Earlier in September, top EA executive Frank Gibeau told insider website GamesIndustry.biz that the reason there are so many sequels around these days is that there's no point launching a new game series this late in a console generation. Such games, he reckons, end up "doing OK, but not really breaking through."
Needless to say, Arkane, the developer behind Dishonored, a new game launching at the end of the console generation, disagrees. "I think as long as the game is good, whether it's a new IP or not, if the game is good, it gets a good review and it's marketed properly people will want to look at it," executive producer Julien Roby told IGN.
"Specifically now because it's been a few years where we've only got sequels of sequels of sequels of sequels," he added. "I think people are getting tired of just playing the same thing over and over. So I hope that they're going to try Dishonored for the fact that it's trying to do something a little different that those other games."
His confidence is well founded. Dishonored is an ambitious first-person role-playing game, set in a steampunk world with a tantalisingly flexible approach to player progression. You'll be able to approach every mission as an all-out killing machine or as a stealthy ninja-type.
Dishonored is out on October 12th for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.