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Now that you've tackled your first XNA project, where will the both of you go from here? I assume programming the engine took a hefty amount of time, and with that out of the way is it clear sailing for spiritual successors, prequels, or even just games that can somehow build off the same engine?

In a way, I think you've sort of pioneered your way into a infant genre with a lot of potential. I'm eager to see where you go from here.

We will be focusing on promoting this game for a while. There is no new game in the works, but you never know what the future will bring.

I think a trilogy would be great

a new trilogy, new chracters (although I'd hate to see Crystal go) with a larger world and longer story (maybe with an extra mechanic to mix things up abit e.g:time travel so you can change what people do in the past to change the present)

also, if you ever decided make a sequel or prequel to Lights End (personally i would recommend that you didn't as it would belittle the significance of the original - instead i would suggest a similar game in a different universe perhaps using the technical assests of the original saving crucial development time), to slightly solve the financial side of things one could charge a higher price point in knowledge that people who enjoyed Lights End would support any such theoretical 'sequel'.

lets say two years down the line and you had made a game twice as long and twice as 'deep', i for one would have no qualms paying 800ms points for it in the knowledge that based upon the original, the developers know how to make a good story focused game.

I think a trilogy would be better, same tech as the original but with higher quality in general then you could still sell each part for 200 msp (800 msp is too much, 200 msp means people can buy a map pack and the game) but still get lots more money.

you might want to make it more accessable to the mainstream games who won't buy the first while also adding side 'dungeons' so too speak.

maybe with two main characters who are completley seperate but intertwine with each others seperate stories (love sub plot?) one with a more action and puzzle orientated story and one with a more social and puzzle story.

i wholeheartedly disagree with the first idea - why should one pander to any market audience? instead one should just make the game they want to make; express themesleves artistically and then let it flow regardless of how mainstream or hardcore it is.

the second idea however would be a decent idea in any game

I'm not so sure I'd want to see Light's End milked too much to make a sequel, prequel or trilogy. It'd be nice to have it as its own stand-alone game and for a future game to maybe use the technology to make a new game of the same type as Light's End.

I think too many games are milked to give francises these days and it often ruins the feel of the original, and if you are going to do a sequel then please don't set out for a trilogy, just make a sequel as it is and then see what happens.

Instead of making a direct sequel or prequel, perhaps make a new story but in the same settings. Such as, say 5 years after this one ended, the player has a whole new story but is surrounded by symbols and people from Lights End. They could have a conversation with Crystal and them during the game and see familiar faces and places, but meet and see new ones as well.

As much as I'd like to have a sequel or whatnot, I've always seemed to have this other idea stuck in my head: how about the adventures of Poompop? With his constant jibber jabber and "unique" theme song, that'd be a sure-fire way to attract attention!!

That would be quite unique. It would be interesting to see Poompop's history.