Its really not hard. They have the lion’s share of IPs but not a single person there can take a risk on a new mechanic or feature. Their problem is they want high ROI in an industry that is largely based on ephemeral measurements. You can’t predict the next hit, so you have to climb out on limbs and take risks to stand out.
You can predict the next hit if you understand that a good game requires good game play. Just like a good movie requires good writing. But they hired EA, the sequel factory.
You say that, but Space Station 13 never became mainstream. Mischief Maker was left to rot and never remade. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles fucking removed the features we loved in the remake. Monster Rancher isn’t made anymore. Theres a host of IPs with great gameplay that are now lost to history. If it was so predictable companies would do it, because it makes money and companies solely exist to make money. But thats not the case. They churn out the same SaaS digital storefronts endlessly chasing the easy money. Nobody would have guessed Rainworld would have made the money it did, yet it triumphed. There is no formula for capturing the attention of apes with star-brains long enough to garner fame.