It's not really anything new. AAA titles have enormous budgets and frequently come from publicly-traded companies, so the producers that fund them want to make sure that they turn a profit. It's easier to use an existing IP and try to do new things with it than it is to take risks. With consumer spending down at the moment it's especially important to make sure they wring every dollar they can out of a big release.

Indies and smaller studios have a lot more latitude to innovate and experiment because their margins are better on sales. When you don't have to spend money on celebrity voice actors and fully orchestrated soundtracks and motion capture CG production for cutscenes, you can focus a lot more on making original characters and unique gameplay. It's all a trade-off.