This probably deserves it's own thread, but...

If anyone has noticed 2 major things with XIV and XIII-2 it should be this:

In both games, SE is making changes that customers want.

This in itself speaks large volumes, and it will shape the future of Final Fantasy. Even though FFXIII was a financial success, it was not a critical success. When their flagship series takes huge plummet as it did with XIV, you knew things had to change. The concept of listening to what the customer wants is fairly new to Final Fantasy. Up until this point, it has always been a concept created by the designers, and given to us to love or hate. Until now, that idea has worked, letting the creative juices flow unhindered benefited the series.

Somewhere along the way, it was dictated that SE knows that we wanted, and it could be done without the series creator. It could be done without Amano designs, or Uematsu's music. Now SE is so determined to make things different, they forgot about what gave FF it's charm. Now they are forced to adapt the series for a new generation, and they are having trouble doing so. If they are to remain a player, they must remain a pioneer, and not just graphically because those Hi-Def standards have already been met by them. They must be inventive in their game-play, and their story telling. If anyone has played The World Ends With You, they should know that SE can still do it. It is one fantastic game, full of great game-play and an emotional story left for interpretation. If I were them, I would examine why that game was such a critical success. I've not heard many talk poorly of it, a sleeper hit for sure.

You can only wow people with graphics once per generation, after that you need something more. FFXIII was late to the HD game, coming in 2010. This meant that it didn't have the graphics bang that SE had probably hoped for to push the boundaries. To combat this, they must do it with game-play and story telling as the line between graphics and reality become blurred. After that it's up to the art direction, storytelling, and game-play choices.

Raise the bar, come up with something different and fun while maintaining your standards, and you will have your Final Fantasy fans back. Most of us are not far away.