Personally, I actually really enjoyed the latest installments in the series, but it seems as though many fans will give up on the series if they continue going in the "action horror" direction, which, if true, would hurt sales and possibly indicate to Capcom that the series isn't worth continuing. Many fans are also angry because it seems that Capcom isn't listening to their feedback and is just doing what they think is right for the series, even though many fans disagree.
On another note, regarding the prequel idea, what would the gameplay be like if there wasn't a zombie apocalypse, or would it be released as something else like a movie or book or something?