Partly thanks to events like the Great Recession, the seventh generation of video gaming was abnormally long, starting with the Xbox 360’s launch in 2005 and not ending until the release of the PS4 and Xbox One in 2013. The eighth generation looks to be a bit shorter, lasting from 2013-2020, but despite being nearly as long as the longest gaming generation to date, it still missed out on some of the industry’s biggest franchises.
There were a number of high profile video game franchises that did not receive new releases on thePlayStation 4or Xbox One. Some of these make sense, as it could be that the previous game in the series under-performed, but others are pretty surprising. In fact, some of the biggest video game franchises of all time didn’t release brand new entries on the PS4 or Xbox One, despite having a significant presence in previous generations.
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Here are some of the most blatant examples of big video game franchises that skipped this entire generation when it comes to new entries.
BioShock
BioShockwas a huge franchisefor the previous generation, with the original game becoming one of the biggest new hits of the era.BioShock 2continued the legacy in a well-received sequel that let players return to the creepy underwater city of Rapture, butBioShock Infiniteturned everything on its head with a new setting, gameplay mechanics, and more.
BioShock Infinitelaunched at the tail-end of the seventh generation console life cycle, earning near-universal critical acclaim back in 2013.BioShock Infinitewas also a considerable sales success, so it came as quite the shock when Ken Levine shut down Irrational Games to focus on more experimental projects. We know that anewBioShockgameis in active development, but it would be surprising to see it release for PS4 and Xbox One with next-generation consoles on the horizon.
LikeBioShock,Dead Spacewas huge for the Xbox 360 and PS3 era of video games. The originalDead Spacesuccessfully combinedResident Evil 4-style gameplay mechanics with a science-fiction setting and bigger focus on horror.Dead Space 2earned quite a deal of praise as well, and the games were popular enough to justify an entire media franchise that expanded to animated films, books, and more.Dead Space 3is where things fell off the rails a bit, with co-op, microtransactions, and more action set-pieces turning off hardcore fans. LikeBioShock, there hasn’t been a newDead Spacegame since 2013, but some fans still hold out hope forDead Space 4.
Grand Theft Auto
It’s true thatGrand Theft Auto 5was ported to PS4 and Xbox One with new features and enhancements, but there wasn’t a brand newGTAgame released all generation long. In fact, Rockstar Games significantly slowed down its release of new video games in general, instead spending its resources on making the games it did release bigger and more expansive than ever before. Rockstar’s next game is heavily rumored to be thelong-awaitedGrand Theft Auto 6, but it seems likely that it will be aiming for next-generation platforms like the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 instead of PS4 and Xbox One.
Prince of Persia
In the sixth generation,Prince of Persiawas one of Ubisoft’s premiere franchise.Assassin’s Creedtook its spot in the seventh generation, but Ubisoft still tried to bringPrince of Persiaback with the 2008 reboot. Unfortunately, thePrince of Persiareboot didn’t really land with fans of the franchise, and Ubisoft’s attempt to return to the original storyline with 2010’sThe Forgotten Sandswas also met with a mixed reception. Since then, Ubisoft has relegated thePrince of Persiafranchise to Hollywood feature filmsand mobile game spinoffs, and so a proper newPrince of Persiahas never released for the PS4 or Xbox One.
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Considering how popularPrince of Persiawas on the GameCube, PS2, and Xbox, it seems like a no-brainer for Ubisoft try to bring it back at some point. Shockingly, the company brought backBeyond Good and Evilbefore it didPrince of Persia, but maybe we’ll see the Prince again on next-generation consoles.
Silent Hill
Silent Hill: Downpourlaunched on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2012, and the classic survival-horror franchise hasn’t really been seen since. Hideo Kojima attempted to reviveSilent Hillwith his ambitiousSilent Hillsproject, which he teased with the well-received demoPT. ThePTconcept never materialized into a full-fledged game, asKonami canceledSilent Hillsand parted ways with Kojima in what was a rather ugly split. The successResident Evilhas had with returning to its roots shows that there is clearly a market for classic survival-horror games likeSilent Hill, but Konami seems more interested in creatingSilent Hillpachinko machines than actual video games. Konami’s focus on other industries has seen it largely leave traditional game development, so it may be a longshot for fans to seeSilent Hillnext generation either.
Splinter Cell
This generation saw Ubisoft create one of its most successfulRainbow Sixgames to date withRainbow Six Siege, as well as put out someGhost Recongames that earned mixed reviews. But while most of Ubisoft’s major Tom Clancy franchises received new entries this generation, one series in particular has been neglected.Splinter Cellhas not seen a new entry all generation long, with no new game released since 2013’sBlacklist. Ubisoft has hinted that anewSplinter Cellgamecould very well be in active development, and while rumors of it always crop up around E3, nothing official has been announced yet. Those anxious to see Sam Fisher return to the limelight will no doubt have their fingers crossed that E3 2020 brings some good news aboutSplinter Cell, and maybe there’s hope for a new game to come to PS4 and Xbox One just yet.
The Elder Scrolls
Bethesda’sThe Elder Scrollshas become one of the biggest video game franchises of all time thanks to the mega hit that wasSkyrim. But instead of releasing a new main seriesElder Scrollsgame this generation,Bethesda has instead focused largely on theFalloutfranchise and re-releasingSkyrim. PS4 and Xbox One received an enhanced port ofSkyrimand there was also aSkyrimVR game released, but an entire generation has gone by with no new main seriesElder Scrollsgame. We know thatThe Elder Scrolls 6is in the works, but it’s not expected to launch for another two to three years at least. While it’s certainly possible thatThe Elder Scrolls 6could come to current-generation consoles, all signs point to the game coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X instead.
