I’m glad to hear that my thoughts aren’t alone. There were a few times I felt slightly guilty in the response I anticipated. There was also a moment when I thought of pulling the synopsis from below the movie because some people complained about reading it and/or claimed that only someone truly arrogant would talk so much about their own work.

You guys really know you stuff, I’m glad to have stumbled by here.

You can bet if any of you were to put yourselves out there with work you love I would be 100% behind you as well.

-Monty

… and great original content like Katamari or Guitar Hero eventually makes its way to the top of the pile.

In the meantime, most original IP cannot sustain competition with franchises, projects are cancelled (or project budgets are cut to fund franchises), studios are dissolved, and developers are unemployed. The few original properties that “make it” become franchises. That’s the blockbuster model.

Of course, as Morgan points out, these issues are relevant to more than fan content. When I was recently interviewing for positions with game companies and toy companies, I noticed that all of them were struggling with the risk of original IP versus the lower margins licensed products. And I do think it relates to one of the basic marketing concepts you learn in business school: proliferation of brands is a barrier to entry because consumers only have so much mental shelf space.

Luckily, they (we) also have limited patience. Aside from truly outstanding worlds like Star Wars and Harry Potter, franchises seem to run out of steam after three or four major releases. People are always looking for something new, and great original content like Katamari or Guitar Hero eventually makes its way to the top of the pile.

Dave Halverson, editor-in-chief at Play Magazine, stated at a recent panel discussion (video available now) that franchises kill original IP. Do franchises kill original IP? By extension, that question could be asked in several other ways: do retail franchises kill mom-and-pop stores? Do brand extensions dilute the flavor of brands? Does the extension of franchise PLC by related UGC actually diminish the potential of original IP in the long run?

Or does UGC advocacy effectively mean to demand that all original IP must be franchised and provide for UGC to play in the commercial sandbox? If so, and in light of Why Content is Not King, is this approach to development a necessary evil or a byproduct of the Hollywoodization (i.e., quick adoption of the blockbuster model) of the video-game business?