Quote Originally Posted by Bolivar View Post
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.
I understand, and I agree with you but I do feel that many of the major series are designed for a wider and somewhat more casual market in that they are designed for greater mass appeal. I'm still a bit miffed about the changes done to MGS4's gameplay...

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.
I seriously don't want to meet these people. Still I feel that several companies could get more out of some of their lesser known works if they just did more PR for them. Not to mention they don;t take hints like Capcom telling fans to stop asking about the next Breath of Fire or Squenix itself releasing a statement about no plans for a sequel to the Chrono series so please stop asking... I really wish I could meet some of their testers and focus groups.

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.
Yes, but it had a resolution, which VII did not. We actually get to see some conclusion to this ordeal whereas we never really get to see such a thing in VII. They could have at least kept up the theme in the story to the end. Not even with the Compilation, this theme is pretty much gone and forgotten.

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.
Ok... you are going to have to tell me how Xenogears uses kiddie gloves. This I would like to hear