Zoo Tycoon Franchise | Great Game to a Disaster

Zoo Tycoon (2001) was developed by Blue Fang Games and released by Microsoft.
Zoo Tycoon 2 (2004) was also developed by Blue Fang Games and released by Microsoft.

Zoo Tycoon (2013) was developed by Frontier Developments and released by Microsoft.

There is a, well, very unknown history behind these games. Some have probably never heard of them, which is why I am making this article.
That, and also to tell a story of a great game.

So, let's start.
The first Zoo Tycoon game came out on 17th October, 2001. It was a classic, pixel bird's-eye view game, in which you are a zoo director. The game was pretty simple: You have to choose an animal, make a good habitat for it, and make sure that the habitat meets all it's needs, such as food and shelter! In addition, every guest in the zoo must be satisfied, the zoo must always be clean and tidy. As a zoo director, you have to deal with losing money, and try to make as much money as possible. Or, you can just casually release your lions into the zoo, guests won't mind! ;)
This, of course, makes a perfect zoo simulator game.

Game did very well, for it's constant replayability and fun. People really loved it, as they should.
DLC's (Marine Mania and Dinosaur Digs) also contributed to the game's success.
You could also try it out ;) Even though graphics may not be the best, you can still find yourself deep into the night, playing and enjoying the game, h̶a̶v̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶s̶a̶d̶ ̶a̶n̶i̶m̶a̶l̶ ̶n̶o̶i̶s̶e̶s̶ ̶s̶t̶u̶c̶k̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶h̶e̶a̶d̶  and just, overall, enjoying the game.
Then, after Blue Fang Games saw the response to the game, they decided to make an epic sequel.

Zoo Tycoon 2 came out on 9th November, 2004. This game did even better!
Mechanics were very similar. Make a habitat for animals, make the guests happy, get as much money as possible a̶n̶d̶ ̶r̶e̶l̶e̶a̶s̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶i̶m̶a̶l̶s̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶g̶e̶t̶ ̶r̶i̶d̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶n̶o̶y̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶g̶u̶e̶s̶t̶s̶ . The game had better graphics, and you could get more freedom in the camera placement.
DLC's started coming out, and eventually, the modding community also contributed by making countless mods that made the game even better.

People loved the game, and they couldn't wait for the new sequel to come out.
Because it will, right?
Right?

Blue Fang Games closed the contract with Microsoft, indicating that this will be the end of Zoo Tycoon Franchise.
Of course, there were many ripoffs, a Zoo Tycoon version for DS also came out, but nothing was quite it.
Nothing was a true successor to the previous two games.

It is 19th of December, 2013. It was just a normal day. Or was it? (Vsauce music starts playing)
Something that suprised many, many people happened. A trailer for a new Zoo Tycoon game dropped.
This was so big, people were so hyped, because this was, finally, the true sequel to the first two games.
Or was it?

Was this it? Was this the true successor to Zoo Tycoon games?
No. It wasn't.
True, game had better graphics, you can become the zookeeper yourself and ride around in your all magic buggy.
But something was still missing. The freedom of choice.
Both previous games had the freedom the 2013 version doesn't have.
Before, you could build the walls of the animal exhibit yourself, you could decide where to put all the foliage, how and where to put shelters and etc.
In the new version, you can't do any of that. Premade habitats suck. I said it. You think that too. I know you do.
There is something amazing in having all the freedom of designing your own zoo.
You can decide if you are going to have 5 star zoo with every animal available o̶r̶ ̶r̶e̶l̶e̶a̶s̶e̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶i̶m̶a̶l̶s̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶g̶e̶t̶ ̶r̶i̶d̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶n̶o̶y̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶g̶u̶e̶s̶t̶s̶,̶ ̶a̶g̶a̶i̶n̶ .
The game was obviously designed for kids, the younger kind. Not many want their hands to be held by the game throughout the gameplay.
People didn't like the game. It wasn't a true successor and it will never be.

Was this it?
Will we never see a real sequel? A real successor to the amazing franchise?

What if it exists?
What if it's hidden somewhere, waiting to be found?
Nah, we probably don't have that.

We don't have a- a- a- Planet Zoo.

Thanks for reading!
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Share your opinion in the comments!
Be honest in your voting!
And, of course, try out all of the games! (Except Zoo Tycoon (2013), it sucked, lol)
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Reeeeeee

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welldone

erm this isn't the article tab, this is the forum you just lost 1000+ SG

> erm this isn't the article tab, this is the forum you just lost 1000+ SG
I know. It was meant to be an article, but moderators uploaded it to the forum because it did not meet the article requirements.