There will never be a game like COD4 again, because the community has changed completely. It is no longer "I can't wait to see what they do in the next title"...
It is now "They BETTER do THIS in the next title or I'M NOT BUYING IT' or "The Game will suck if it doesn't have _____". Or Bring back this map or this gun.... rather than looking forward to or expecting innovation.
More folks approached it the way you stated, I think they'd be happier, and the game would be better for it.