Yoshida explains how Final Fantasy XVI was made alongside FFXIV
The Final Fantasy XIV sickos were thrilled to learn that Square Enix’s Creative Business Unit III was developing Final Fantasy XVI. It is very promising to see the FFXIVteam take on the next major entry in this franchise, given their track record, Naoki’s reputation, and the way he has upheld the Final Fantasy mark in recent decades. There were questions about Yoshida’s ability to balance the resources and personnel of a team responsible for creating the hottest MMORPGs on the block and the next installment in a series with high expectations.
We knew from the beginning that Yoshida would only be the FFXVI producer, while Hiroshi Takai would take over the director role (who also played a major part in FFXIV). Recently, we were informed that FFXIVcomposer Masayoshi Token would also be composing FFXVI and that Michael-Christopher Koji Fox would provide localization direction. Ryota Suzuki, well-known for her work on Devil May Cry V‘s fighting system, was also brought in to serve as combat designer for FFXVI. These are only a few roles that make a game possible.
Yoshida spoke recently to various outlets about the upcoming FFXVI game. PlayStation Blog talked about the formation of FFXVI‘s development team. Justin Massongill from PlayStation asked how the FFXVIdev group was created and how they could create a completely new game while working at full speed with FFXIV.
Yoshida admitted that, at first, he was hesitant about accepting the next Final Fantasy. However, he said he felt “truly humbled” that CB3 would select his section. As the director and producer for the critically acclaimed MMO, he said that he was concerned that fans would believe if a directorship of FFXVI was given to him.
However, things seemed to be building slowly over time and not overnight. Yoshida stated that a small core team was chosen to begin to ensure that the development of FF XVI didn’t impact the growth of FFXIV. Then, over several years, they slowly and carefully transferred them to the new game to work on until the entire team was assembled.
He explained that the team was created to ease the pressure. Yoshida stated, “I had worked with Hiroshi Takai many years and he was one of my most trusted collaborators, as well a veteran developer.” Takai then suggested that Takai take over the directorial duties. He said, “We sketched the core concepts and world of the game, along with the key themes, and began work on the main storyline.”
He stated that once these things were in place, they added more members to the team to help with battle mechanics, combat, and graphics. Yoshida said, “We gradually moved toward full-scale development through a process that built on what worked and scrapped what didn’t.” And I thought, “Please don’t let it have an impact on Final Fantasy XIV!”
Every FFXIVplayer is aware that the game’s development follows a predictable and steady schedule. There is an expansion every two years, five major patch updates to the story, and additional features and content updates. Yoshida, the FFXIVteam, was very transparent about their process. They even updated players that they were shifting to a four-month patch cycle due to the increased workload and changes in the environment. It is possible to do all this by adhering to established production schedules.
Yoshida said that although it wasn’t a system, the assistant producers and project managers on both projects did a fantastic job planning my schedule, so I didn’t feel overwhelmed. He mentioned that Square Enix tends to give him more management decisions, which allows him to focus on his role as a producer and director of two major Final Fantasy titles…
