Naoki Yoshida is that rare breed of game director who is not only liked by his playerbase but downright beloved, with player chants of his name not being an uncommon event at fan festivals. But the producer and director of Final Fantasy XIV did not spring into existence simply to give that once-ailing title a rebirth that’s led it to massive success, and a new interview with Inverse talks with him about his past as well as his predictions for the future.
If we think in terms of the next decade, the development and spread of new devices — such as VR chips — may give way to revolutionary game experiences. I’d thought this could happen a bit sooner, but I believe it might’ve been delayed by several years due to the shortage of semiconductors caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and other factors.
Yoshida also has some thoughts about the Final Fantasy series as a whole, noting that the series is struggling by trying to serve too many masters and noting that not every title can be everything to everyone. The solution, as he sees it? “My current impression is that all we can really do is create multiple games, and continue creating the best that we can at any given time.” It’s a good interview that touches on a variety of elements of Yoshida’s history as well as where he intends to take both the game itself and future projects at Square-Enix.
