[bmah]

I'd love to see a video! Here are my thoughts:

I don't think rhythm games at this point are obscure; rather, they're often viewed as a niche genre. I can think of a few things off the top of my head as to why rhythm games feel more niche than other game genres:

1) Not everybody can maintain a good internal rhythm.
I feel that other genres may be more accessible to the general public, while rhythm games seem to be more open to the musically inclined, and a mess for those who aren't.

2) Rhythm games are often about self-improvement, with little multiplayer aspects.
Despite FFR having a tournament going on, the general basis of most rhythm games is self-improvement. You don't directly interact with players in the game...at best, it's "your best score vs his/hers" but in the end there is no actual intermingling within the game. Therefore the rhythm game community has to grow via interactions by other indirect means.

3) In the instances where rhythm games diversify, it's often in the form of another franchise's spinoff, so rhythm games are often viewed as a "twist" or "alternative" as opposed to a mainline form of game. Example: Crypt of the Necrodancer is seen as a "twist" on a roguelike game. Cadence of Hyrule is an interesting "alternative" to Zelda games with Necrodancer gameplay.

4) Rhythm games often lend themselves to having sequels as simply another version of the same game simply with new songs and/or slight improvements on gameplay. Players in a single game series look forward to new songs as opposed to "fresh, new innovative gameplay." Casual gamers who don't play rhythm games will roll their eyes or fall asleep at the next Let's Dance iteration, and that's pretty clearly seen during game presentations.

5) Rhythm games simply occurred at a later period than other game genres, so it's playing catch-up. Many people (myself included) were first introduced to the rhythm game genre from Parappa the Rapper in 1996/1997. That's pretty late. The current year is 2020 and while the rhythm game genre may have removed itself from obscurity, it may forever be considered niche by many. Not necessarily a fair assessment, but it's probably stuck that way in people's minds.

Other minor reasons I can think of:

6) Rhythm games aren't kind to completionists. Would you imagine Jirard of The Completionist attempting to "complete" any rhythm game to its fullest? Can you imagine anyone actually completing FFR for that matter? lol

7) Rhythm games are fun to play but often boring to watch. I frankly would watch someone play Paper Mario: the Origami King on Twitch rather than someone playing a rhythm game.