A Very Fresh Prince

With a short hop, the Prince launches himself onto a canyon wall. He gracefully races across its face--circumnavigating a chasm that would send long jumpers plummeting to their demise--before dropping, safely, onto a rocky outcropping. A hop over the edge of his perch and he plummets. But instead of smashing on the stones below, he glides to the ground--his descent controlled by a taloned gauntlet biting into the rock.

It is like watching the purposeful yet effortless acrobatics of Chow Yun Fat and Michelle Yeoh in Hidden Tiger, Crouching Dragon. Only this is the new "Prince of Persia." Arriving in stores Tuesday, "Prince" returns to Persia--its fantastical vistas, acrobatics and swordplay--after a three-year hiatus from home consoles.

The hope: That by giving the franchise a rest and a fresh look, Ubisoft will increase consumer demand for the title.

Ubisoft's first "Prince of Persia," which was based on a series started by game designer Jordan Mechner in 1989, launched in 2003 to critical acclaim for its combination of wall-running acrobatics and slow-motion combat. Subtitled "The Sands of Time," the game has sold nearly 1.5 million copies in the U.S., according to market research firm NPD Group.

A year later, Ubisoft released the sequel, "Warrior Within." It was compared favorably with its predecessor but sold less than one million copies in the U.S. The 2005 version, "Two Thrones," sold only 883,000 copies.

Notice a pattern? No single factor can claim all the credit for the diminishing returns--be it new competition or consumers transitioning to new consoles--but part of the problem with "Prince" was Ubisoft's decision to release the title annually.

It is a tactic adopted by the industry's largest players like Activision Blizzard (nasdaq: ATVI - news - people ) and Electronic Arts (nasdaq: ERTS - news - people ). By pumping resources into existing brands, you can guarantee a certain amount of stability in your portfolio. That's one of the main reasons there's an annual update to EA's "Madden" and Activision's "Call of Duty."