But after running for many years, what started out as an original concept became rather formulaic, and with the tale of Amuro and Char concluded with CHAR'S COUNTERATTACK, it was time to start a new story arc. Unfortunately, Tomino's attempt to steer the story in a new direction with F91 and VICTORY met with lukewarm response from a viewer base that had grown too attached to the Zeon vs. Federation story line. Side stories such as 0080 and 0083, which adhered more closely to the One Year War setting, fared much better with fans as a result. The long-running series now faced a problem: there was only so much room to shoehorn new plots into the already-crowded timeline. And while the sheer depth and complexity of the Gundam universe was often touted as its strength, it also became a weakness when trying to attract new viewers to the franchise. For a newcomer, trying to get up to speed on the classic saga is like taking a history, politics, and physics class all in one. And who wants to hit the books just to get into a series? With little room left to maneuver in the existing universe, the owners of the Gundam franchise tried a different tactic: they started over. By creating new settings, it became no longer necessary to learn the background of the original. The cool-looking Gundams and the Gundam "brand name" served to attract viewers both old and new, while the fresh perspectives provided by the top-notch creators gave the franchise a much-needed shot in the arm. And thus started the next generation of Gundam... Next: Mobile Fight G Gundam