Solid Ronin wrote:I never understand that logic. If something isn't doing as well as you want it why change so much about it and try to pass it off as the same? You're only going to alienate the original fans and since it's still going by the same name the people you want to buy it are just as likely to pass it off, Granted that may be why they're going with the title "DMC".
They've done it with Final Fantasy for YEARS. No Final Fantasy game has been exactly the same as another. They all have different magic systems, weapon systems, ability systems, and so on. Yes, you get the people (like me) who say "This just isn't a Final Fantasy game!" Remember me saying that about 13? I still stand behind it. But guess what? It still sold like hotcakes despite all the vocal fans complaining about it.
Because ultimately, the fans of the series, even if they feel betrayed, will
usually give in and play it in the end. Hey, I did it with 12. Remember when I said I'd never play 12 because it was stupid and the game plays itself and all that? And guess what? I ended up buying it after all and playing it.
Now I still haven't played 13 (and never will), but my point is that usually while they lose some fans from it, they gain enough new ones that it evens out and sometimes even does better.
Also,
usually fans cling onto something other than visual aesthetic as to why a game isn't "x." For me with XIII, it was a lot of gameplay stuff that turned me off to it. Admittedly, I did say "No way I'm done with this game" as soon as I saw the Transformers summons, but had the game played similarly to past installments, I would've bought it eventually despite that.
Now occasionally you will get the rare game that alienates everybody...such as say, Bomberman: Act Zero. But this usually doesn't do too much damage to the game's reputation. I mean...you and most of the other DMC fans here bought DMC 3 and 4 after you played 2, right? That's what I mean by brand loyalty. You can make a crap game and fans will still usually buy it, and be mad, but usually buy the next game anyway because they're brand loyal.
Sonic has been doing it for years.