1. I'm not saying it's a great system or defending it. I'm just pointing out that things sell and fail for reasons irrespective to consumer tastes or quality.

2. G4 and Paris Hilton don't matter to gamers like us, in fact the majority of advertising spent on games, at least in genres we follow doesn't to us. It influences other kinds of gamers.

3. Even in Chrono Trigger, exploitation was one point in the story, just like the slums in FFVII, or like you're speculating about XIII.

4. I've come to find over the years that those same games you're implying use the same kiddie gloves, just to a lesser extent. Xenogears may be mindblowing, but games like FFVII and Metal Gear surprised me as well. They're not as far and away as you pretend they are.