History Main / WinBackTheCrowd

** 2014 saw WWE pull this off on more than one level. First, in the Royal Rumble, the crowd waited anxiously during the entire Rumble for [[Wrestling/BryanDanielson Daniel Bryan]] to make his appearance. When number 30 was revealed to be Wrestling/{{Rey Mysterio|Jr}}, once the crowd realized that Bryan wasn't in the Rumble at all, the boos could be heard loud and clear - Mysterio's elimination was actually cheered. The world title match at Wrestlemania XXX was quickly made a triple threat match by including Bryan and having him win the title to the massive approval of the crowd... which earlier that night had been practically deflated when The Streak came to an end.

** The title hit this again in the mid-'00s after the disaster of his unmasking in ''ComicBook/{{Civil War|2006}}'' and the universally-reviled ''ComicBook/OneMoreDay'' storyline as new writers were brought in who kept trying to replace Spidey's supporting cast and rogues gallery by creating their own set of third-string villains and characters. It hit its own nadir when they had the Lizard cross the MoralEventHorizon and later undid the Sacred Cow that was ''Kraven's Last Hunt''. Enter Dan Slott, who took over the title as the sole writer and generally made the series ''enjoyable'' again, though the run has not been without its detractors, and his ''ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan'' story was fairly controversial, though it enjoyed the best sales for the series in quite some time.

*** Following the events of ''Superior Spider-Man'', Characters/{{Black Cat|MarvelComics}} underwent a shock heel turn, turning violent against Spider-Man, almost killing Aunt May, and set her sights on becoming a ruthless crime Queenpin. Fans of Felicia were understandably livid at this. Writer Robbie Thompson attempted to give Felicia a sympathetic motivation for her turn in the pages of ''Silk'' and developed a frenemy relationship between her and Cindy Moon, but that only lasted until Felicia found out Cindy was spying on her. Finally, after three years of dissatisfied fans crying foul, Felicia was quickly set on the path to redemption in both ''Venom Inc'' and the pages of ''Defenders'', where she lost her crime empire and was given a motivational speech (by Venom, the creature that once shattered her nose) to be a force for good again.

* ''{{Franchise/Halloween}}'': After many years worth of sequels and [[Film/Halloween2007 a remake]] that tried too hard to explain the evil behind the killer, thus demystifying the original origins of pure evil, ''Film/Halloween2018'' won back many fans of ''Film/Halloween1978'' by retroactively retconning all the past sequels and making it a much closer followup to the original. Having key players Creator/JohnCarpenter and Creator/JamieLeeCurtis along with Creator/NickCastle returning as The Shape back helped too.

* ''Film/MissionImpossibleGhostProtocol'' became the best-reviewed film of the series, even going as far as to do a lot to redeem both the ''Film/MissionImpossible'' film series and Creator/TomCruise in the eyes of the public. Subsequent films in the series have consistently received glowing reception from both critics and audiences and, with the exception of ''Dead Reckoning Part One'', have all been massive box office successes.[[note]]''Dead Reckoning'' not performing well financially was attributed to a number of factors including steep competition considering reviews were extremely positive.[[/note]]

* Creator/RidleyScott has had this happen to his career twice. After his earlier successes with ''Film/{{Alien}}'', ''Film/BladeRunner'' and ''Film/ThelmaAndLouise'', his career hit a [[AudienceAlienatingEra nadir]] in the mid-90s as ''Film/FourteenNinetyTwoConquestOfParadise'', ''White Squall'' and ''Film/GIJane'' flopped before both critics and audiences until the success of ''Film/{{Gladiator}}'' brought him back as a successful director, and was quickly followed by ''Film/BlackHawkDown'', ''Film/KingdomOfHeaven'' (partially thanks to [[BetterOnDVD the Director's Cut]]) and ''Film/AmericanGangster''. However, his career entered another AudienceAlienatingEra with the release of ''Film/RobinHood2010'' which resulted in the end of his longstanding collaboration with Creator/RussellCrowe. Then ''Film/{{Prometheus}}'', his highly anticipated return to the Alien franchise and the sci-fi genre endured a heavy case of ContestedSequel from fans who lauded the effects but was criticized for its writing. His two follow-ups, ''Film/TheCounselor'' and ''Film/ExodusGodsAndKings'' also disappointed, with the latter film being considered a CreatorKiller by many. However, his latest release, ''Film/TheMartian'', based on the novel by Andy Weir, has so far received glowing praise from critics and sci-fi gurus, who have hailed this as a much more welcome return to form.

