These days, when a company releases a game, they usually have plans for it. Big plans, to make as much money off of it as they can, be it with downloadable content, sequels, and whatever else comes their way. In fact, Activision has become rather notorious for that mindset as of late.
So it does come as some surprise when one company, Gamecock Media Group, reveals that they are not out to do that with their upcoming stealth-action game, Velvet Assassin for the Xbox 360. No DLC, no material post-release, and no sequel.
What gives?
It’s, at least partly, due to the fact that Velvet Assassin’s main character, British secret agent Violette Szabo, is based loosely on a historical figure. Her real-life counterpart, Violette Szabo, was a French spy during World War II who was eventually captured by the Nazis, sent to a labor camp, and then executed. The SouthPeak rep mentioned that they wanted to be “respectful” to the Szabo family and I guess having a sequel would be like making a Titanic 2 where Leonardo DiCaprio and the rest of the dead passengers had survived and created a magical city under the sea. — Blend Games
Of course, some at Blend Games seem skeptical, suggesting they could instead insert another “hot spy chick” into a sequel, if they really wanted.
It just seems odd that the door would be shut on a potential series before the first game’s been released. If Velvet Assassin ends up doing really well, it’s hard to believe they wouldn’t make another game that retains the core gameplay but stars a different historical figure or an entirely fictional character. — Blend Games
One supposes they could, but the question might remain as to whether or not that would still be any more respectful than they’re trying to be with the property.
