The director of Final Fantasy XIV Naoki Yoshida believes that MMORPGs like WoW or Elder Scrolls Online are not the biggest rivals for his game. For the head of FFXIV, all types of entertainment are competition.
What constitutes the competition for FFXIV? As the head of Business Division 5 at Square Enix, which is responsible for online games, Yoshida must always consider competing products in the development of the games. According to him, this does not only include other MMORPGs:
“I think that all forms of entertainment should be regarded as competition. Modern gamers are very busy – they have to divide their limited time among the various types of entertainment they consume alongside gaming.”
The head of FFXIV believes that this is the reason why MMORPGs have a hard time gaining a foothold in our time. According to him, one of the important features of an MMORPG is the fact that you have to spend a lot of time with it to understand and appreciate its depth and enjoyment. Yoshida therefore believes that MMORPGs primarily compete for their players’ time. Whether against movies, TV series, single-player games, or other forms of entertainment.
MMORPGs flourished at a time when mobile internet was not yet widespread, but now we live in a world where we can stream a complete TV series from our phones almost anytime, Yoshida says. As developers, we must be able to learn from all forms of entertainment.
In an interview with Mein-MMO about the Stormblood expansion and the Jump Potions, Yoshida already talked about how modern players no longer have time for MMORPGs. His attitude towards this has not changed.
Final Fantasy XIV is supported by two pillars
What are the most important aspects of FFXIV for Yoshida? The director of FFXIV focuses on two main pillars in the development of his game: The story and the community.
- The story of the MMORPG should continue to progress, but always be accessible for new players. Everyone should be able to jump into FFXIV and be immediately captivated by the narrative.
- Communication with the community must always be maintained so that the community knows that their opinion matters in the development of FFXIV.
How does this attitude affect the content of FFXIV? This mindset is also reflected in the overall structure of the content of Final Fantasy XIV. The majority of the content in FFXIV can be divided into two large categories in terms of time spent.
- Quick and easily digestible bites: This includes content like individual dailies and dungeons that are designed to last no longer than 30 minutes. This type of content helps players with little time stay engaged and not fall too far behind hardcore players in terms of gear.
- Long-term projects that are tackled step by step: This type of content includes, for example, the crafting system of FFXIV as well as the relic weapons and armors. They often involve massive grinding or require very high amounts of in-game currency. Players can work on this content slowly over months.
Additionally, there are weekly limits on loot and tokens that slow down progress, for example, when collecting new gear. Players can plan their weekly playtime accordingly without suffering significant disadvantages for playing less.
The director of Final Fantasy XIV is also fighting on other fronts:
Final Fantasy XIV on Switch and Xbox: “We are making steady progress”