* Creator/HaydenChristensen received a lot of criticism for his stiff performance as Anakin Skywalker in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' prequels upon their initial release, although poor writing and direction was also cited as playing a part too. His acting career, regardless, was on life support for many years afterwards before returning as Anakin, now Darth Vader, in the Creator/DisneyPlus miniseries ''Series/ObiWanKenobi''. His performance was considered vastly improved from the prequels, bolstered by the writing and direction's quality correspondingly enhanced as well.

* While ''Creator/AdamSandler'' has always had his fans, his films from his earlier years (''Film/TheWaterBoy'', ''Film/BillyMadison'', ''WesternAnimation/EightCrazyNights'', etc) have been repeatedly mocked as juvenile, poorly aged, and an example of cringe comedy. Despite this, Sandler has had some success in kids films, and redeemed his image with ''WesternAnimation/HotelTransylvania'', only to lose it as the sequels brought it down. He then did this ''again'' and managed to reclaim adoration with ''WesternAnimation/{{Leo}}'' after said film managed to overtake ''WesternAnimation/Wish2023'' in positive reception.

** The series was seen as being repetitive and boring after Creator/{{Capcom}} went to the well one too many times with their update editions of ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII''. And then lost the mainstream gamers completely with ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIII'' and its update editions. Thanks to the UsefulNotes/FightingGameCommunity, they were able to bring attention to [[VindicatedByHistory how great a game]] ''Street Fighter III: Third Strike'' really was, and eventually brought enough attention to the game for Capcom to make ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIV''. The game was a huge success, and not only did it [[GenreRelaunch help revive the fighting game genre as a whole]], it made the FGC popular as well, especially when it came to EVO, the biggest event for the pro community. Not to mention that [[BrokenBase some fans]] no longer mind Capcom's [[CapcomSequelStagnation update edition concept]] with the ''Street Fighter'' series anymore, as evidenced by the latest version, ''Ultra Street Fighter IV''.

* ''Film/JurassicWorld'' revived the ''Franchise/JurassicPark'' franchise 14 years after the poorly received FranchiseKiller, ''Film/JurassicParkIII'', was released. It broke box office records, became the third highest-grossing movie of all time (behind ''Film/{{Avatar}}'' and ''Film/{{Titanic|1997}}''). On July 23rd, it was announced a sequel will be released on June 22nd, 2018.

** California Adventure was seen as an absolute failure at launch - owing mostly to the fact that it didn't really bring anything "new" to the table[[note]]A few attractions, such as California Screamin', Soarin' over California, and to a lesser extent Mulholland Madness and Grizzly Falls were always seen as enjoyable but not worth the price of admission[[/note]], most of it was covered in gfit shops, and its mixture of "boardwalk amusement park" and "California history" was seen as ill-fitting for Disneyland. Even during the early parts of TheNewTens, people saw the park as an ObviousBeta, as most of it was still under construction even a decade after opening. However, once World of Color (California Adventure's answer to Fantasmic) debuted, as well as the ever-popular Cars Land, the price of park-hopper tickets became seen as more "worth it" and attendance slowly but surely rose. This also allowed some of its rides, such as Soarin' Over the World (formerly Soarin' Over California), to truly pick up an audience--in fact, Soarin' remains one of the park's busiest attractions.

* The ''VideoGame/XCom'' series had a strong run and developed an enthusiastic fandom during the 1990s. The original game was well-received for its approach to strategy and was followed by the similarly praised ''VideoGame/XComTerrorFromTheDeep'' and ''VideoGame/XComApocalypse.''The first signs of trouble started with ''VideoGame/XComInterceptor'' which received less positive but generally above average reviews from fans and critics. In 2001 ''X-COM: Enforcer'' ditched the strategy elements entirely in favor of being a third person shooter. This did ''not'' go well with fans who were vocally upset and disappointed at the abandonment of the strategy aspect in favor of what was considered to be a very average shooter. ''Enforcer'' also disappointed sales-wise, which lead to the ''XCOM'' series being put on ice for over a decade as the rights shifted between various companies. In 2010 [=2K Marin=] announced a then-untitled ContinuityReboot that would make ''XCOM'' into a first person shooter. The fandom's response to this was so negative that Creator/FiraxisGames were tasked with creating a true spiritual successor to the original ''XCOM''. ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'' was released in 2012 to glowing reception and rejoicing from the community who felt that ''XCOM'' was finally back. It exceeded sales projections, causing 2K to greenlight both an expansion pack and a full sequel four years later, ''VideoGame/XCom2'', which also enjoyed critical and commercial success. Ironically the FPS reboot was retooled into a third-person tactical shooter with some light strategy elements, ''VideoGame/TheBureauXCOMDeclassified'' which received lukewarm reception and came and went with very little fanfare.

* ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' had a rough time throughout the 2010s after riding high in the 2000s with multiple massive successes on the [=PlayStation=] 2 and 3. After the critical and commercial success of ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankACrackInTime A Crack In Time]]'' the series entered something of a slump, with a [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankAll4One string]] [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankIntoTheNexus of]] [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankIntoTheNexus games]] that received mixed reception and which began a hiatus for the series aside from the [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2016 2016 remake]] which did well enough. ''[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankRiftApart Rift Apart]]'' received glowing reviews from fans and critics alike and was widely considered a return to form as well as one of the best games in the franchise, going on to sell four million copies.

* At one point ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' and ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'' were dwindling properties at despite the fact that they were the company's flagship super-teams and in the case of the "FF", the oldest series. With not particularly stellar talent working on each book, UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks seemed to be making idealistic super-hero teams irrelevant. After the mixed-reception of the ''ComicBook/{{Onslaught}}'' {{crossover}}, the two teams were thrown into an alternate reality, leading to the reviled ComicBook/HeroesReborn. This ended up being setup for ComicBook/HeroesReturn and StatusQuoIsGod, returning the titles back to their former glory with very popular creative teams.

* ''{{Franchise/Batman}}'': After the dismal failure of ''Film/BatmanAndRobin'', ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'' by Creator/ChristopherNolan [[ContinuityReboot rebooted]] the film franchise in order to win back Batman fans. All three films have been resounding commercial successes and the second an unprecedented critical success, [[GenreTurningPoint raising the prestige of comic book movies as gripping drama films]]. After ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' came out, it became the highest-grossing comic book movie ever. It also became the first comic book film to ever win an acting UsefulNotes/AcademyAward with Creator/HeathLedger posthumously winning Best Supporting Actor for his highly regarded performance as ComicBook/TheJoker.

* The UsefulNotes/{{Academy Awards|Ceremonies}} ceremony had to do this after the 1989 show opened with a notoriously campy production number "highlighted" by Creator/RobLowe singing a rewritten duet of "Proud Mary" with Snow White. Things didn't much improve from there, aside from several witty presenters, and the show was pilloried both within and without Hollywood as a disgrace. The following year, one of those witty presenters -- Creator/BillyCrystal -- was tapped to host the whole show, and largely thanks to him the result was a much-acclaimed ceremony. Crystal has hosted eight more times since then, such as in 2012 to win back the crowd after the poorly-received 2011 ceremony that Creator/JamesFranco and Creator/AnneHathaway hosted.

* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns'' was this for the ''Franchise/DonkeyKong'' series in general. It was riding high in the ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' days, and ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'' did well too. But once Rare was bought out by Microsoft, the series was basically orphaned for a few generations, with nothing but spinoff games to show for it. But when Retro Studios revived it, Franchise/DonkeyKong was back. ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' was back. The game sold a ton, was well received and ended up introducing a whole new generation to the series, eventually getting an enhanced remake on the [[UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS 3DS]], as well as a sequel on the UsefulNotes/WiiU in 2014 in the form of ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze'', which in turn got an enhanced remake on the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch.

** The 2000s was when the franchise started to slip. After the release of ''VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards'', there were no mainline ''Kirby'' games released on consoles, limiting them to portables. There was also ''VideoGame/KirbyAndTheAmazingMirror'' and ''VideoGame/KirbySqueakSquad'', which were equally just as divisive for multiple reasons (the former due to the switch from the tradition level format to a {{Metroidvania}}-styled platformer, and the latter due to, in spite of the return to the traditional format, its shorter levels, reusage of assets from the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance games, and tepid responses to the story and FinalBoss (the former for having Kirby go on a rampage and [[spoiler:nearly cause the end of the world]] because the Squeaks stole his cake, though some people tend to point at the game's developers, Flagship, for not fully understanding Kirby's character, and the latter for being easy and quick compared to [[BestBossEver the boss that came before it]]). Even more, a new mainline ''Kirby'' game was about to be released on the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube, but was unfortunately scrapped after three prototypes. And after a VideoGameRemake in 2008 which lead to no mainline game for 3 years, ''VideoGame/KirbysReturnToDreamLand'' came out in 2011, bringing the series back into relevancy.

** ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkBetweenWorlds A Link Between Worlds]]'' did this for the handheld installments in the series, after the more divisive UsefulNotes/NintendoDS games (''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaPhantomHourglass Phantom Hourglass]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks Spirit Tracks]]''). The title ditched the experimental stylus controls to return to traditional button controls and presented a more open-ended campaign that harkened back to the earliest games in the franchise.

* The entire ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' franchise was in a very precarious position for several years. ''VideoGame/MetroidOtherM'' released in 2010 and sold well but became a low point for the series due to extremely polarizing fan reaction to Samus' characterization and the writing. Whether it was the result of ''Other M'' or not, the series entered an extended dry spell broken up only by the [[BrokenBase contentiously received]] (to say the least) ''VideoGame/MetroidPrimeFederationForce''. Fans of the franchise were left largely unsatisfied, a situation not helped by Nintendo completely ignoring the series' 30th anniversary and [[ScrewedByTheLawyers their DMCA takedown]] of ''VideoGame/AnotherMetroid2Remake''. Things seemed bleak until UsefulNotes/{{E3}} 2017, where ''Metroid'' came back with a vengeance and saw not one, but two new games announced: the long-desired ''Metroid Prime 4'' (for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch), and an official remake of ''VideoGame/MetroidIIReturnOfSamus'', entitled ''VideoGame/MetroidSamusReturns'' (for the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS). While the former [[TroubledProduction has yet to release]], the latter debuted later that year to critical praise and positive fan response, with those who were more lukewarm on the game's quality expressing that Samus truly had returned. Any remaining fans who hadn't been won back were won over with ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'', which greatly expanded upon what worked so well with ''Samus Returns.'' ''Dread'' received critical acclaim and went on to sell three million copies, making it the bestselling game in the series to date.

* ''VideoGame/Contra4'', ''Contra [=ReBirth=]'', and ''VideoGame/HardCorpsUprising'', three ''Contra'' games that came out after four consecutive installments that sat poorly with fans of the series (two lame Platform/PlayStation games, one of which is also a UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn game, and two average Platform/PlayStation2 games) which whipped the series back into what it should be.

* The Platform/PlayStation3 had incredibly bad PR before and shortly after its launch in 2006, thanks to its complex architecture resulting in an exorbitant price at launch along with a lack of games. Sony also came across as extremely arrogant and hostile towards its customers, thanks to a combination of the console's advertising consisting mostly of {{Dada Ad}}s that didn't [[WhatWereTheySellingAgain really promote the system or its capabilities]], tech demos and trailers that were completely fabricated, and dismissing any of the aforementioned criticisms with statements like telling people to get a second job if they couldn't afford the high price. After the system finally launched and was trounced in both sales and public perception by its competition of the UsefulNotes/Xbox360 and UsefulNotes/{{Wii}}, Sony began to clean up their act. They brought the price of the console down, finally making it competitive with the Xbox 360 with the release of the slim model in 2009. The produced new advertising that was much more on the nose, such as acclaimed "It Only Does Everything" campaign starring fictional Sony executive Kevin Butler. Most important of all, they ensured that the console had a much better lineup of games, thanks to both strong first-party titles from Sony and its subsidiary studios as well as providing better support for third-party developers working on the system to mitigate the difficulty of programming the [=PS3=]'s complex hardware.

* The UsefulNotes/XboxOne had an extremely negative reception following its initial reveal in 2013, with many angry with the console being presented more as a TV and sports box rather than a game console, every console coming with a Kinect[[note]]Which made the price of the console $100 more than the competing Platform/PlayStation4, despite the Xbox having weaker hardware. Concerns were also raised about the always on nature of the peripherals camera and/or microphone infringing on users' privacy.[[/note]], no compatibility with used games due to the DRM implementation, as well as the console not working if it could not connect to the Internet every 24 hours. In response to the backlash, Microsoft removed the online connectivity requirement in time for launch, as well as removing the Kinect requirement, though the damage was already done. Eventually, Phil Spencer would be put in charge of the Xbox division, and though the Xbox One's sales would never catch up to the [=PS4=], he and his team were focusing on rebuilding the brand's reputation by releasing a Kinect-free model within its first year, releasing new models such as the Xbox One S and especially the Xbox One X, adding backwards compatibility with Xbox 360 and original Xbox titles, and making innovative services for playing games such as Game Pass.
* The UsefulNotes/WiiU's popularity was the definition of "flash in the pan": while the system sold well upon release, fervor died down quickly and the system was discontinued after only four years (most systems live for five or more years in the market). The system's tragically short lifespan, along with declining sales figures, had many concerned about Nintendo's future going into its next system, the ''UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch''. Such concerns were laid to rest, however, with the system's release, which provided gamers with a gimmick that anyone could enjoy, being able to play it both on the TV, as well as playing it as a handheld. Alongside a strong lineup within its first year and support from third parties and indie developers alike, the Switch helped to revitalize Nintendo as a credible force in the industry.

