but i think overall it was the graphics and move to the "one icon" system that turned people off. (before this, the sierra games had had different icons for look, talk, use, etc. that gave the player a lot more freedom of interaction than KQ7's hotspots.)
Having played KQ7 first, THEN when my next game (The Lost Files of Sherlock Homes) had several different icons as you describe, I thought the interface was clumsy and repetitive. Why miss the solution to something because you only used the "look" icon and not the "use" icon, or vice versa? Why miss the solution because you only said to "use book on table" instead of "use table on book"? It seemed silly to me. I thought it was a dinosaur interface left over from the text adventures. I guess perceptions really do differ!
Interesting about Roberta and Kings Quest 8. I read an interview with Ken Williams recently (forgotten exactly where) that described some of the things that went on in the transition. It is very strange, but the interview chiefly left me angry.
I was angry that Ken and Roberta are cruising somewhere on a yacht while so many employees have lost their jobs. I was angry that a company that made so many adventure games (even though they maybe didn't sell as well as other games at the time) is now strictly focused on the bottom line.
It's irrational -- Ken and Roberta don't owe anybody anything. They entertained a lot of people for a lot of years through their games. They employed a lot of people at the same time. They were innovators and they left a distinctive mark, most of which was positive.
They don't owe me a Kings Quest 9 with updated graphics, terrific story and innovative interface. No, they really don't.