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How many numbered entries is too many?

How many is too many?

  • There’s a number and I can specify it

    Votes: 37 9.3%

  • The sky’s the limit

    Votes: 159 39.8%

  • The number is arbitrary. It’s all just mindshare and brand strength

    Votes: 126 31.5%

  • the limit isnt defined by numbers or brand, but by what you do with these sequels to differentiate t

    Votes: 78 19.5%
  • Total voters
    400
sionydus

sionydus

Member
Jan 2, 2021
1,947
West Coast, USA
I'm mostly thinking about Final Fantasy and PlayStation. We're about to get FF16 and I think it's a safe bet that the next PlayStation will be 6.

If Sony and Square are still at it 20-30 years from now, will they stop counting and go by a different naming scheme?

At some point does it get more confusing for non-gamer parents buying a Christmas console to know the PS8 vs the PS7? Is it better, worse, or no more confusing than something like the Wii vs Wii-U or Xbox One X vs Series X?

edit: I guess confusion was the wrong angle to look at this with. Continuing a numbered sequence is probably the simplest way to go. It's really just about when the naming scheme makes the new entry less attractive. Sounds like this will never happen for PS, FF, RE, and Far Cry.
 
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dom

dom

▲ Legend ▲
Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
10,467
Phones are well past that and there's no issue there.
 
CloseTalker

CloseTalker

Member
Oct 25, 2017
30,861
I hope FInal Fantasy never stops numbering the games. The numbers mean so little, and It's endearing at this point
 
xxracerxx

xxracerxx

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
31,222
sionydus said:
At some point does it get more confusing for non-gamer parents buying a Christmas console to know the PS8 vs the PS7? Is it better, worse, or no more confusing than something like the Wii vs Wii-U or Xbox One X vs Series X?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
At no point is a number that is higher than another is more confusing than the Wii and Xbox naming.
 
modiz

modiz

Member
Oct 8, 2018
17,883
where's the "the limit isnt defined by numbers or brand, but by what you do with these sequels to differentiate them and advance the franchise as a whole" option

I dont think it really impacts the hardware much anyway as the cycle is generational.
 
Tohsaka

Tohsaka

Member
Nov 17, 2017
6,801
I'm typing this from Firefox 94 and I'm fine with that, so at least that many is fine.
 
big_z

big_z

Member
Nov 2, 2017
7,803
Numbers don't matter... look at the super bowl.

It's when companies name their new product the same as a previous entry that things become confusing. It's getting bad with movies and Apple is awful for it with Mac and iPad.
 
Mark It Zero!

Mark It Zero!

Member
Apr 24, 2020
494
It's not 27, that's for sure.
hA7BbxL.jpeg
 
grand

grand

Member
Oct 25, 2017
25,074
The industry definitely hates numbering games past 4 or 5. But once you get past that threshold, the sky becomes the limit as the numbering becomes a part of the franchise's identity (see Final Fantasy's failed attempts to pivot away from the numbering in the past)

But it only works for series where each number entry has no relation to the last. Otherwise, a high number discourages people from playing the newer entries as they feel compelled to catch up from game 1 or abandon the task completely due to how daunting it seems.
 
grand

grand

Member
Oct 25, 2017
25,074
The funniest numbering is Nintendo going back to it for Mario Kart

The dumbest numbering is Windows for skipping numbers
 
Kazooie

Kazooie

Member
Jul 17, 2019
5,054
Nintendo seems to avoid going beyond 3. But others do it differently. I have a feeling that between 3 and 6, companies appear to usually avoid continuing using numbers
 
sdefresne

sdefresne

Member
Sep 19, 2020
134
France
sionydus said:
I'm mostly thinking about Final Fantasy and PlayStation. We're about to get FF16 and I think it's a safe bet that the next PlayStation will be 6.

If Sony and Square are still at it 20-30 years from now, will they stop counting and go by a different naming scheme?