** After enjoying almost completely unchallenged market dominance throughout the late 1980s and the 1990s, Japanese games started losing ground to Western developers starting in the mid-2000s, which lasted throughout all of UsefulNotes/TheSeventhGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames and the first half of UsefulNotes/TheEighthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames. For a roughly 10 year period from 2006-2016, it seemed like [=WRPGs=] (such as those developed by Creator/{{Bethesda}}, Creator/{{Bioware}}, and [[Creator/TakeTwoInteractive Rockstar Games/2K Games]]), shooters, and mobile games were taking over the entire video gaming market, and many Japanese game developers were caught flat-footed on how to respond. Western audiences' demands for "realism" (in both graphics and character design) and massive competitive multiplayer modes grew to dominate the market, which crowded out Japanese games that were known for single-player narratives and whimsical or fantastical characters & settings. While there were a few standout hits in this timeframe such as ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' and the ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' series (which partially owed its success due to looking very much like a Western game), one gaming news publication after another was consistently declaring that Japanese games' glory days had long passed and that the whole industry was headed into CultClassic status, at best, with only handheld consoles enjoying sustainable success. [[note]]While the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} was the most successful console of its generation, its success was largely due to a casual audience that did not stick around for future console releases, and the UsefulNotes/WiiU underperformed massively.[[/note]]
** However, things started to turn around in late 2016, with ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV'' leading the charge at the end of November and shipping over ''5 million'' copies on release day. The momentum continued into 2017: in a span of less than 6 months, Japanese developers enjoyed a rapid-fire release of games that achieved massive critical and commercial success in the West like ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil7Biohazard'', ''VideoGame/TalesOfBerseria'', ''VideoGame/Yakuza0'', ''VideoGame/NierAutomata'', ''VideoGame/{{Nioh}}'', ''VideoGame/Persona5'', and most significantly of all, the smashing success of the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch and its launch title ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', with ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'', ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'', and ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'' continuing to bolster the massive success of the Switch later on throughout the year. Also in 2017, Japanese mobile games managed to break into the Western market with two megahits in the form of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemHeroes'' and ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder.'' This momentum would continue on in 2018, with such acclaimed hits such as ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld'', ''VideoGame/OctopathTraveler'', ''VideoGame/SoulcaliburVI'', ''VideoGame/NiNoKuniIIRevenantKingdom'', ''VideoGame/ValkyriaChronicles4'', ''VideoGame/MegaMan11'', and ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', and would grow in 2019, with titles like ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2Remake'', ''VideoGame/AceCombat7SkiesUnknown'', ''VideoGame/SekiroShadowsDieTwice'', ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'', ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'', ''VideoGame/AstralChain'', ''VideoGame/BloodstainedRitualOfTheNight'', ''VideoGame/AtelierRyzaEverDarknessAndTheSecretHideout'', ''VideoGame/CodeVein'', and ''VideoGame/DeathStranding'' all being hits. The incredible turnaround of the Japanese gaming industry in Western popular opinion is discussed in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_j6ZHkg5BtE this video]] which features interviews with developers from major Japanese studios like Creator/{{Atlus}}, Square Enix, and [[Creator/SonyInteractiveEntertainment Sony Computer Entertainment]].

* {{Shoot Em Up}}s started to fall out of favor in the late '90s and early 2000s in favor of games with broader scopes (as shmups typically put the player on a fixed path and a single playthrough usually takes about 30-60 minutes at a time when games started to have tens of hours of content and really started to experiment with non-linear formats) and actual stories (the shmup genre isn't exactly known for deep lore, gripping plots, or characters worth caring about), but ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' -- the Windows games in particular, as the first five games are the comparatively obscure UsefulNotes/PC98 computer that [[NoExportForYou never left Japan]] -- gave the genre a boost thanks to its pretty BulletHell patterns that each stand out on their own and characters best known for spawning endless memes and fan works.

