In an interview with MeinMMO, the head of Final Fantasy XIV, Naoki Yoshida, talks about the importance of solo elements and other things MMORPGs need to be successful.
During the digital fan festival 2021, we were able to ask the director and producer of FFXIV, Naoki Yoshida, 5 questions in an email interview. Here’s what he had to say.
MeinMMO: In Endwalker, the Trust system, which allows players to enter dungeons solo, will feature a new playable character, Estinien. Additionally, FFXIV will introduce new solo content with Island Sanctuary. Why do you believe solo content is important in an MMORPG?
Naoki Yoshida: It’s not so much that “solo content is important”. Rather, it’s important to have “elements that can also be enjoyed on a solo basis”. Because if an MMORPG does not address the values and needs of the many players out there, it will be difficult to succeed. Although MMORPGs are online games, there’s no rule that forces players to play together in a group. The only thing they share is the world they are in.
Therefore, contrary to “You can’t do anything alone”, it is actually important to have the freedom to choose what you want to do. For example, by being able to play solo content while sharing that common world with everyone else. The Trust system is also something we do not impose on players. They are free to form a group and tackle dungeons, or they can choose to dive into the story with the NPCs of the Trust system. Choices and tolerance towards the values of players are what matter.
MeinMMO: From the perspective of an experienced developer and player: What features and strategies does a new MMORPG need to be successful in 2021?
Naoki Yoshida: There simply isn’t enough time or words to talk about this right now! There is also no simple secret to success. Just as MMORPGs consist of many systems, there are many factors necessary for success. Specifically in game design, it’s about how to get players to spend their available time in the game and whether you can create a sufficiently satisfying gaming experience while players have less and less time available.
And it is especially important to ensure that you have the means to regularly expand the content in the future. It would be suicide to start without a plan for updates or an efficient workflow for content production. An inviting community structure is also crucial. As you can imagine, MMORPGs are incredibly hard work (laughs).
Changes in the MMORPG genre and in Final Fantasy XIV
MeinMMO: In previous interviews, you mentioned that you plan the content for FFXIV about 2 years in advance. But what do you think, how will the MMORPG market change in the next 5-7 years?
Naoki Yoshida: The development of the MMORPG market is progressing slower than I expected so far… I would say that is my impression. I thought devices would develop faster, but now that hardware development has slowed down a bit, it seems that the market won’t change much in the next 5 years or so.
Moreover, the scope of MMORPG development is so large that a company wanting to start development for a launch in 5 or 6 years would likely need to start now or even a year prior.
However, since the innovative devices and technologies needed for MMORPGs have not yet been practically implemented, I think we won’t see a significant evolution of the genre at this point. On the other hand, it is quite possible that subscription-based services may make a comeback, which could lead to a more hybrid model along with Free2Play.
MeinMMO: What plans does the FFXIV development team have to respond to these changes and to keep the game successful even after the launch of Endwalker?
Naoki Yoshida: Both the developer and operations team members are players in their private lives, and the hustle of our daily lives changes every year. Some of us are getting married, others are having children. So we are also in a constant state of change. Planning is therefore very important; we appreciate and plan for these changes in our lives and business, but even more important is the flexibility to adjust our plans… In other words, the ability to improvise.
One of the things I value is that providing content likely desired by players and presenting new ideas is very important. At the same time, it is just as important to have the courage to take back things you believe are wrong and to face discussions about them.
Now, it’s hard to go into detail about my own plans here, but they will continue to meet our commitment to delivering the best story and best possible gaming experience.
MeinMMO: In an interview with the PlayStation Blog, your colleague Lead Project Manager Shoichi Matsuzawa mentioned that FFXIV will receive gradual graphical improvements after the launch of the PS5 version. What kind of upgrades can fans expect with Endwalker and beyond?
Naoki Yoshida: Basically, I believe we will take advantage of the PS5’s performance to further improve the frame rate and add new character expressions. Additionally, the extent to which we can add graphical improvements will be influenced by the machine specifications of PC players. We will keep an eye on this and review these possibilities in due time.
We thank Yoshida-san for the interview.
Final Fantasy XIV and its players are currently preparing for the new expansion Endwalker. You can find all the information about it here:
Final Fantasy XIV introduces new expansion Endwalker – release date and all information
