This year's Summer Game Fest showcased a notable trend: a strong reliance on established franchises and familiar mechanics, suggesting a broader industry pattern of retreating to safer ground. While the event itself was described as busy and energetic, with a palpable sense of recovery, a closer look at the announcements reveals a significant emphasis on the past.
The industry has faced considerable upheaval in recent years, marked by a withdrawal of investor capital and significant talent losses, particularly in North America and Europe. This has led to a drought of large-budget blockbusters. In response, many publishers appear to be prioritizing readily recognizable intellectual property and proven game designs.
Several major announcements at Summer Game Fest leaned into this familiarity. Resident Evil opened the show with a nod to its 2000 title, Resident Evil – Code: Veronica. The event also featured the return of franchises such as Virtua Fighter, The Wolf Among Us, and Turok. Additionally, there were numerous collaborations with established brands like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Attack on Titan, Star Wars, and Saw. The slate of sequels and remakes was extensive, including anticipated titles from series like Alien Isolation, Cuphead, Mortal Shell, Control, Guild Wars, Grounded, Lords of the Fallen, Aion, Hot Wheels, Stellar Blade, and The Wolf Among Us. Remakes of Final Fantasy 7 and Assassin's Creed Black Flag were also highlighted, alongside re-releases and adaptations of games like RuneScape and Among Us. Familiar characters also made appearances, such as Tifa in Street Fighter 6 and a young Don Salieri in Mafia: The Old Country.
While this backward-looking tendency was prevalent, it is not the sole focus of the industry. Notable exceptions that represent potentially novel ventures include Patrice Désilet's 1666 Amsterdam, Konrad Tomaszkiewicz's The Blood of Dawnwalker, That's No Moon's Crossfire, and Fumito Ueda's Gen Atlas. The presence of smaller, unique titles also serves as a counterpoint to the more established announcements. Furthermore, many of the announced sequels and remakes, such as Alien Isolation 2, generated significant excitement.
Even in cases of new franchises or ventures from established developers, recognition plays a key role in generating hype. Games developed by teams behind successful titles like Assassin's Creed, The Witcher, Naughty Dog's and Call of Duty's projects, or Shadow of the Colossus, often garner attention due to the pedigree of their creators. Fumito Ueda's Gen Atlas, for example, drew considerable anticipation due to his past work with genDesign, a studio noted for its unique vision.
The prevalence of nostalgia and a tendency to rely on what is known feels particularly pertinent at a time when innovation and creative risks are often discussed as essential for the industry's future. The retreat to safer ground, characterized by leveraging existing brands and revisiting beloved series, suggests a cautious approach in an era of financial uncertainty. The hope remains that these familiar elements can still offer fresh experiences.