Blue Mage might actually be a good thing.

[Sigma-Astra]

This minigame is conceptually so much more interesting than another job to level and ignore.

....And won't people ignore this minigame once they're through with it? I mean, I'm not sure how that's conceptually much more interesting when what you argue can be done with Blue Mage.

Hell, look at Gold Saucer. If that was so much more conceptually interesting, than don't you think that place would be packed every day with people screaming "I love the Gold Saucer! I'm there everyday!"

Yea, no one says that about minigames at the Gold Saucer, except Yuffie maybe.