Games like GTAIV, FFXIII, Bioshock 2, etc. Good games, not as groundbreaking as earlier iterations, but still good. Should they be given a bad reputation for not living up to expectations?

sales wise: no, because if I remember correctly MGS3 sold less than MGS2 but it's not necasarilly worse at all.

ratings wise: maybe, a game should really be judged on it's own merits, but if it's clearly not as good as it's predecessor than it really will get bashed, bad.

No - if it is a good game, it is a good game.  Period.

/thread

FFXIII was not a good game.

Well i guess because the developors should upgrade and fix what they messed up on not get a downgrade.

Yes, because we'd be playing DOOM clones still if we considered games that aren't better as "good." If it's not better than previous games it's crap and really not worth shelling out the money for. After all, why should I buy something that I already have?

Also it shouldn't be so much about expectation but that the later games should be better than the previous ones, not the same and certainly not worse.

It was a good game, it wasn't a great game.  It was hyped way too much and the wait between 12 and 13 was so long a lot of people felt let down by it.

I have never played a 10/10 game in my books this generation (A game I liked so much I got every achievment/trophy) and I doubt I will :P  Maybe Fable 3, but probably not

Depends on the predecessor, but overall no. GTA games will always be micro-reviewed by GTA fans with a wide variety of views. Just google, "Best GTA game" and you will come across many forums with arguments over Vice City vs. San Andreas vs. GTA 3 vs. GTA 4.

I think it only matters in terms of sales figures regardless of genre. There is a certain expectation that sequels are a building on the predecessor and if the sequel does not sale as well, then the integrity of the predecessor is called into question.The logic goes, if sequels are iterations with updated graphics, a new story, and additions to the cast of characters, then how can you possibly make a sequel, iterated on a proven success, which is inferior to it's predecessor?

Games such as Gran Turismo 5 and Call of Duty: Black Ops come with expectations not seen since MC Hammer had to release an album after Too Legit to Quit.

I expect both will be expected to sell at least 5 million in their first year. If they don't reach that, Gran Turismo has the valid excuse of being 5 years since GT4, the racing genre has changed, and it was not bundled (if GT5 isn't). The excuses for Black Ops will be that the lawsuit with Infinity Ward negatively impacted it's development, Treyarch is an inferior game developer, and Modern Warfare 2 was a once in a lifetime game.

Excuses or not, there are expectations and consequences regarding sequels and the future of a gaming studio if publisher expectations are not met.

No matter what it's predecessor is, a great game is a great game.

I wouldn't mark down Final Fantasy VII as I think it is inferior to VI, or Majora's Mask to Ocarina of Time