Mido
Version 1
For a long-running game series, the identity it fosters either from the onset or over a long period of time establishes how an audiences perceives the series. Through this perception, a series leaves behind a very specific impact among its audience. While this identity allows for a series to sustain itself for years to come, there also emerges the potential of this identity to become stale which forces games to attempt to evolve by either drastically changing its identity or making minor adjustments to it. Attempts to evolve are often risky endeavors with a notable consequence often emerging in the form of split fanbase, one side approving of the series' evolution and the other side clamoring for a return to the old ways if the attempts at evolving do not satisfy. Consequences such as the aforementioned split fanbase often force developers into the following crossroads: 1. The developers embrace their attempt to evolve a series. 2. The developers return the series to its previous identity. Both options risk alienating fans, but only one decision of the two can be made unless developers cleverly take a third route (with this forum poster looking to the Super Mario series as an example of third-option fun and games). Long-winded preface aside, what do you all think?