Of course it is.
I don’t think I would have ever touched the survival genre if it hadn’t been for one of my favorite IPs in all time, but anything that has Conan in it will at least have my attention long enough for me to make an informed decision about it. Same goes with Dune.
I mean, I’ve watched some streamers play Palworld. It looks cute, and it has got some great reviews, but I feel no personal connection to it. I may end up buying it in a few years if it’s at a -85 % discount or something, but there’s nothing that would attract me to the game.
On the other hand, one of the most successful games in recent history was Baldur’s Gate 3. If Larian had released it under the name of Divinity: Original Sin 3, they wouldn’t have needed to change much anything about the story, or the characters, or game mechanics, but it would’ve sold only a fraction of what it did because it had the words “Baldur’s Gate” in its title. (In my opinion, it deserved its success, it’s a great game, and Larian knows how to tell a story. I would’ve bought it even if it had been Divinity: Original Sin 3, but that’s because I’m familiar with Larian as a developer, as well as the existing story of the Rivellon setting.)
Original setting and original stories have their own strengths, because they can be something new and unexplored, but they can have a hard time becoming success stories. Of course, all great settings have been original and unknown at some point, but for every Conan or Dune that became legends, there are probably thousands of unsung heroes msot of us have never heard of.
Business-wise, it’s less risky to go with an IP that has an existing fan base. At least as long as you don’t screw up with the IP, because there are few things in the world more rabid and noisy than a disappointed fan.
3 Likes