Final Fantasy isn't dead

[Skyblade]

I think we also need to factor in the fact that we’re all pretty no longer the target audience for these games

Which is a poor business decision, we are the age demographic that are buying it as we are still loyal to the brand. Go on an FF subreddit or to an FF concert and you tell me what age group you see there. Or go to a nerdy store and see what age group is looking at FF merch. Spoiler: It's them dang millennials.

Their intended target audience is more interested in Fortnite, CoD, FNAF, Minecraft, etc. Generation Z are growing up in the era of online console multiplayer and streaming. FF does not lend itself to either of those well.

Personal Opinion: They're targeting both demographics. They're putting in as much as possible to keep that Final Fantasy feel for us older folk while still changing the genre to adapt to a new audience so that FF doesn't rely 100% on a bunch of people that will, eventually, phase out of any real importance to the gaming industry.

The thing is, I don't think this is a successful long term strategy. I could be wrong, though. We'll have to see.

Honestly if SE went Nintendo-style with their visuals - ie, went down the road of Kingdom Hearts / World of Final Fantasy - I do wonder how much faster they'd churn out games... and how much that would impact sales, too, of course. I really enjoyed WoFF, so much.

Honestly, I think that Square hasn't need to do anything with graphics since KH2. The graphics are fine. Quit building new graphics engines and just make games. Their best games have all been stylized, not hyper realistic.

I think we also need to factor in the fact that we’re all pretty no longer the target audience for these games

yeah was thinking this too. FFXV, FFXIII etc are all aimed for those who would've had their "entry " into the series with Kingdom Hearts and Crisis Core.



Bravely Default is for us grandpas and grandmas.

And here is the correct answer.

Final Fantasy is dead.

But who cares?

We have Bravely Default, I Am Setsuna, and soon Octopath Traveler. Square is starting to make their classic RPGs anymore, and I really don't care if they have the name and logo tacked on them. The Final Fantasy brand doesn't mean anything anymore, except that it's a franchise Square's corporate suits are going to pour over and test with focus groups until its a bland, generic mess that "appeals to everyone". Let them. We're still getting actual RPGs from them again.