You only gave examples where the sequels were demonstrably worse than the original.

I’d toss the Hobbit immediately because the series wasn’t good AND it’s success is not due to it, it’s due to LoTR which preceded it which was phenomenal..

Is there a reason that Eggers seems kind of stuck on casting the same actors repeatedly? I’m mainly curious because he’s listed as an American filmmaker but by and large casts British or European background over and over again.

Basically only Rocky fans knew what “Creed” was the first go around. If I remember correctly it wasn’t like very news source jammed it down your throats either.

100% yes.

“Team Will” has got to be the most confusing aspect of this whole thing.  And I honestly wonder how much of it is real, or just that it pushes engagement.  In the real world, “people saying mean things to you” is just life. In civil society, you always have the option of talking back (these two would have had the…

The problem you’re skirting is an economic one. This is something that in my opinion also working in Tech a lot of Engineers don’t get.

Michael Dorn always seemed to know what he wanted to do with the character. And it WAS interesting, just like Data was interesting and just like Spock was interesting.  Containing a personality that WANTS to do antisocial things is interesting and can be written (as long as you don’t overdo it) in fascinating ways.

Agreed - that is basically dominion storyline just with a different version of shape shifting.

The problem is the predictable end to it.

My above statement only applies to US think pieces on international titles.

Having lived through that time, I’d disagree. The Square Enix fans existed in massive numbers since the days of NES. And while you’re comparing things to Ultima, those were PC titles of which in my experience very few American fans knew about, unless they already knew Ultima existed.

I mean I don’t really have any thoughts on this because I think this is just the other edge of the sword. I don’t think JRPG as a term started as anything other than local US fans using the term to differentiate their Square Enix and Phantasy Stars from other things on the market.

I mean, maybe as Democrats they should stop showing up every 8 to 16 years and start showing up every 2 years so this could have been done legislatively rather than blaming Biden for not Executive Ordering something too big for the office?  We all knew this is why it took him so long to do it - he knew if he did it…

The international aspect is - I admit - tough.

I would have loved an ending where you can liberate Miquella and play out Malenia’s story differently (which still requires you to defeat her - just maybe not to death.)   With Malenia - she feels like a character who would be locked into a specific course of action until knocked out of it because she’s been around so…

Not really sure how you square that with the last 30 years which has predominantly catered to more liberalizing forces than conservative forces when we’re talking about entertainment.

Dimitris point is also bullshit.

The problem with Luke is just that everything that would have been great needed to happen 20 to 30 years ago. And you weren’t going to get the technology nor the funding for Harrison to do it.

For me there were three main factors working against Horizon this time around. I completely discount the Ubisoft/Open World critique because Elden Ring happened this year. I chalk it even being brought up to Youtubers like videogamedunkey whom aren’t really forced to be logically consistent. This is sort of like…