That's my impression too. FF XII was the last game of theirs I really liked. I'd have to go back to Secret of Mana for another one I liked nearly as well. They lost me with FF VII and beyond. I feel like a helpless slave to the plot lines in most of them. I thought they had started to turn themselves around with XII, but then XIII happened. So yeah, they do whatever they want, without factoring in commercial response. That's an admirable attitude, for starving artists.