I think Del Murder explained my point fairly well. There is a clear difference between the grind rates of the earlier games and the newer ones, and that difference is getting worse. In FFXIII, you can't get any more powerful weapons at all without engaging in the grind-fest.

Yes, there have usually been some huge, ultra-powerful gear only availible via rare drops in the games. But it has never been the basis of the entire equipment system.

And thanks for the link, Vivi22. I do like Extra Credit's explanations, and I think they are right on with that idea. Except that some games fail to make even that methodology engaging.