>>11945987
>RE4's lesser difficulty was a big part of the success?

Yes.
Have you ever checked the list of greatest games of all time?
All piss easy games.
If journalists manage to finish a game, they start praising it and speaking highly of it. Average players, influenced by them, then buy these games, and since they are easy, they can also finish them and, through word of mouth, promote them to their friends. That’s why baby-difficulty games are considered masterpieces like Symphony of the Night, Mario 64, FF7, Half-Life.
Because the average player can’t handle difficult games. But it’s this average player who buys most of the games.
Hardcore players are busy dedicating themselves to mastering specific games (shmups, fighting games, multiplayer) they don't care about buying games that often.