What constitutes an RPG?

Since when do you make the rules on what makes a game what? Look at the name. Role Playing Game. That means a game in which you play the role of a character. role-playing game n. A game in which players assume the roles of characters and act out fantastical adventures, the outcomes of which are partially determined by chance, as by the roll of dice.

First of all, King, that definition you used is in reference to paper and pencil RPGs, in which a player actually plays the role of an original character. We're talking about console RPGs, and in a console RPG, that definition does not apply. It does not apply, because 95% of console RPGs use predetermined characters.

All of the Final Fantasy games are 90% static. You don't create your own character, they have their own pre-written lines, and the actual interactive story elements (i.e. "Do I take Aeris on a date or Tifa?") are few and far between. Therefore, your Webster's definition of a Role Playing game does not work in this situation.

A video game RPG always has one of the three elements I have listed. I did not make these rules up, I'm simply clarifying them. It's the same thing as if I was saying "All platform games contain some form of platforming action and usually some platform-based puzzles." I'm simply stating a fact.

Monsters don't drop the same items every time, so there is some randomness.

By your definition, if Final Fantasy is an RPG (meaning that some of the randomness comes from the items an enemy drops) then Zelda and Metal Gear Solid are RPGs as well. You play the role of Link, and there's no definite answer as to whether a recently killed Moblin will drop rupees, arrows, bombs, magic jars or some other weird artifact like a Joy Pendant. The same goes for MGS. You play the role of Solid Snake, and if you kill an enemy, you can pick them up and shake extra items out of their clothing. It could be SOCOM ammo, FA-MAS ammo, Rations or any number of other items. Zelda and Metal Gear Solid are not RPGs though, therefore, this discredits your Webster's definition even further.

I'm not making this shit up, I'm simply stating a fact. Console RPGs focus on level building, party management and combat strategy. Platformers focus on platforming action and action-based puzzles. Adventure games focus on exploration and puzzles. First Person Shooters focus on shooting from a first-person perspective, utilizing speed and accuracy for stealth and headshots. That's simply the way it is. I'm not making it up, it's plain fact.

IM GONNA USE THAT FOR MY THESIS

Go right ahead. Make sure to tie it in to "turkey sandwiches" somehow, though.

All of the Final Fantasy games are 90% static. You don't create your own character, they have their own pre-written lines, and the actual interactive story elements (i.e. "Do I take Aeris on a date or Tifa?") are few and far between. Therefore, your Webster's definition of a Role Playing game does not work in this situation.

Have you played FF1? It's not really that static .You create your own party and can pretty much explore all you want for most of the game. There isn't nearly as much plot as the later games, though.