It is not that it is an impossible bar, but it is a bar that Square is setting for themselves and will fail to meet time after time because they won't get those who would sit in front of the game for hours on end.
Take for example, Final Fantasy XIII. One of the weakest reviewed games in Western media history involving any Final Fantasy title. Now if 10 million people bought the game, and this is for the sake of argument, at $60, then Square would earn $60 million on Final Fantasy XIII sales. Even if half of those who bought the game returned or sold the game for $40 wouldn't matter to Square's bottom line. They already have your gaming $$ for the month, and wouldn't care what you think if you bought a bad game from them from the IGNs of the world.
The whole point is that if Square themselves are using Final Fantasy VII as a bench mark for how their Final Fantasies should be before they consider a true remake, then they will never meet the standard both internally and in the fans eyes.
I honestly domt think that will be an isssue. If a game provides a vast world and freedom with various monigames. It maybe good. I dont see how modeling after ff7 would turn out bad. Of course it would have to be original.~~~~