4Gamer Interviews Naoki Yoshida (dec 31 2010)

With so much inexperience hampering the development of Final Fantasy XIV, Square Enix thought it best to restructure the team.
Now, the newly-appointed director, Naoki Yoshida, talks about his
experience with MMORPGs and shares how he intends to turn things around
for Final Fantasy XIV.




As a player, Yoshida seems to have quite a lot of MMO hours under his belt. He told 4Gamer that he got into the genre with Diablo, which he played for about a year. After that he played Ultima Online for two years and a half, then switch to first-person shooters like Unreal Tournament. When Diablo II and its Lord of Destruction expansion came out, he went to play it for the next year and a half.

His next game was The Dark Age of Camelot, which he played for six years. He also spent some time in World of Warcraft and Everquest.

Yoshida joined Square Enix in 2004, where he went to work on HD
console development. His first title, however, was the arcade title Dragon Quest Monster Battle Road.

So what's the battle plan for Final Fantasy XIV?
"My train of thought is
MMORPGs are like a theme park," Yoshida told 4Gamer. According to the
game's new director, theme park attractions are like content. You start
with the usual basic elements, like a roller coaster and a haunted
house. Later on, you'll get to decide on a theme that works, then you
add more content and attractions. As an example, Yoshida pointed to
Disneyland, which expanded its identity with the introduction of
Cinderella's Castle and Toontown.

On the subject of the Final Fantasy XIV theme park, you need
to fix the basics first before you add Hyur roller coasters. They must
first establish a working economy, which Yoshida describes to be
essential to any MMORPG. He's well aware of the game economy's status
and that players just aren't motivated enough to keep playing.

Yoshida understands that there is no quick Esunaga to fix all the
problems in the game. He is confident, though, that he can improve on
matters quarter by quarter and he'll continue to be in touch with the
game's community to make that happen.
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Within the first three months of service, Final Fantasy XIV
has changed considerably, both in-game and out. Now, with the
development team restructured, Naoki Yoshida is at the helm and ready to
win back an overwhemingly unsatisfied audience. According to our poll
here on ZAM, most players are happy with a new producer and director,
but we still do not know much about him or his plans to turn the game
around.

This week, 4Gamer sat down with Yoshida for his first in-depth
interview since being appointed to FFXIV. Read on to see what he has
to say.

Many people, including the interviewer, were shocked to see such a momentous change coming only three months into the game's life.

However, Yoshida notes that this is exactly why such a restructuring was made --
to make the necessary changes early on that will make FFXIV an MMO
worthy of its namesake. The new producer understands the weight the
"Final Fantasy" name carries for the company and its many fans, and is
ready to pump out quality updates for three, six even ten years to
come.

Giving FFXIV new life is something that has begun to engulf the entire company. Tactics Ogre Director Minagawa was brought in as a UI and Web Content artist and directors from Final Fantasy XII were also tapped to spruce up the user interface.

"As we stated in the 'New Development Team Policy' on the Lodestone," says Yoshida, "Square Enix, as a whole, will work vigorously, now more than ever, to deliver a satisfying experience for all our customers."

While the new team is in place and working hard, Yoshida is unable to
provide any solid details on what is in store or a time frame in which
the effects of the new team might be seen. The current goal is to get
out updates chock full of content and carry the game towards its first
major milestone. At this time, updates (including the December ones)
have been putting out content developed by the previous team.

What Yoshida plans to prioritize the promises the previous team made to the
players and making sure everyone's voice is heard and has a part in the
development process

On January 1st, Yoshida will post another comment to detail more of his plans.

As for the task before him, Yoshida details FFXIV as a game in disarray, though also a victim of the times. Games like World of Warcraft
and FFXI have been around for many years now, which he says has set
the bar much higher for MMOs. "People want loads of content right off
the bat, and third-party addons are a given now," Yoshida admits, "its a
tough situation for new games."

Yoshida lists end-game content, UI fixes, tutorials and in-game terminology as things that FFXIV needs to get right, and fast. The complexity of the game especially is something that players have struggled with since the beginning. As 4Gamer puts it, "If you can't understand the rules of the game, you can't understand how to enjoy it."

The user interface is set to undergo some significant changes to
accommodate for the vast difference in play styles between a game
controller and keyboard/mouse setup. Yoshida admits he is a stickler
for a smooth UI as well, and Mingawa was brought in as someone who is
"second to none" at UI development.

Interface lag is another key problem the developers are looking to stamp out, and they are working to identify the technological issues behind the slowdown people are experiencing.

Yoshida also shows his experience regarding MMOs, and sees games like WoW as an example of how users can also help reinvent the UI through addons.

This is a big change from the days of FFXI, and
something Yoshida wishes to support fully.

All these issues are also keeping the PlayStation 3 delayed, as the
key is "regaining customer trust" before launching a new version.
Yoshida takes some of the blame as well, saying part of the reason there
is no longer a solid release date is because he does not like to make
promises he cannot keep. The only promise Yoshida will make regarding
the console port is that "they will never give up on it."

Wrapping up the interview, 4Gamer tests Yoshida as a Final Fantasy
fan, and ask him what the series means to him. While he says the
answer may be different for each fan (and especially different between
players and developers) he sees Final Fantasy as providing a world in
which the player can become fully absorbed. In that sense, presenting
Eorzea as a world with yet untold wonder for players to experience makes
it feel like the true Final Fantasy in his eyes.

And his favorite title in the series? "Final Fantasy VII," he says.
"Even talking with fans from North America and Europe, you hear how it
leaves an impact you never forget." It's that kind of powerful, lasting
content that Yoshida now wishes to bring the FFXIV.