too much sleep over.

[Sephex]

It doesn't bother me too much as long as they don't overdo it. FFVII projects is an example. Though, I did like some of the spinoffs.

[Rostum]

I love spin-off's that add to the world of the original. Kingdom Hearts is just so much more great for having those extra games to fill in the world and story and just gets me even more excited for the next numbered installment of the series.

[Ouch!]

The spin-offs for Kingdom Hearts are the best games in the series. D:

[Fuzakeru]

I just end up Wiki'ing it all anyway. I'm an AMV junkie so I just end up watching a bunch of those until I get the idea.

I don't know if it bothers me of not. The only time I thought about it too much was with the Tales Of ___ games. I wished ToS2 was on the 360 just like ToV was!

[Vermachtnis]

There's dot Hack. They're the best at this(or worst depending on how you look at it.) I mean they have multiple novels, manga, animes, and games all in the same continuity.

[Wolf Kanno]

VII is probably one of the worst offenders but then again I've come to the conclusion that SE doesn't really know how to make good sequels overall. KH is probably one of the few exceptions though I'm probably in the minority by being one of the few who actually likes the spin-off games much more than the actual numbered entries which are generally much more childish than the darker spin-offs.

Suikoden is one that I love and hate... On the one hand you can play most of the numbered entries and know what's going on but the novels/manga for the games bring so much more to the titles and Nash's awesome side story needs to be released outside of Japan cause they are hilarious and really awesome.

.Hack// was pretty awesome in the beginning but the lack luster anime series sequel to the games (not to be confused with the awesome prequel series) kinda killed my interest cause I felt the games ended everything quite beautifully. It's probably the reason why I have yet to play the GU series.

Xenosaga also tried this and is probably another terrible offender. Pied Pier which may be the best written entry in the series was left on Japanese Cell phones (thank god I found a fan translation), while the remake/retcon/abridged version of Episode I and II was left for Japan only despite the fact it changed a lot of things that gets referenced in Episode III and then they released a short set of web novels (Japan only) to explain all the events that happened between the year between Episode II and III and set up the third entries beginning. Seriously jumping to Episode II into II is quite jarring cause a lot of crap happens. Thank god the developers at least had the foresight to make sure all of it gets explained in Episode III but much of it is lost since its relegated to monologues or just reading Journal entries. It makes me sad some Xenosaga fans will never know how awesome Ziggy is and why Voyager is one of the biggest assholes in the series.

I guess the only thing I should be grateful for is that I wasn't as screwed by Monolith Soft with this franchise as the Europeans were "Guess what!? Were only going to release the crappy entry of the series in your country, you don't get the pretty awesome first episode, just a collection of its cutscenes (but that was what the NA critics said the game mostly was...) oh wait, you don't like the sequel cause its bad, well I guess we better not release the awesome third entry that actually makes up for Episode II with better gameplay, graphics, music, story and well everything really... Better luck next time."

Though Duke Nukem Forever will probably go down as one of the most costly and badly managed games of the 21st Century, I still feel Xenosaga should at least get the number two position.