Word is that the game will have two 'main' characters, built to appeal to different audiences. A young bishounen hero for the typical Japanese audience and a darker more masculine character to appeal to the Western audience.

Now while I tend to like both kinds of characters, depending on their personalities, I find this an interesting attempt to please everyone. I wonder how well it will work and if it is truly necessary to create such a diversity in order to draw everyone in.

I don't think it is necessary. Its pretty stereotypical, they think that Asain gamers automatically buy anything with a young blond hero and that English players will automatically buy it because of the goth badass character.

It's funny, because I know plenty of Western gamers that are fine with the bishounen type character, but then when I have threads in GFF that say "Vaan is gay", I really wonder.

Granted it also a question of maturity, but it does make you wonder if that kind of feedback is what led SE to make these dual main characters.

I wonder if the game will be like Arc the Lad Twilight of the Sprits. Like, them having two main characters and their separate stories and then them finally meeting up.

^ agreed, in every RPG... The producers always make one character stand out above another, even if by a little.

Perfect example: Vaan from FF12

Not one character in Final Fantasy XII was the main focus in my opinion. There wasn't much background on any of the characters to be honest.

I believe Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits pulled off two main characters perfectly. Switching between stories wasn't something I minded at all. The story in the game was great and part of it is credited to how they went about switching main characters, who eventually do meet.

I agree, but all the commercials, the prologue, and the character in the next game is Vaan. Besides, to me, even if it was very small, I thought they did put my focus on Vaan.

The cover of the CD also has Vaan in the #1 position. Vaan is considered the main character, but I do agree that he is a week one.

Now, hopefully with only two, they should do a little better.

It isn't a bad idea at all. It's nice to see a different approach. Keeps things interesting.

the trailer made me think of the Conqueror betraying or tricking/using Rush Sykes into doing what he wants. Rush does attack the Conqueror in the trailer, but didnt SE stat that they had two main characters to appeal to the different parts of the world.

This is how I see it going:
Conqueror helps you at first --> betrays you and you have boss fight type of event --> realizes his mistakes and comes back to help you in the final battle.