what has it become?

Its that mentality that's killing all the other franchises in SE.  When people only care about FF.

And in this case, just one song was changed.  Whereas in other games, entire games content was altered from names being changed to half the dialogue missing.

Simply saying 'it doesn't matter unless it happens to Final Fantasy' is no excuse.  It gives them a reason to keep doing it UNTIL they start doing it to Final Fantasy.

@Riachu: A shell of it's former self. The lack of Sakaguchi's influence and the increased influence of Nomura has changed the atmosphere of the games. FFX was mired with annoying characters and a predictable linear story, and while it was visually great, had good combat and character development systems, etc, it just didn't 'feel' like it's predecessors. FFXII suffers similar problems, the story is to detached, the combat is less then steller, and once again the story was predictable and just not very enjoyable. I miss what FF use to be.

Nomura does go for more androgynous characters(not that Sakuguchi's games didn't have any of that), I will give you that.  But I disagree about the series being a shell of its former self.

Well thankfully it looks like Final Fantasy Gaiden for DS, made by a totally independent team not connected to Nomura, is trying to kind of revive  to 'old' Final Fantasy style.  But yes, on the whole, Final Fantasy is nowhere near what it use to be.  Though in some ways, that's good, as the entire point of the series was to constantly push the envelope and evolve.  That's how it set itself apart from its competition initially (from series such as Dragon Quest and Phantasy Star) and remain in its current position.  But along the way, it did seem to focus so much on graphics and storyline that it forgot about allowing the player to, you know....play the game and have fun. 

I think FFX and XII, while having very unique and engaging battle engines, were also some of the most dialogue heavy RPGs out there.  Aside from probably Final Fantasy Tactics and Suikoden V (that's 3 out of 4 being FF games).

Let me say it like this: why should I care if they change games I dont play? I care about FF because FF is the game I will be playing, and a lot of people will be playing it too and they care.

OT: the song sucks, I hate these singers and their stuff. Out of all the artists they couldve chosen they chose this typical pop/R&B singer, anyways I never liked the inclusion of non orchestal songs in these games, but kiss me goodbye was better than this, but like I said, the orchestal OST is really good so it doesnt matter a lot to me.

did xenogears and xenosaga suddenly stopped existing?

I forgot to mention Persona 4.  One part of the game(the events of december 3rd and right after) had a 45 minute cutscene followed by a save point followed by another 45 minute cutscene

I actually agree with that blog, Japanese game music is just so fresh and elegant to me. Western pop music is trash in my eyes, I hear and see that shit all the time and I'm fed up and now we're gonna hear the same atrocious whining on games, and RPG at that?!
Dammit!
The legendary music from the SNES era and other FF games should be a testament that some things are best left untainted by Western commercialism and that videogame music should remain as is; different.

Mummelmann said: I actually agree with that blog, Japanese game music is just so fresh and elegant to me. Western pop music is trash in my eyes, I hear and see that shit all the time and I'm fed up and now we're gonna hear the same atrocious whining on games, and RPG at that?! Dammit! The legendary music from the SNES era and other FF games should be a testament that some things are best left untainted by Western commercialism and that videogame music should remain as is; different.

I thought it was hillarious when they were blatantly promoting the singer's album in the middle of the release date video...

I dunno, that video was just so... bizzare XD

It felt like it was a Scientology video or something.