* Creator/PaulSchrader was mostly reduced to low-budget B-movies before making ''Film/FirstReformed''. Its unanimously positive reception, with Schrader receiving his first UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nomination in his decades-long career for it, renewed his ranking as one of the great American filmmakers.

* Creator/JessicaLange had slowed down and reduced her workload in the years following her Razzie-nominated role in the 1998 thriller ''Film/{{Hush}}''. Starting in TheNewTens, she gained newfound recognition (and a couple of UsefulNotes/{{Emmy Award}}s) with multiple roles in the anthology series ''Series/AmericanHorrorStory''.

* Creator/MaddieZiegler got severe criticism for her performance as a nonverbal autistic girl in ''Film/Music2021'', with Ziegler (who is neurotypical) "winning" the Worst Supporting Actress UsefulNotes/GoldenRaspberryAward for her part. Following a small part in the remake of ''Film/WestSideStory2021'' by Creator/StevenSpielberg, she won back critical esteem for her role as a school shooting survivor in ''Film/TheFallout'' alongside Creator/JennaOrtega.

* The entire ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' franchise was in a very precarious position for several years. ''VideoGame/MetroidOtherM'' released in 2010 and sold well but became a low point for the series due to extremely polarizing fan reaction to Samus' characterization and the writing. Whether it was the result of ''Other M'' or not, the series entered an extended dry spell broken up only by the [[BrokenBase contentiously received]] (to say the least) ''VideoGame/MetroidPrimeFederationForce''. Fans of the franchise were left largely unsatisfied, a situation not helped by Nintendo completely ignoring the series' 30th anniversary and [[ScrewedByTheLawyers their DMCA takedown]] of ''VideoGame/AnotherMetroid2Remake''. Things seemed bleak until UsefulNotes/{{E3}} 2017, where ''Metroid'' came back with a vengeance and saw not one, but two new games announced: the long-desired ''Metroid Prime 4'' (for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch), and an official remake of ''VideoGame/MetroidIIReturnOfSamus'', entitled ''VideoGame/MetroidSamusReturns'' (for the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS). While the former [[TroubledProduction has yet to release]], the latter debuted later that year to critical praise and positive fan response, with those who were more lukewarm on the game's quality expressing that Samus truly had returned.

** (2012)[[/index]]
*** ''XCOM: Enemy Within'' ExpansionPack (2013)[[index]]
** ''VideoGame/TheBureauXCOMDeclassified'', {{prequel}} to ''Enemy Unknown'' developed by 2K Marin (2013)
** ' (2016)[[/index]]
*** ''XCOM 2: War of the Chosen'' ExpansionPack (2017)
** ''VideoGame/XCOMChimeraSquad'' (2020) [[/index]]
** ''VideoGame/XCOMLegends'' (2021, still in Early Access)

* The ''Franchise/BaldursGate'' series enjoyed success for many years, with beloved main entries including ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'' and ''VideoGame/BaldursGateII'' as well as positively received spinoffs including the ''Dark Alliance'' games. Things took a turn for the worse with ''VideoGame/DungeonsAndDragonsDarkAlliance' in 2021' which was a live-service co-op ActionRPG designed as a thematic successor to the ''Dark Alliance'' spinoff games. Critics were lukewarm towards it at best and many fans reacted negatively at how the game wasted the potential of beloved characters like Drizzt Do'Urden and the Companions of the Hall as well as making it a live-service game. It also didn't help that the launch was extremely buggy and lacked promised features -- as a result it's considered a low point. Fortunately the franchise came roaring back in 2023 with the full (out of early access) release of ''VideoGame/BaldursGate3'' which received glowing reception from critics, won back the entire fandom and smashed sales records. Many now consider ''Baldur's Gate 3'' to be superior to even the highly-rated first two mainline games and one of the greatest RPGs ever made.

** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros1'' won back popularity of console {{Video Game}}s in North America, after UsefulNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983.

* ''VideoGame/Contra4'', ''Contra [=ReBirth=]'', and ''VideoGame/HardCorpsUprising'', three ''Contra'' games that came out after four consecutive installments that sat poorly with fans of the series (two lame UsefulNotes/PlayStation games, one of which is also a UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn game, and two average UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 games) which whipped the series back into what it should be.

* ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' fans were heavily disgruntled by Capcom management with some of the later games in the series, with [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil5 the fifth game]] being considered a poor man's [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil4 the fourth game]] and ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil6 6]]'' being absolutely hated by many fans because [[ActionizedSequel it was too much of an action game]] compared to the franchise's roots in SurvivalHorror. However, [[VideoGame/ResidentEvilRevelations both]] [[VideoGame/ResidentEvilRevelations2 games]] in the ''Revelations'' series were seen as [[RevisitingTheRoots a solid approach to the franchise's origins]], an announcement to the widely requested remake of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'' in a similar style to the ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil1 REMake]]'' had the fandom rejoicing and the reveal of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil7Biohazard'' was one of the highlights of the UsefulNotes/PlayStation conference at UsefulNotes/{{E3}} 2016.

* The UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 had incredibly bad PR before and shortly after its launch in 2006, thanks to its complex architecture resulting in an exorbitant price at launch along with a lack of games. Sony also came across as extremely arrogant and hostile towards its customers, thanks to a combination of the console's advertising consisting mostly of {{Dada Ad}}s that didn't [[WhatWereTheySellingAgain really promote the system or its capabilities]], tech demos and trailers that were completely fabricated, and dismissing any of the aforementioned criticisms with statements like telling people to get a second job if they couldn't afford the high price. After the system finally launched and was trounced in both sales and public perception by its competition of the UsefulNotes/Xbox360 and UsefulNotes/{{Wii}}, Sony began to clean up their act. They brought the price of the console down, finally making it competitive with the Xbox 360 with the release of the slim model in 2009. The produced new advertising that was much more on the nose, such as acclaimed "It Only Does Everything" campaign starring fictional Sony executive Kevin Butler. Most important of all, they ensured that the console had a much better lineup of games, thanks to both strong first-party titles from Sony and its subsidiary studios as well as providing better support for third-party developers working on the system to mitigate the difficulty of programming the [=PS3=]'s complex hardware.
* The UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 was where Sony decided to look at their past consoles and learn from the issues that plagued them early on. Notably, instead of using purely custom hardware in the pursuit of raw power, Sony chose the much more widespread [=x86-64=] architecture along with an AMD Radeon based GPU. This also allowed basic devkits to be shipped using off-the-shelf PC hardware before the actual hardware was finalized. The decision to go with something more common led Lead architect Mark Cerny to comment that the time to get the game equivalent of a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%22Hello,_World!%22_program "Hello World" program]] took weeks on the [=PS4=], whereas it took ''months'' on the [=PS3=]. This helped convince developers that the [=PlayStation 4=] was something they could look forward to working on. With this, by the time E3 2013 rolled around to formally announce the console, not only did Sony have plenty of games and footage to show, but the backlash of Microsoft's presentation gave Sony even more of an opportunity to convince gamers that the console was something to look forward to. The result? The [=PlayStation 4=] became one of the fastest-selling consoles in history, and the best selling console of that generation.
* The UsefulNotes/XboxOne had an extremely negative reception following its initial reveal in 2013, with many angry with the console being presented more as a TV and sports box rather than a game console, every console coming with a Kinect[[note]]Which made the price of the console $100 more than the competing UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, despite the Xbox having weaker hardware. Concerns were also raised about the always on nature of the peripherals camera and/or microphone infringing on users' privacy.[[/note]], no compatibility with used games due to the DRM implementation, as well as the console not working if it could not connect to the Internet every 24 hours. In response to the backlash, Microsoft removed the online connectivity requirement in time for launch, as well as removing the Kinect requirement, though the damage was already done. Eventually, Phil Spencer would be put in charge of the Xbox division, and though the Xbox One's sales would never catch up to the [=PS4=], he and his team were focusing on rebuilding the brand's reputation by releasing a Kinect-free model within its first year, releasing new models such as the Xbox One S and especially the Xbox One X, adding backwards compatibility with Xbox 360 and original Xbox titles, and making innovative services for playing games such as Game Pass.

* While ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'', ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'', and ''WesternAnimation/TangledTheSeries'' got Disney Channel's animation department back in shape, the network's live-action department had been struggling, as many of their shows since the debut of ''Series/HannahMontana'' in 2006 were seen as mediocre at best, mainly abiding to the GirlShowGhetto, with the few exceptions being ''Series/GoodLuckCharlie'', ''Series/LabRats'', and ''Series/GirlMeetsWorld''. Many of their least-liked series, like ''Series/CrashAndBernstein'' and ''Series/BestFriendsWhenever'' (both of which starred Landry Bender), were cancelled very quickly. In 2017, the network released ''Series/AndiMack'', a show with DarkerAndEdgier themes and no laugh track, which won over many fans. They also announced [[Series/RavensHome a new spinoff]] for ''Series/ThatsSoRaven'', a ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6'' series, a ''Bug Juice'' reboot, and a ''WesternAnimation/''{{DuckTales|2017}} reboot. These improvements, along with Nickelodeon's, stick out against Cartoon Network's, which some believe has [[AdoredByTheNetwork/TeenTitansGo entered another]] AudienceAlienatingEra.

* ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' had a rough time throughout the 2010s after riding high in the 2000s with multiple massive successes on the [=PlayStation=] 2 and 3. After the critical and commercial success of ''A Crack In Time'' the series entered something of a slump, with a [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankAll4One string]] [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankIntoTheNexus of]] [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankIntoTheNexus games]] that received mixed reception and which began a hiatus for the series aside from the [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2016 2016 remake]] which did well enough. ''Rift Apart'' received glowing reviews from fans and critics alike and was widely considered a return to form as well as one of the best games in the franchise, going on to sell four million copies.

* ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' had a rough time throughout the 2010s after riding high in the 2000s with multiple massive successes on the [=PlayStation=] 2 and 3. After the critical and commercial success of [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankACrackInTime]] the series entered something of a slump, with a [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankAll4One string]] [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankIntoTheNexus of]] [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankIntoTheNexus games]] that received mixed reception and which began a hiatus for the series aside from the [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2016 2016 remake]] which did well enough. ''Rift Apart'' received glowing reviews from fans and critics alike and was widely considered a return to form as well as one of the best games in the franchise, going on to sell four million copies.

* ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' had a rough time throughout the 2010s after riding high in the 2000s with multiple massive successes on the PlayStation 2 and 3. After the critical and commercial success of [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankACrackInTime]] the series entered something of a slump, with a [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankAll4One string]] [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankIntoTheNexus of]] [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankIntoTheNexus games]] that received mixed reception and which began a hiatus for the series aside from the [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2016 2016 remake]] which did well enough. ''Rift Apart'' received glowing reviews from fans and critics alike and was widely considered a return to form as well as one of the best games in the franchise, going on to sell four million copies.

* ''Franchise/RatchetAndClank'' had a rough time throughout the 2010s after riding high in the 2000s on the PS2 and PS3. After the critical and commercial success of '[[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankACrackInTime]] the series entered something of a slump, with a [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankAll4One string]] [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankIntoTheNexus of]] [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClankIntoTheNexus games]] that received mixed reception and which began a hiatus for the series aside from the [[VideoGame/RatchetAndClank2016 2016 remake]] which did well enough. ''Rift Apart'' received glowing reviews from fans and critics alike and was widely considered a return to form as well as one of the best games in the franchise, going on to sell four million copies.

* The entire ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' franchise was in a very precarious position for several years, largely due to an extended dry spell broken up only by the [[BrokenBase contentiously received]] (to say the least) ''VideoGame/MetroidPrimeFederationForce''. Fans of the franchise were left largely unsatisfied, a situation not helped by Nintendo completely ignoring the series' 30th anniversary and [[ScrewedByTheLawyers their DMCA takedown]] of ''VideoGame/AnotherMetroid2Remake''. Things seemed bleak until UsefulNotes/{{E3}} 2017, where ''Metroid'' came back with a vengeance and saw not one, but two new games announced: the long-desired ''Metroid Prime 4'' (for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch), and an official remake of ''VideoGame/MetroidIIReturnOfSamus'', entitled ''VideoGame/MetroidSamusReturns'' (for the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS). While the former [[TroubledProduction has yet to release]], the latter debuted later that year to critical praise and positive fan response, with those who were more lukewarm on the game's quality expressing that Samus truly had returned.

* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', for a time, after the [[SeasonalRot much-reviled Season 7]]: Peter's Jerkassery was toned down, Brian is no longer the AuthorAvatar everybody was sick of, Meg and Chris are getting more screentime, and the Meg bashing is much, much less blatant, [[CharacterRerailment Stewie starts to show glimpses of his old characterization]], the newer chapters have better storylines and fewer flashbacks and pop culture references (which, by the way, are more recent and easier to get than the obscure '70-'80s references that nobody recognized), the BlackComedy is less prominent, etc. There are even a few dramatic and serious moments once in a while. Later seasons eventually managed to lose this goodwill, though, for a variety of reasons best listed on other pages.