FF's problem seems to be three pronged.
1) Because its gameplay varies greatly between entries and each story is self-contained, it lacks a cohesive and continuous identity. As a result, its fanbase is fractured, and liking one or more entries does not mean one will necessarily be inclined to buy the next one.
2) One thing it has tried to build an identity around is having lavish graphics, but that has kept it off portable systems, which is where Japan prefers to play.
3) As a result of this and the decline of home consoles in Japan since the PS2, the series has very little pull with anyone who started gaming after the 6th generation. Young people never played it growing up, so they have no attachment to the series.
Personally, I'm playing through FF16 myself at the moment (though I'm not Japanese for the record lmao) and I am quite enjoying it, but I have no nostalgia for FF7 so I'm not interested in Remake/Rebirth.
Last edited by curl-6 - on 18 March 2024
