Why just because you don't think the FF's are great now?

the FACT is FF12's metacritic is as good as FF7

ALL FF games are AAA & are loved by millions & the franchise is still regarded as quality, so we can't say they are destroying the genre.

S-E are killing JRPG's in one way though......by not releasing FF13 quickly.....as once FF13 comes, JRPG fans will be on the HD consoles, allowing other JRPG's to also sell well, FF13 is a catalyst for the JRPG console movement, just like the other FF's were (FF7 & FF10)

Are you also going to tell me GTAIV is one of the greatest games of all time?  Sometimes critics just buy into the hype.

Also, regardless of quality, my point still stands about SE and other games with infinite budgets-- they set the bar rediculously high so that anyone that doesn't have an infinite budget just can't match them and are already considered inferior before they're even released based on nothing other than lack of advertising and it's not as pretty.

so critics bought into the hype, what SEVEN times

or lets count since FF7 (including FF7).....5 TIMES

It would be fine once, twice....that could be "buying into the hype"

but after 3 times & finally 5 times.....it starts to become a trend which proves the franchise aint crap, its respected & seen as fabulous by both the industry, gaming press & gamers.

_____________

your point about SE & infinite budget is correct........but is that unfair?

I would prefer getting FF's with infinite budgets & lots of quality, instead of SE not having high budgets to let other JRPG guys be successful

In the end I think it comes down to marketing thats the reason other JRPG's don't do as well, as you said. Thats not really fair, but maybe the other companies should for once RISK spending tons of marketing money!

What do you expect Resonance of Fate to do in the west BTW? thats a mega budget JRPG which SEGA stated they wanted to be their "FF" in the west.

So you would rather have one questonable RPG every five years that muscles out many other RPG's or a steady stream of RPG's?

....except for those two times?  So never except?

Also I wasn't just pointing to the main games, but speaking of the series overall.

These are consumer electronics... Every sales they get is fair... you could argue that it deserved more but not that it should have been more. Square Enix where able to make a franchise that's seen as the "Quality" RPG series on home consoles. Sure, there might be other games around that are better, and perhaps deserve to sell more, but Square did what they had to do sell their games. Ensure that when people hear "Final Fantasy" they think "Good".

If those steady streams are like Lost Oddesy's & Tales Of Vesperia's FINE

if they are like Infinite Undiscovery's, last remnants, esternal sonata's bla bla bla

HELL no!

We already get atleast ONE great JRPG a year, I don't see how S-E reducing FF's budget will lead to all those other devs makig mediocre JRPG's suddenly making good ones.

Its not S-E's fault other JRPG devs don't have the "guts" or will to market JRPG's to the west, SEGA has finally taken up the task, but tell me who else really did?

@Kenryoku

How?

What titles have been selling less & less after FF7?

Indeed, and that's their true mark on the industry.  Final Fantasy is a series about being noticed.  Even the series creator stated that was its purpose from the start.  A series about focusing on story and imitating the 'cenematic feel' of movies.  And seeing as how the first game was trying to revive a dying company, its only natural that it was made to gain attention, especially in a market with stiff competition from games like Dragon Quest and Phantasy Star.

In the end, Final Fantasy's major draw has always been about having the best graphics and the most marketing.  That's how it cornered its market and became the most popular JRPG in America.  It just so happens that this system is perfect for selling games in America.  In Japan however, a few other RPGs have made a bigger impact.

yes 2 others.....DQ & pokemon