By Tom Richardson, BBC Newsbeat
Square EnixIt’s a June Friday evening in Tokyo, and Naoki Yoshida has trip ideas.
” Take it easy, sleep up”.
Very regular, you might think. But Yoshida- san, the director of Final Fantasy 14 ( FF14 ), knows that it’ll probably be his last chance to relax for a while.
When he speaks to BBC Newsbeat it’s a week until Dawntrail, the latest rise to the massively multiplayer online part- playing game ( MMORPG), is released.
Following a “disastrous” start in 2010, FF14 has gone on to become the most successful name in the show’s history, according to publication Square Enix.
The show’s turned issues around so much that machines struggled to keep up with need when the previous growth, Endwalker, launched in December 2021.
It’s not the only change since FF14 second came out. The economy, and Japan’s place in it, has even shifted over the last century.
Square Enix has stated that it wants to concentrate more on the “global business” and its fans around the world because Final Fantasy is a significant cultural trade for the nation.
Dawntrail, a considerable time for Yoshida santa and his team, provides proof of this strategy, which he calls” the starting point for the next ten times of Final Fantasy 14.”
A decade-long history episode came to an end with Endwalker, and Dawntrail introduced a new saga. Additionally, the game’s design is altered, as are fresh figure classes and other features.
It’s billed as a” summertime vacation”, with the action taking place in the sunshine, Latin America- inspired Tural area of FF14’s earth.
Yoshida- San claims that his team wanted to try something unique because Final Fantasy games have recently taken motivation from Europe and East Asia.
He says Central and South America provide a “huge place” with” a lot of past” to pick from.
Over the past, Square Enix has been criticized for its artificial picture of various cultures, and its subsequent games have made efforts to address this.
Yoshida- san claims to have always viewed FF14 as a “global game,” but that social media’s impact has grown and that “it’s become easier for people to gather up and make their accents heard.”
He admits” there are dangers involved” in depicting different nations, but his team has made it a point” to learn about the lifestyle, read the writings that are available”.
” The universe is diverse”, he says.
” There are people who have many different set of beliefs, many different sects, many different emotions of connections.
” And so it’s definitely important, I feel, that we understand those details.”
Square EnixFinal Fantasy video games have often incorporated Western forces with Chinese sensibilities, but some have suggested that the line has recently experienced identity crisis.
Yoshida- san tells Newsbeat Square Enix makes” 50 % to 80 %” of its income from” outside enthusiasts”, who are” truly important to factor in when we are creating the game”.
But he believes there’s a compromise to be found.
” We were born in Japan, we were brought up in Japan. But what we were brought up with was pieces of Chinese traditions, “he says.
” So if we put too much of a focus ourselves on overseas audiences, we do n’t have that background and that context.
” If we focus so much on the overseas audiences, then whatever we make would n’t be successful”.
Yet, Yoshida- san says the builders the n’t live in a balloon.
” I think knowing the world is very important for us in our development moving ahead,” he says.
Square EnixThere’s just been another important change for Last Fantasy.
Square Enix has a story of striking special offers to ensure some titles just appear on particular consoles despite producing games for a number of platforms.
Sales of two recent PlayStation 5- only games, Final Fantasy 16 ( FF16 ) and Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth, have reportedly disappointed in Japan.
Following their release CEO Takashi Kiryu told investors the company would “aggressively pursue a multiplatform strategy” to get its games on more machines.
Yoshida- santa is familiar with arguments about distinctiveness, having released the longer- awaited Xbox edition of FF14 this yr.
It’s a mark of a wider market shift, with more and more businesses limiting their game’s placement.
In Japan, figures suggest gamers are opting to play on mobiles or the Nintendo Switch – which recently became the country’s all-time bestselling console.
Regardless of the device they’re playing on, Yoshida- san says,” We want to own people.”
We want them to join us in playing our game, and they should all interact and enjoy together in the same world.
Yoshida- san says Xbox CEO Phil Spencer “devoted a lot of his time” to getting FF14 on to Xbox.
” Owing to his hard work, I’m super, extremely- glad we were able to see it to through to fruition”, he says.
” But of course, there are programs which remain”.
When he’s asked which those may be, Yoshida- san does n’t dare.
” Of training”, he says. ” It goes without saying that would be Nintendo’s system.
” I’m certain people are waiting for the answer to that question.”
Square EnixFor today, though, there’s a more pressing concern on Yoshida- san’s brain- giving Dawntrail” the best possible launch”.
After his trip sleep, he anticipates being active.
” I’m convinced that it’s going to be lonely nights, we’re going to be really eye focused on the service position, “he says.
Endwalker’s tough roots will be on person’s thoughts, but Yoshida- san says he’s not one for dwelling too much on the history.
” It’s what’s already happened, “he says”. And that’s not really going to take us forward.
” Our job is to look forward to the future.”
Despite this, Yoshida- san says there is one thing important to remember.
” The players who stuck with us, ]who] put their trust in the Final Fantasy 14 team.
” They really served as a source of motivation, “he says.
They truly inspired us to get where we are, and we would not be here without them.
” So keeping them in mind, we really just want to do our best for the Final Fantasy 14 community”.
