I'll admit I haven't checked out the sales figures for this, so I don't if it's accurate to call it "dying", but I thought Hitman: Absolution was a huge step in the wrong direction and fear the series may be going down a dark path.
There's an over-emphasis on the character and the story that I think is wrong-headed for this particular franchise and I think it severely limits the gameplay. Also, attempting to make 47 an engaging character is pointless. We like him for the things he lets us do, and the puzzles that come with it, not for his inner turmoil or whatever motivations. By his design, he should remain unsympathetic.
If they want to make Hitman all he can be, they need to backtrack to Blood Money, the best one, then shoot off in a different direction than the one they took. I've always felt like the series' premise is perfect for a game that doesn't have to rely on forward moving "cinematic" narrative to be enjoyable, and could probably do away almost entirely with linearity.
For example, a globe-trotting game with contract based missions, independent of one another, that a player can choose from as he or she sees fit. This wouldn't mean that the game would have to do away with story, just that it wouldn't need a traditional plotline. Interesting story elements can be delivered in all kinds of ways, like simple dialogue, level design (set dressing), explorative or collected background info, etc.
The "scoring" system could also use a lot of improvement, but that's more nitpicking. The one in Blood Money was pretty good, and I would love to see something like that but with a lot more diversity. And anyone who's played Absolution knows that it was absolute crap in that game.
But yeah, the ultimate conclusion (that any poster in this thread should come to) is that whatever company is running that franchise I love into the ground would benefit best by hiring me.
