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Translation Taken from : FFXIVCore
Original Interview : ファイナルファンタジー XIV 推奨èªå®š PC 特è¨ã‚µã‚¤ãƒˆ
Original Interview : ファイナルファンタジー XIV 推奨èªå®š PC 特è¨ã‚µã‚¤ãƒˆ
First interview: Mr. Komoto and Mr. Tanaka
“Gather your party together and open the door to adventure!â€
Now that FFXIV’s release date has been set, many would-be Eorzeans are chomping at the bit to get their hands on their new adventure. We’ve invited Producer Tanaka and Director Komoto to talk to use about the setting and development of the world of Eorzea.
Intel(I): Tell us what your jobs entail.
Director Komoto(DK): It depends on the situation. Our jobs are probably different from the conventional ideas of “directors†and “producers.†Both of us work on the front lines of development, so there are times when the producer gives out detailed and specific instructions on development, and I, the director, work on even some of the smallest details to help get the project closer to completion. It’s like we’re coaching and managing a team, but we’re also right there on the playing pitch, poised to touchdown a grand-slam from three-point range.
I: What Final Fantasy games have you worked on before?
Producer Tanaka(PT): I worked on Final Fantasy I~III. I came back to produce Final Fantasy XI.
DK: I worked on the cutscenes that occurred in cities and other places in FFIX, along with planning character lines and scenes. After that, I worked on event planning in FFXI and was upgraded (YES HE SAYS UPGRADED –Manly) to director.
Final Fantasy’s Fantastic High Fantasy
I: When did you begin working on FFXIV?
DK: It’s difficult to point out exactly when. The project started as research on next-generation MMORPGs, so we conducted a lot of experiments. Producer Tanaka wanted to see a powered-up version of Final Fantasy XI, so we started developing the game in that direction.
I: What did you have in mind when you created the world-setting and the motif for FFXIV?
DK: I think a lot of the lead developers had different ideas they were pulling from when beginning development, but the main idea of Final Fantasy was the concept of “high fantasy.†We think the mix of fantasy and technological cultures is one of the interesting things about the Final Fantasy series. We just hope the whole in-game world meshes well together.
I: What are some of the difficult parts about creating a “high fantasy†world?
DK: As I mentioned before, one of the hardest things is making two very different concepts, like technology and fantasy, mesh well. Making a game set in medieval Europe would not be difficult to do, but that doesn’t mean it would be an interesting game. Final Fantasy introduces concepts and ideas completely foreign to one another and makes something new to give the players an interesting experience. Finding the best way to balance the different aspects was the hardest part.
I: You mentioned what made the Final Fantasy series appealing to players, but in a market so full of MMORPGs right now, what makes FFXIV stand out from the others?
DK: I think being part of the Final Fantasy series is, in itself, a very appealing thing. For example, after you create your character, you’re immediately taken into a cutscene where you can see the character you just created take part in a big event in the story. This is something you can’t get from other MMORPGs. There are a few other MMORPGs that include a story for its users, but we think that players will be drawn to our story that will deepen with each upgrade.
I: FFXIV is currently in the development and testing phases. What sort of problems have you run into?
DK: There were a few things that we thought would cause problems during development, and sure enough, they did. Also, the battle system changed completely from the alpha to the beta phases of the test. The development of the game is happening alongside the testing, and though this is one of the most difficult things about making an MMORPG, it’s also one of the most thrilling for the developers and the players.
I: Did the users point out anything interesting or unique during the alpha phase of testing?
PT: There were a few things the developers thought the players might take issue with and point out in the feedback, and sure enough, we got a lot of feedback along those lines. Thanks to this, though, we realized that the players and the developers were trying to take the game in the same direction.
FFXIV sitting pretty on Intel Core i7 processor machines
I: Has Intel’s cooperation with FFXIV development helped at all?
PT: We’ve been able to improve performance thanks to increasing compatibility with multithreading. When we started development, FFXIV could only be run on top-of-the-line computers, but thanks to Intel technology, we’ve been able to lower that bar quite a bit.
I: What kind of computer would play FFXIV comfortably?
PT: Any computer with a processor from the Intel Core i7 processor family should be able to run the game very smoothly.
I: What do you use your home computers for?
PT: My computers are exclusively for FFXI and FFXIV.
DK: I play other online games as well, but my computer doesn’t have really high specs, so I’ll probably be buying a new one after FFXIV launches.
Ride the wave into the future of gaming with FFXIV!
I: Do you play computer games on your days off, as well?
PT: Since most of my time at work is spent on computers, I tend to spend a lot of time outdoors on my days off (Producer Tanaka enjoys spending time with his dogs, and even takes them to competitions in his free time. His dogs are adorable. –Manly)
DK: It’s getting hard to separate my work from my private life because of FFXI and FFXIV. I’ve even had to take to living at the office for a while during development and haven’t had time to play other games. I’m really looking forward to finishing FFXIV and playing with other players.
I: Television and movies are heading in a three-dimensional direction, and AR(Augmented Reality) technology has appeared now, as well. What do you think about these?
PT: I’d love to try working with new technology. First, I’d like to see what kind of people are interested in that technology. We haven’t planned on using 3D or AR in our games yet, but if we get enough requests for it from users, we’ll look into it.
DK: Speaking of new trends in gaming, there are a lot of social games becoming really popular. In FFXI, users need to communicate with others to advance in the game, so we like to think of this as a sort of advanced version of social gaming. Communication will be important in FFXIV as well, and we’re hoping this may lead gaming in a new direction.
