Blactivision goes chop chop: Ghostbusters, Brutal Legend et al

[Velorath]

When they say they don't think they could turn these games into $100 million franchises, it may be their way of saying that they don't think the games were on track to be good.

It seemed more like their way of saying that they couldn't get licensing agreements to shovel out 50 Cent, Ghostbusters, or Riddick games on a yearly basis, nor would it be feasible to get Vin Diesel, 50 Cent, and the cast of Ghostbusters back every year to record new dialogue.

I didn't know Brutal Legend was a Riddick game.  But the Riddick game was not successful because of Vin Diesel or the Riddick character, neither of which anybody gives a shit about. They could pull Vin Diesel out of there, put a different sass-talkin' space marine in and turn it into a franchise.

Uh, Brutal Legend isn't a Riddick game.  The full list of canceled games was:

Brutal Legend
Wet
Ghostbusters
Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena
World at Conflict: Soviet Assault
50 Cent: Blood on the Sand
Zombie Wranglers
Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust

Brutal Legend likely got the axe because Double Fine Productions (of Psychonauts fame) aren't really the types to churn out sequels every year.  Brutal Legend also had a bit of voice talent involved, including Jack Black.  Leisure Suit Larry is a crap franchise that's probably one of the few understandable casualties here.  Not sure why World at Conflict got axed, as the first one got positive reviews and it seems like something that would lend itself to a yearly franchise.  Zombie Wranglers was an XBL game.  Can't say I really know much about Wet.