While I will agree that Square has had a few good RPGs in the past, I can't say that they are my favorite company anymore. Square has made us laugh, cry, smile, frown, and challenge our very beliefs and morals. What you have said is that Square is the only company that does that. Let me say that RPGs are everywhere. Square is one of a hundred companies that make them. If it were on PC or on Playstation it makes no difference. One of my personal favorites is the Might and Magic series by 3DO. Now you can't tell me that this series is not incredibly popular. The game has everything is should and more. Just like many of Square's games, the M&M games are also superbly done.

As for Square's market share, it may be a portion of the market but it is nothing more than a foothold. The industry changes so often that all a game company can do is hold on to their own piece of the puzzle. Perhaps you know the story behind the naming of the Final Fantasy series. If memory serves me correctly, I believe it was because the company was dying fast and this game was to be their "Final." It was only thought that one game would be made before the company was forever dissolved. Now we have Final Fantasy VIII released across the planet and FFIX rumored to be under development. Now I can't totally disagree with you, the games Square makes have captivated me just as much as anyone else. When you say that they stand out in the genre it's all because of the name. Final Fantasy is something even non-gamers have heard of. We can't hide from that. When a RPG gamer hears "Final Fantasy," they immediately listen and want to know about it. It's a household name. I suppose it's almost something of an addiction. We need Final Fantasy games. It's that simple.

We may not know it, but if FFIX was to be the last in the series, people would be upset to say the least. So you may all go out and gather up the game and preserve it for all history. 10 years later you may be saying, "Ultima 23: Very Rapid Ascencion is going to be out in three days! I can't wait. Oh yeah, whatever happened to Final Fantasy? And who made them again? Triangle?" We are so addicted to the series that it has become just a memory we have latched on to. The last time a Final Fantasy game really got me hooked was Final Fantasy 3. It has been too long since the series could keep me in my chair for hours without any distraction. It has been too long since the gameplay came first, then graphics or other aspects. I am really displeased that Square hasn't kept the series more pure. While they have some nice games, they did what they could to make money. That is the bottom line.

They don't stand out, they don't have great stories, and they don't have an attitude. We just need them. They know that. They are a company, not our parents who will give us a game for being good and praising the previous ones. They want money. They make games so we can give them money. It all comes down to money. Without it, Square would be deader than a doornail.

Written by ArchAngel