Final Fantasy 17 needs "a younger generation" of lead developers, suggests FF16 producer
The latest IAS Game Maker's Notebook Podcast (embedded in the full article below) is a chat between Sony's head of independent development Shuhei Yoshida and Square Enix producer, designer and director Naoki Yoshida, one of the big fish behind Final Fantasy 14 and Final Fantasy 16. In a lengthy discussion of the latter game, the two Yoshidas chew over the familiar topic of where Final Fantasy should go next. According to Naoki Yoshida, it might be time for an injection of new blood.
"I'm on the board of directors now so I really need to watch what I say here," Naoki Yoshida said, when Shuhei Yoshida popped the question as to whether he'll be directing the unannounced Final Fantasy 17. "For the moment, I'll just say nothing's been decided yet."
"That said, if I had to say anything about that, I've had the chance to work on two of these, XIV and XVI, so maybe it's time for someone new, you know," he went on. "Instead of having the same old guys handling the next one, I think in some ways it would be good to look to the future and bring in a younger generation, with more youthful sensibilities, to make a new FF with challenges that suit today's world."
Naoki Yoshida has been at Square Enix since 2004, and has had a dramatic impact on Final Fantasy's recent fortunes. He's the guy credited with "saving" Final Fantasy 14, now a highly successful and well-regarded MMO, after its catastrophic launch. Final Fantasy 16 has proven less of a hit - I found it to be a mixture of exciting and tedious and far too long - but the game has plenty of advocates, and Yoshida remains beloved among the Final Fantasy faithful.
Nowadays, Yoshida is also part of the Final Fantasy Committee of bigwigs who oversee the overall direction of
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