The idea of the sequel has been a tool of marketers for years, and with good reason - if the public likes the first game, chances are they'll buy a game that continues the story or theme. Franchise licenses are similar: A fan of the Star Wars movies will be more likely to buy a Star Wars game. Unfortunately, these marketing strategies are no guarantee that the product will live up to the name, and too often, the sequel to a great game will fail to meet the heightened expectations of fans.

We asked our editors to pick their favorite game series or franchise, one that has consistently produced good games, or one that has produced enough good games that the occasional failures can be overlooked. Read on to hear their choices, and then read your responses to last week's question: Is governmental regulation of the game industry necessary? Finally, don't forget to e-mail your choice for the best game franchise to Ask-the-Editors@gamespot.com. Your answer could appear in next week's feature.