I think it is a very smart move from a business and collector perspective. Prizm was a big hit. Collectors loved it and it became Panini's flagship product. They found a formula that resonated with collectors and they stuck with it. Keep giving those original collectors what they want by creating a design that reflects the prizm formula - chrome stock of an action shot with background imagery and framed in a retro, sharp, angled border. You don't change a winning product, you tweak it. And to cater for new customer's and different tastes you release other chrome products with different designs - Optic, Contenders, Select, etc.
This is nothing new and is exactly what Topps did as well. Topps Chrome have a very similar feel over the years 2003-2009. They also released different refractor stock designs to cater for different tastes like Finest, Bowman, Pristine, etc.