Why is it that developers think it's a good idea to make games based off of TV shows, anime,, books, or MOVIES. I just don't understand why someone believes these are good ideas.

Money. Stupid gamers buy them. It's a good idea for them.

First, your title sucks. No offense.

Second, its like merchandising. If something begins to make money, they will expand it into other revenues of entertainment in an attempt to make more money. It goes the other way, too. People make movies based off of video games all the time (granted, I've never really seen a successful blend of this particular hybrid), or making an OVA out of a game (for example, that overlooked gem Tales Of Symphonia).

Because they sell well.

Not every anime game or tv adaption sucks, I have to agree a lot of movie tie-ins have failed in new and interesting ways but a select few are gaming gold.

Because people will buy any kind of merchandise, especially if it adds to the source material.

Money. Lots and lots of money. Childs who really liked X movie will want X movie: The Game for Christmas or somesuch.

People buy them. And it's not limited to excitable kids, there's plenty adults happy to shell out their cash for latest hastily churned out piece of licensed tripe.

Rob Sharona:
People buy them. And it's not limited to excitable kids, there's plenty adults happy to shell out their cash for latest hastily churned out piece of licensed tripe.

who doesn't love tripe though...oh right, me.

Becuase they don't need to think up a concept or write a plot. And people want to be the hero that they've seen and loved on the big screen.

Because publishers give them money to do so.

because once in a blue moon they make half decent games like spider man ?

Its not so much a matter of why they make them (though Hell's Kitchen? That's one I really gotta question...) but the problem of, "Why do they always have to make them suck?" It'd be different if at least half of them them weren't utter shit.