Why Do Some Game Franchises Lose Their Original Audience?

[Lolita]

Long-running franchises often evolve, sometimes losing early fans. Is this caused by design changes, monetization models, or shifts in player expectations? How can developers modernize a franchise without alienating loyal players?

 

[Ravenfreak]

I think it's a bit of not knowing what the player's want and sometimes people just grow out of a franchise either due to age or their interests just change. I also think sometimes companies get too greedy and start charging way too much for features that should be cheaper or outright free.

 

[Nomad]

I think it usually happens when a franchise changes too much from what fans originally loved. Sometimes developers chase new trends and the core gameplay shifts, this makes older fans feel that the series lost its identity, so they slowly move on.