I buried my WiiU in the backyard so for all intents and purposes it is dead.

Threads like these are always made by people who support the style of russian roulette development that brings about this problem.

In both movies and video games, theres plenty of great original stuff. Just because it doesn't sell well doesn't mean it isn't there (and it also doesn't mean that it is a failure).

I agree, but the top selling games currently are often only slight upgrades to the last edition.

It's much cheaper and easier to rehash old stuff. Lower up front costs equal greater revenue. We are living in a time of greed and corporations lack even a shred of character.

Remember when Nintendo, the freakin' market leader in gaming back in the late 80's and early 90's, decided to draw the line in the sand about violent content due to their idealistic views?

We're now all about the dollar... at any cost...

Last Gen New/Refreshed* IPs that did 5M+ (excluding Nintendo)
CoD*
Kinect
Minecraft
Gears of War
Red Dead
Assassins Creed
Arkham*
LEGO
Bioshock
Last of Us
Uncharted
LBP
SF4*

This Gen
Star Wars Battlefront
Destiny

Overwatch

PS4 + XBO are 3 years old.

So which of the "last gen new" IPs reached the 5M+ sales until November 2008 (Xbox 360) / November 2009 (PS3)?

• BioShock was still under 5 million in 2010: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/27506/TakeTwo_BioShock_Hit_4M_Units_BioShock_2_Drove_Sales.php
• Kinect wasn't even released within the first 3 years
• console versions of Minecraft weren't even released within the first 3 years
• the Traveler's Tales LEGO series wasn't a new IP last gen, it started on PS2, Xbox, GameCube
• Uncharted 1 didn't reach 5 million sales until November 2009
• The Last of Us wasn't even released within the first 3 years
• Batman Arkham Asylum wasn't even released within the first 3 years
• Red Dead Redemption wasn't even released within the first 3 years (and wasn't a new IP)
• CoD wasn't a new IP... it didn't even had a long pause between releases which could count as "refreshed"
• ...

Uh, revenue from big name sequels/rehash is what funds the original stuff. This is true in all forms of entertainment.

Its normal for proven, known quality franchises to top the charts.

There is a lot of new content out there, it's because they're new they don't catch on as easily when compared to the main big hit titles and franchises

The reason why sequels dominates is because it is the safe bet. If you like the previous games, you are more than likely going to get some enjoyment out of the sequel.