Release date of PS2 in the UK 24th November 2000, release date of FF 9 in the UK, 16th February 2001. Such things can affect sales numbers.

Just to put an end to this debate before it even gets going. Ka-pi, in the UK we had the Expert Grid from the get go, so you could choose the simple one or Expert and so if you wanted make Rikku the main mage and all that, you could, but the original Japanese game and US release didn't have the Expert grid so their experience was more limited to the path set by the game more than us.

While it did allow some movement and side paths, it wasn't that great if you wanted for say Tidus to learn fire like the game narrative suggest at one point it was harder.

It's actually a big complaint I have with FF13. The game, as linear as it was, also had a linear magic system where once the characters were set at their 3 types of ability, it was left like that pretty much. Those paths were set, all you did was 'press X to increase the stat'. Very dull and no diversity at all, you couldn't make Vanille the damage dealer or stuff like that (well you could but it cost to much early so there was no point until late game when I was near done with the game and jsut wanted it over with).

Yes exactly...this lack of freedom..is what hurt the genre....I had a newer version of FFX that had expert mode and i was all excited...it literally was like playing a new game!