FordFairlane

Video game IP's have evolved from just a hero and a collection of villains into entire worlds and universes that they inhabit.  With the increased scope of IP's and the time and money now devoted to them, it's a great return on your investment to tell multiple stories in the same universe, especially if you're lucky enough to find one the public wants to experience over and over again.  HALO, MGS, Warcraft, Half-Life, Fable, Elder Scrolls, and Fallout spring to mind as not just great franchises, but worlds that people have shown the desire to inhabit over and over. 
I think this shift in focus from games to worlds is going to change the way the industry sees "sequels" and "spinoffs".

I think any portable installment in a franchise rooted on a big console (GoW: Chains of Olympus, MGS: Portable Ops & Peace Walker) would find an audience on PSN of people like me who don't own a PSP, but would still like to experience the entire story of these franchises.  I'd rather play through the game to see what happens than just look up cutscenes online to fill in the blanks.

If they truly ended the Solid Snake Saga in Guns of the Patriots, it would be wise to call this Metal Gear Rising.  Since it is MGS RIsing, I'm guessing that this is a spinoff and will not be the first chapter of a new Saga.

I guess the fundamental problem with his original point is that he's taking a wide array of criticisms and assuming they call come from the same group of people.

I'd say the lack of excitement has partly to do with the uncertainty about whether this is THE next Metal Gear Solid game or just a spinoff.  If this is Kojima's version of Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks for MGS, then it's a real downer.

So, Guns of the Patriots remains the White Whale for 360 users.  I'd say there's one year left for this to make it to the 360.

I still play through the entire Legacy of Kain saga every couple of years. 
The most compelling, complex story of any franchise I've played. 
Terrific dialogue delivered by the best cast of voice-actors ever. 
Interesting art-design and architecture.
(If only they could have found a compelling combat system.  Try as they might, they never really made combat fun.)

Sands of Time is probably my favorite game of the PS2 / XBox Generation.  It wasn't the biggest, most advanced, or most ambitious game, but it did what it set out to do very well, and really was a breath of fresh air.  The setting and art design were original and interesting, and they showed that you can use bright color at a time when every action game was using dull earth tones.  The story was not overly complicated, but it was told very well the right touch of humor and excellent voice acting.  The animations were outstanding, and the Princes platforming moves and acrobatic fighting style really made you feel like a badass. (Though I do admit Warrior Within's combat engine was better.)

I have to hand it to Ubisoft; from Prince of Persia to Assassin's Creed:  From art design, character design, superb animations, and solid voice-acting, they really know how to put a slick package together.

This is still installed on my computer, but my PC is five years old and Morrowind pushed it back then.  I do have GOTY for the XBox, so I might just use that one instead, but the mods are tough to live without.

It's impossible to say. Since many of my Fallout sessions come at night, I have woken up many times to see my character just standing there doing nothing after I've fallen asleep for hours on the couch with a controller in my hand...