I know you are a multi console owner, who in turn was never really affected by FFXIII's going MP. This is why I used you as an example. You previously stated that you also believed that SE was not in the place they once were as far as quality goes.

You, a person with no real bias or stake(for everyone to see) is to an extent in agreence with the majority of SE fans.

I love Squaresoft, they brought me FFVII, a game I cannot possibly love anymore then I do without becoming somekind of pervert. Yet the trends that SE has formulated this gen are a out right outrage to me.

I have played SO:TLH, feels a lot like SO3 to me. I have played IU and TLR, bloody awful games. The only games SE has pleased me with over the last few years is Crisis Core, War of the Lions, and FFTA2.

LEAVE SQUARE-ENIX ALONE! you bast*rds! after al she has been through. all you people care is making money of her SHE's A COMPANY!!!! what you do not realize is that square enix is getting so much money and you write a bunch of crap about her!!!! LEAVE BRITNE.. euhm i mean SQUARE ENIX ALONE plzzz. she's a proffesional LEAVE SQUARE ENIX ALONE i mean it! anyone who has a problem with square enix you deal with me!

I can understand people who love SquareEnix and bought a PS3 early on being pissed at them right now. Particularly if they don't want to or can't buy a 360, for whatever reason. FFXIII is taking a long time, and SE hasn't released a single game for the system in over 2 years, while the company has released around twenty games for the other systems on the market. Even the PC has better SE support... that's just weird.

When I first got a PS2 and walked into gamestop to check out what games I'd been missing, it was like walking into a Japanese import store. All kinds of rpgs and niche genres I'd never dreamed of actually playing called to me from the shelves. Who would have thought that the console that was so loved by Japanophiles (myself included) would be succeeded by such a drought?


However, anyone arguing that SquareEnix as an entire company has turned to rot needs look at the DS releases of the past month.

Dragon Quest V, Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume, and Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time are all games that are good enough to remind me of the old Squaresoft (or Enix, in the case of DQ...).

I've already beaten the first two games on that list, and a few hours of Echoes of Time has already convinced me that it's a HUGE improvement over the game they released last year. You can drop in and out of other people's games at any save spot in multiplayer and play through the entire story together (take that Molyneux,) the story is more concise and well-paced, like a SNES era game, with less annoying voice acting to muddle through, the controls have been improved, the difficulty is ramped up and much closer to Secret of Mana, the boss fights are fun and not too easy, the puzzles are less simplistic, the magic system has been improved, and you can play online with up to four people (haven't tried online play yet, though).
Basically, Echoes of Time is the game they wanted to make last year, but didn't have the time for. I am enjoying it immensely.

*edit*  Oh yeah, and there's now a chrono-trigger style world map where you can jump around and beat up your friends while you explore.

If you're a big RPG fan and find yourself visiting more and more forums in the hopes of finding news about RPGs for the PS3, I highly recommend picking up a DS. You can probably find one for cheap, and they'll be even cheaper once the DSi comes out. The great console games will come (I hope), but for me this is looking like the year of the DS, with the quantity of 2008 and the quality stepped up to a whole new level.

There is also a reason why it sells so little in the West and why Atlus is about to post huge losses. 

Actually, if you think about it, Persona 4 actually sold pretty well.  Most Atlus(USA) games don't even get close to 100K LTD yet Persona 4 manages to get to 200K sales in three months with a garentee that it will come close to if not quite get to 300K LTD(USA sales only).  Atlus's huge losses or more to due economic recession and the vast quanity of niche games they release then the sales faliure of one game.  Persona 4 is also quite possibly the best selling SMT game ever.

Here we go. It all starts to unravel and the truth starts spilling out.

The first mistake you made is to assume with this quote...

"(at least 75%,50 being PS3 and 25 from 360 and Wii)"

...that Square's entire fanbase consists of console owners.

It's always been painfully obvious that Square leans heavily on the Japanese audience to measure where their gaming software is going. The recent comments about trying to attract a western audience is why the 360 and not the PS3 received three mediocre(in my opinion and seemingly yours also) RPGs. At the time the Wii had not settled it's dominance in America and the 360 was the console of choice. I wouldn't be surprised to find out some money changed hands, but the 360's western position made it all the easier to accept those funds and throw some B-level quality work at the audience to see if anything sticks.

Now let's see something really funny.

@your bolded statement: Square is not supporting Sony fans? Let me show you where you're painfully wrong.

PSP

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy I
Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions
Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth
Star Ocean: First Departure
Star Ocean: Second Evolution
Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
Dissidia: Final Fantasy
Parasite Eve: The 3rd Birthday
Final Fantasy Agito XIII

PS3

Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy Versus XIII
Crystal Defenders
The Last Remnant
Untitled Square Enix MMO Project

Now you'll notice there are more PSP games. Well it's been out longer and it's far more of a success in Japan than the PS3 is. More Sony fans own a PSP, so Square went where the fans are. There are 12 million Japanese PSP owners and only 3 million PS3 owners. PSP sales are continuously higher in Japan even as we speak (also worldwide). The gap will only widen. It is good business to put your games where the majority of your "Sony fans" can get them. That is obviously not the PS3.

This may come as a shock to you, but strong Japanese sales are also why the DS gets so much attention. You see Square realized in 1996 when they dumped Nintendo that fans would not necessarily stick with them, so they went with the more profitable venture. Back then it was a CD format coupled with the Sony Playstation. Now it's little UMDs and carts courtesy of two monster handhelds.

You claim to be a Square Enix fan, but no self respecting Square Enix fan I know would deprive himself of owning their primary platform, especially with how low it's entry point is. The DS is the new Playstation. It is the new Playstation 2. Sony fans are getting a really good fill though on their own handheld but ultimately Square is in bed with the DS, and those that choose to ignore that will get left behind. You bitch about Square's lack of quality all you want while still wishing for Star Ocean 4 on the PS3. I'm going to go play Valkyrie Profile on my DS.

Well a lot of ppl on this site like TWEWY & Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon, so i think they are still coming out with good games.

well, I tried to say it in a nicer way, but yeah, I agree with you, Onyx.

And I thought Covenant of the Plume was really good -- just make sure you upgrade your armour when you can, even if it only seems like a small increase.  A lot of people have complained about the difficulty, but I like how the game throws difficulty spikes in your face and gives you a way out (you can always make a deal with the devil).  And those deals you make actually affect the story.  It's actually surprisingly innovative coming from square enix, which is why it reminds me of the SNES or PS1 era games.

Do you like it so far?

I do like it so far. Unfortunately I have DS ADD so I'm always skipping between games. It has a lot of great new ideas in it, which is why I don't undersand these arguments that Square is falling off. If anything, last generation was a far more stagnant time for them than this one is.

@Onyx

I already clarified 75% remark.

75% of those at odds with SE right now are PS3/360/Wii owners, NOT fanbase.

READ ppl!