Since I'm more of a storyteller, I've a way of getting people interested. XD*
One of the several ways I manage to recommend stories and games to people is by building their anticipation. That, I do it by holding their emotions generously and taking it for a magical adventure that inspires them. Basically, I become over-zealous, put on a hat, stand on a table in the middle of the crowd, going all, "Let me tell you a story about this one 17 years old lad who defied time itself." My over-dramatic references tend to get people interested, then I provide snippets and excerpts, entertaining them. That's when I tell them, "I loved the story, and it's my favourite till now; you should really try it too! You'll be in the ride of your lifetime."
But as Bekkler says, you can't force people to play. Even my brother and best friend, who absolutely loved the multi-arc story and concepts I demonstrated, have seldom played an RPG at all (unless they are MMORPG) so it would have been an immensely difficult task persuading them (even though they are big fans of Toriyama fiction and art). My brother took one look at Chrono Trigger and hated the graphics because they reminded him of the old '80s games, and he said, "Why would I play this when I could play Devil May Cry and have fun?"
Think: overstimulation. When you have something incredibly awesome already, why would you play something that seems lesser in quality on the surface (unless you're a very curious fellow, like me)? Even when you take CT on Phones (like Android or iPhone), compare that with other (free) games such as Zenonia, Destinia, etc. and you'll see it competing weakly against its rivals -- both in graphics and price. Now, CT undoubtedly has the best story, but there are other factors it seems to lose in (even though it's still very much fun... for us).
* And I'm not lying there. In my city/state, nearly nobody new about media (novels, series, movies, etc.) such as Doctor Who, Ghost in the Shell, Sherlock, Baccano, Arsene Lupin, Chrono Trigger, etc. It was only when I began "storytelling" my way into groups of friends that they actually became addicted to my tastes. These days, some of my good friends just can't wait for the next episode of Doctor Who and Sherlock! What can I say, I'm always a pioneer; when Tushantin tries something, it'll undoubtedly become a trend.
