...do I really have to say it again?

It's not up for debate. It's a fact. The game is called "FINAL FANTASY" because it was supposed to be Square's last RPG before they went out of business. They didn't expect to make a ton of money off of it. The fans wanted more, so it turned into a series. Period. Plain and simple.

It wasn't a marketing strategy, and it wasn't supposed to be a success.

Read the first post, which has the statements from Square and its representatives.