Who is Still Playing Final Fantasy?

People who were fans of the series Final Fantasy when it started were playing Final Fantasy 4 and 6 (maybe 1). Then came FF7. It brought in many, many new fans to the franchise and to the RPG genre, but because it was so different, it also challenged many of the people who were already FF fans. FF 8 and 9 challenged almost everyone. After the abhorred 10, most of us jumped ship. In fact, most people turned off their PS2s at the same point in the game, or at least that's the impression I've been given. By 10, the mind behind the franchise, Hironobu Sakaguchi, was no longer serving in a creative capacity anyway.

If I wrote a play, it wouldn't be a Shakespear. If I made a painting it wouldn't be a di Vinci. If Hironobu Sakaguchi did not produce a game then it's not a Final Fantasy. It's not Final Fantasy anymore. The last one was 9. What was once a title for a series of stories has now become a brand name. The new games being marketed to us with the title Final Fantasy should be distinguished from the ones Hironobo made. Classic FF and New FF.

So who is still playing FF? I know that some people who are still playing FF are admittedly foolishly hoping that the next game will manage to recapture the old magic. Time to pull the cord.