Allow me to include this list I made for another thread...

TOP SELLING PS3 EXCLUSIVES

1- Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)  First MGS this gen- 2.5 year old game. It was bundled for several months.  @ around 5 million ww. Greatest Hit title.

2- Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (PS3) First GT of this gen, although not full-fledged numbered title (sort of like Halo ODST if you will) @ around 5 million ww -counting PSN sales (data from PD themselves)- Greatest Hit title.

3- Resistance: Fall of Man (PS3) First game of this new franchise that was one of the first show-pieces the PS3 had on release date. It was officially bundled in Europe for a good while. @around 3.75 millon ww. Greatest Hit title.

4-LittleBigPlanet (PS3) New franchise more focused on family/young gamers- @ around 3.7 million ww. Greatest Hit title.

5- Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3) Young franchise but still Best overall game this generation according to critical acclaim, awards, etc (hint : it is). @ around 3.6 million ww.

6- MotorStorm (PS3) First game of this new franchise that was one of the first show-pieces the PS3 had early after debut. It was officially bundled until discontinued (the bundle and SKU) in mid 2008. @ around 3.55 million ww. Greatest Hit title.

7- Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3) New franchise and arguably PS3's first killer exclusive. Released in late 2007.  Right now it sits @ around 3. 3 million ww. Greatest Hit title.

8- God of War III (PS3) First GOW of this gen, released in March this year- @ around 3 million ww.

9- Killzone 2 (PS3) First game of a franchise that had an unimpressive start in PS2. It also did unimpressive numbers, although still good enough to build upon it and its developing fanbase. @ 2.4 million ww. Also a Greatest Hit title.

10- Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3) The first game of the franchise also released in late 2007 @ around 2 million now.

The only game there that is not a Sony IP is MGS4.  Half of Sony top-selling IPs are NEW franchises, and Killzone even if it's not "new", I'd say it's real debut was Killzone 2. I think those are very good numbers for new franchises and Sony has PLENTY to build on for the remainder of this generation and the next, including some really exciting franchises that haven't cracked 2 million but certainly will, eventually (and most likely their sequels) like Infamous and Heavy Rain.

Sony currently has many potential "mega-franchises" in the making. Uncharted series, Little Big Planet, Resistance, Killzone to name a few. Super mega franchise status is not always achieved overnight. Resident Evil, Final Fantasy...those franchises started with "hit titles" nothing to indicate they would become as big as they are. GTA started in all but complete obscurity.

God of War is pretty much a mega franchise, and part 3 will sell over 5 million once it joins the Greatest Hits line.

Oh, and all those franchises you mentioned above where Multiplatform before the PS3 even existed, actually. Final Fantasy 7 was on PC in 1998 and so was Final Fantasy XI released on both PC and X360. Grand Theft Auto 3 was on PC, and Vice City and San Andreas were released on the original Xbox. Resident Evil saw releases even on the Nintendo 64! And the Dreamcast got Code Veronica before the PS2 even existed. Not to mention all the Resident Evil games on Nintendo Gamecube. Dragon Quest's never been big in the west so I don't know why mention it, Square has been mainly devoted to portables this generation, it's not that they "ditched" the PS3, it's more like they ditched high-budget games altogether, except for Final Fantasy.

For Sony, the only mega franchise they have is GT, sure, and it's all they've needed. They have plenty of in-house titles that don't sell 5 million (plus), enough 3rd party support anyway, and enough in-house devs that are highly skilled and talented folks that will continue to get the job done. End of the day, that's what true gamers care about - games, not if they sell 10 million copies, and/or become "mega franchises".

Allow me to include this list I made for another thread...

TOP SELLING PS3 EXCLUSIVES

1- Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)  First MGS this gen- 2.5 year old game. It was bundled for several months.  @ around 5 million ww. Greatest Hit title.

2- Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (PS3) First GT of this gen, although not full-fledged numbered title (sort of like Halo ODST if you will) @ around 5 million ww -counting PSN sales (data from PD themselves)- Greatest Hit title.

3- Resistance: Fall of Man (PS3) First game of this new franchise that was one of the first show-pieces the PS3 had on release date. It was officially bundled in Europe for a good while. @around 3.75 millon ww. Greatest Hit title.

4-LittleBigPlanet (PS3) New franchise more focused on family/young gamers- @ around 3.7 million ww. Greatest Hit title.

5- Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3) Young franchise but still Best overall game this generation according to critical acclaim, awards, etc (hint : it is). @ around 3.6 million ww.

6- MotorStorm (PS3) First game of this new franchise that was one of the first show-pieces the PS3 had early after debut. It was officially bundled until discontinued (the bundle and SKU) in mid 2008. @ around 3.55 million ww. Greatest Hit title.

7- Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3) New franchise and arguably PS3's first killer exclusive. Released in late 2007.  Right now it sits @ around 3. 3 million ww. Greatest Hit title.

8- God of War III (PS3) First GOW of this gen, released in March this year- @ around 3 million ww.

9- Killzone 2 (PS3) First game of a franchise that had an unimpressive start in PS2. It also did unimpressive numbers, although still good enough to build upon it and its developing fanbase. @ 2.4 million ww. Also a Greatest Hit title.

10- Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (PS3) The first game of the franchise also released in late 2007 @ around 2 million now.

The only game there that is not a Sony IP is MGS4.  Half of Sony IPs are NEW franchises, and Killzone even if it's not "new", I'd say it's real debut was Killzone 2. I think those are very good numbers for new franchises and Sony has PLENTY to build on for the remainder of this generation and the next, including some really exciting franchises that haven't cracked 2 million but certainly will, eventually (and most likely their sequels) like Infamous and Heavy Rain.

It's funny, games 2-8 all sold between 3-4 million, most of them sold around the middle. I think all Sony made PS3 exclusives will only dream about getting to this point (except GT5). I think this whole "mega" franchise thing is silly. Is Halo the best FPS? To many yes, but not to everyone. Is GT5 going to be the best racing sim? To many yes, but I will still prefer Forza (I have all Forza's and GT's to back up my beleif, but thats another topic).

I disagree on you with these franchises having the foundation to become "mega" because PS3 is already half-way through it's life. These franchises have had plenty of time to sell 10 million, but why haven't they? It's because PS3's audience is moe diverse then 360's audience. I mean PS3's best selling region is EMEAA and every country there is different.

I think the only way Sony can make a mega franchise, is if they focus one genre per game. So Halo does well because it's basically the only FPS Microsoft produces. GT5 will also sell well because it's the only racinggame Sony produces. When Sony produces 3 different shooters, people have to pick which one they want. Sony has multiple games competing for the same audience.

I think some of the new franchises Sony made could become "mega", or at least 5 million plus frnahcises...on the PS4. PS3 is kind of stuck in 3-4 million limbo. Too many shooters competing against each other. LBP, GoW, and GT are the only stand alones, but Action has never been a huge platform on it's own, and platformers are seriously dominated by Nintendo (I don't care what you say, nothing is above Donkey Kong Country). This is why Sony only has GT as a "mega" franchise.

Does it matter? No.

It's funny, games 2-8 all sold between 3-4 million, most of them sold around the middle. I think all Sony made PS3 exclusives will only dream about getting to this point (except GT5). I think this whole "mega" franchise thing is silly. Is Halo the best FPS? To many yes, but not to everyone. Is GT5 going to be the best racing sim? To many yes, but I will still prefer Forza (I have all Forza's and GT's to back up my beleif, but thats another topic).

I disagree on you with these franchises having the foundation to become "mega" because PS3 is already half-way through it's life. These franchises have had plenty of time to sell 10 million, but why haven't they? It's because PS3's audience is moe diverse then 360's audience. I mean PS3's best selling region is EMEAA and every country there is different.

I think the only way Sony can make a mega franchise, is if they focus one genre per game. So Halo does well because it's basically the only FPS Microsoft produces. GT5 will also sell well because it's the only racinggame Sony produces. When Sony produces 3 different shooters, people have to pick which one they want. Sony has multiple games competing for the same audience.

I think some of the new franchises Sony made could become "mega", or at least 5 million plus frnahcises...on the PS4. PS3 is kind of stuck in 3-4 million limbo. Too many shooters competing against each other. LBP, GoW, and GT are the only stand alones, but Action has never been a huge platform on it's own, and platformers are seriously dominated by Nintendo (I don't care what you say, nothing is above Donkey Kong Country). This is why Sony only has GT as a "mega" franchise.

Does it matter? No.

 The point should be do Sony or its customers  really need or want  another  Halo / GT  type  first party franchise my argument would be yes and no , as things sit the GT brand brings some surety to the company in terms of financial risk V reward this coming from assured success so having another successful brand helps in that regard along with profits for one Sony game helps all Sony games ,so Sony should see financial benefit,the no comes in if the new mega franchise effects other games made by Sony so it  becomes like take two and has an over dependence on two few titles ,something i don't feel would happen at Sony , an impact on other titles yes  a major one  no. It is more from the customers side that i feel the impact could be negative in would you rather another super franchise or 3-5 medium to large ones that do the same numbers ? .

still in that i feel mega franchises are about being the right game at the right time as much as anything else the chances of another huge franchise is in the lap of the gods and is above being engineered by either Sony or MS

You still have yet to learn that a mega franchise isn't what kept Sony going all this time. It's always just been about qthe quantity of titles to play and the variety it brings. PS3 is no different and GT5 will be the icing on the cake, not the lacking, "mega-hit" after thought.