At some point does it get more confusing for non-gamer parents buying a Christmas console to know the PS8 vs the PS7? Is it better, worse, or no more confusing than something like the Wii vs Wii-U or Xbox One X vs Series X?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

i think numbers are much less confusing than weird names. I think there has been much confusion caused by WiiU vs Wii or around the names of the different XBoxes than by PS4 vs PS3. As for the games, I don't think there should be any limit. I'd like to see a ff 999.
 
krae_man

krae_man

Master of Balan Wonderworld
Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,617
I thought 2002 NFL Quarterback Club games was too many. Thankfully they stopped there.
 
OP
OP
sionydus

sionydus

Member
Jan 2, 2021
1,947
West Coast, USA
modiz said:
where's the "the limit isnt defined by numbers or brand, but by what you do with these sequels to differentiate them and advance the franchise as a whole" option
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I tried.

modiz said:
I dont think it really impacts the hardware much anyway as the cycle is generational.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I guess you're right. I've heard anecdotes of well-meaning older relatives buying the wrong console, but I think they'd just as well be confused by any generational difference, even in phones.

edit: Though, counterpoint, with iPhones, Apple tightly controls what's on display and what the salespeople say to sell them. Admittedly, Samsung Galaxy has higher numbers and a looser storefront presence, but I think mobile carrier salespeople guide customers pretty well too.
 
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catashtrophe

catashtrophe

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,114
UK
There's no limit to having numbered entries for anything really.

I'll take numbers any day over the stupidity MS does with Windows and Xbox.

At least it's obvious the higher the number the newer the game or product in the console space.
 
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Red Liquorice

Red Liquorice

Member
Oct 27, 2017
9,085
UK
I kind of respect FF for keeping the mainline numbering and not going with FF: Awakenings / Retribution / Beginnings whatever stupid words they use because some suit probably decided there's diminishing returns with numbered entries.
 
MC_Leon6494

MC_Leon6494

Member
Sep 7, 2018
501
Numbers are so easy to understand. You buy the ps9 cause it's a bigger number and that means newer.
Final Fantasy works with bigger and bigger numbers because either a) you have even a passing knowledge that each game is a unique story / world or b) you just buy the thing that matches whatever holiday/birthday gift list you've been given. The fear of numbers greater than xx makes more sense for continuous stories, but at the same time there are tv shows on seasons 10, 11, etc that are continuous and people either never engage or they watch/read a story recap or go through the effort of catching up themselves
 
OP
OP
sionydus

sionydus

Member
Jan 2, 2021
1,947
West Coast, USA
Hmm I guess confusion was the wrong angle to look at this with. It's probably the simplest way to go. It's really just about when the naming scheme gets lame which sounds like will never happen for PS, FF, and Far Cry.

Gotta hand it to Nintendo for keeping it fresh every generation and mostly avoiding confusion, save for the Wiis and the 2DS/3DSs.
 
pbayne

pbayne

Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,430
I dont think its an issue. its better to make thing clear to people rather than pick a dumb naming convention like xbox had or the wii u.
 
Rendering...

Rendering...

Member
Oct 30, 2017
19,089
It doesn't matter. Final Fantasy is still going strong after huge bushel of titles.

FFXVI looks cool and sounds cool. They shouldn't use a different naming convention for mainline entries.
 

Deleted member 1102

Account closed at user request
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
13,295
sionydus said:
At some point does it get more confusing for non-gamer parents buying a Christmas console to know the PS8 vs the PS7? Is it better, worse, or no more confusing than something like the Wii vs Wii-U or Xbox One X vs Series X?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Unless they're literally unable to count then no, I don't see how anyone is going to fail to understand that 8 is above 7. Trying to compare it to how baffling the Xbox Series branding is makes no sense to me.
 
GamerJM

GamerJM

Member
Nov 8, 2017
15,675
There isn't one, and in fact, I get disappointed every time a developer stops doing them. I want to see a video game series reach Super Bowl-level numbers in my lifetime.
 
oni-link

oni-link

tag reference no one gets
Member
Oct 25, 2017
16,072
UK
I don't mind how high they go to be honest

But I'd always, ALWAYS take a numbered entry over a reboot that has the exact same name as a previous game in the series

I'm looking at you, Tomb Raider and Tomb Raider, God of War and God of War, Doom and Doom etc
 
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