Ben-DutkaThe next generation will bring about change, as new generations always do.
No franchise has really managed to remain on top from one generation to another, at least not in terms of worldwide sales and rampant popularity. I suppose one could argue that Mario was on top during both the 8-bit and 16-bit generations, but the reigning sales kings have fluctuated from year to year and decade to decade.
So can we assume that Call of Duty won't forever be atop the sales charts? Given the supposedly amazing capabilities of the new systems, maybe we'll see a new contender for the global crown, or perhaps it will be an already existing franchise. Grand Theft Auto will probably always be up there, but maybe Battlefield or Assassin's Creed has a legitimate shot at the title in the new generation. Let's not be too short-sighted and just say, "Oh, nothing can ever top the sales of CoD." No? Modern Warfare 3 has shown signs of a franchise slowing, not speeding up, and Black Ops II may expose that slight decline even further.
Besides, we really have no idea what to expect the next generation. Heading into the current generation, many would've bet that the Japanese franchises would still have a chance at being the biggest in the world. But can we really say that Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy are still where they were last generation? Not really. Shooters and Western games in general have all but taken over and nobody knows what to expect from the fresh hardware. Maybe the basic idea of interactive entertainment will change in a few years time. Who knows?