Why Do Some Franchises Vanish While Others Are Rebooted Continuously?
The Blind Eternities forum
Posted on March 29, 2020, 1:59 p.m. by DemonDragonJ
I have noticed that some media franchises may be rebooted many times, usually every decade or two, while others simply vanish into obscurity, and I am wondering why that is: for example, Scooby-Doo, Transformers, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been reincarnated too many times to count, while Gargoyles, Street Sharks, and Swat Kats are all but forgotten, today, except by a number of loyal fans.
What does everyone else say about this? Why do some franchises vanish while others return repeatedly? Is it simply a matter of luck, or are there other factors involved?
DemonDragonJ says... #3
Caerwyn, I do not like it when franchises are merchandise-driven; I think that they should focus on telling a good story rather than on selling items, and I am very glad that merchandise-driven franchises, while still in existence, are nowhere near as prevalent as they were in the 1980's and 90's.
March 29, 2020 2:22 p.m.
wotanaz1337 says... #4
It's elementary my dear Watson:
Does it sell? If yes, then it lasts. If not....
March 29, 2020 5:35 p.m.
triproberts12 says... #7
Licensing, man. You can't remake something you don't own, and some things aren't for sale or the price isn't right vs the opportunity cost of money not spent on Transformers 11: Age of Infinity War.
Caerwyn says... #2
Scooby-Doo is a classic, appealing to both nostalgic parents and children, with each generation being able to take over from the prior, perpetuating the cycle. TMNT and Transformers were backed by strong and continuing merchandising--new releases allow their merchandising juggernauts to continue their domination.
The other examples have nostalgia value to those who watched them, but that's about it. They don't currently move toys, and they were never so generational as to develop a 51-year-long fanbase.
March 29, 2020 2:13 p.m.