I: What parts of FFXIV do you want players to pay close attention to?
DK: I want the players to see the cutscenes that we worked our blood, sweat, tears, and sleepless nights into. We put a lot into the setting and the story, and we want players to gather their party together and open the door to adventure.
PT: I just want people to have fun messing around with their character with the armoury system.
“Gather your party together and open the door to adventure!â€
Now that FFXIV’s release date has been set, many would-be Eorzeans are chomping at the bit to get their hands on their new adventure. We’ve invited Producer Tanaka and Director Komoto to talk to use about the setting and development of the world of Eorzea.
Intel(I): Tell us what your jobs entail.
Director Komoto(DK): It depends on the situation. Our jobs are probably different from the conventional ideas of “directors†and “producers.†Both of us work on the front lines of development, so there are times when the producer gives out detailed and specific instructions on development, and I, the director, work on even some of the smallest details to help get the project closer to completion. It’s like we’re coaching and managing a team, but we’re also right there on the playing pitch, poised to touchdown a grand-slam from three-point range.
I: What Final Fantasy games have you worked on before?
Producer Tanaka(PT): I worked on Final Fantasy I~III. I came back to produce Final Fantasy XI.
DK: I worked on the cutscenes that occurred in cities and other places in FFIX, along with planning character lines and scenes. After that, I worked on event planning in FFXI and was upgraded (YES HE SAYS UPGRADED –Manly) to director.
Final Fantasy’s Fantastic High Fantasy
I: When did you begin working on FFXIV?
DK: It’s difficult to point out exactly when. The project started as research on next-generation MMORPGs, so we conducted a lot of experiments. Producer Tanaka wanted to see a powered-up version of Final Fantasy XI, so we started developing the game in that direction.
I: What did you have in mind when you created the world-setting and the motif for FFXIV?
DK: I think a lot of the lead developers had different ideas they were pulling from when beginning development, but the main idea of Final Fantasy was the concept of “high fantasy.†We think the mix of fantasy and technological cultures is one of the interesting things about the Final Fantasy series. We just hope the whole in-game world meshes well together.
I: What are some of the difficult parts about creating a “high fantasy†world?
DK: As I mentioned before, one of the hardest things is making two very different concepts, like technology and fantasy, mesh well. Making a game set in medieval Europe would not be difficult to do, but that doesn’t mean it would be an interesting game. Final Fantasy introduces concepts and ideas completely foreign to one another and makes something new to give the players an interesting experience. Finding the best way to balance the different aspects was the hardest part.
I: You mentioned what made the Final Fantasy series appealing to players, but in a market so full of MMORPGs right now, what makes FFXIV stand out from the others?
DK: I think being part of the Final Fantasy series is, in itself, a very appealing thing. For example, after you create your character, you’re immediately taken into a cutscene where you can see the character you just created take part in a big event in the story. This is something you can’t get from other MMORPGs. There are a few other MMORPGs that include a story for its users, but we think that players will be drawn to our story that will deepen with each upgrade.
I: FFXIV is currently in the development and testing phases. What sort of problems have you run into?
DK: There were a few things that we thought would cause problems during development, and sure enough, they did. Also, the battle system changed completely from the alpha to the beta phases of the test. The development of the game is happening alongside the testing, and though this is one of the most difficult things about making an MMORPG, it’s also one of the most thrilling for the developers and the players.
I: Did the users point out anything interesting or unique during the alpha phase of testing?
PT: There were a few things the developers thought the players might take issue with and point out in the feedback, and sure enough, we got a lot of feedback along those lines. Thanks to this, though, we realized that the players and the developers were trying to take the game in the same direction.
FFXIV sitting pretty on Intel Core i7 processor machines
I: Has Intel’s cooperation with FFXIV development helped at all?
PT: We’ve been able to improve performance thanks to increasing compatibility with multithreading. When we started development, FFXIV could only be run on top-of-the-line computers, but thanks to Intel technology, we’ve been able to lower that bar quite a bit.
I: What kind of computer would play FFXIV comfortably?
PT: Any computer with a processor from the Intel Core i7 processor family should be able to run the game very smoothly.
I: What do you use your home computers for?
PT: My computers are exclusively for FFXI and FFXIV.
DK: I play other online games as well, but my computer doesn’t have really high specs, so I’ll probably be buying a new one after FFXIV launches.
Ride the wave into the future of gaming with FFXIV!
I: Do you play computer games on your days off, as well?
PT: Since most of my time at work is spent on computers, I tend to spend a lot of time outdoors on my days off (Producer Tanaka enjoys spending time with his dogs, and even takes them to competitions in his free time. His dogs are adorable. –Manly)
DK: It’s getting hard to separate my work from my private life because of FFXI and FFXIV. I’ve even had to take to living at the office for a while during development and haven’t had time to play other games. I’m really looking forward to finishing FFXIV and playing with other players.
I: Television and movies are heading in a three-dimensional direction, and AR(Augmented Reality) technology has appeared now, as well. What do you think about these?
PT: I’d love to try working with new technology. First, I’d like to see what kind of people are interested in that technology. We haven’t planned on using 3D or AR in our games yet, but if we get enough requests for it from users, we’ll look into it.
DK: Speaking of new trends in gaming, there are a lot of social games becoming really popular. In FFXI, users need to communicate with others to advance in the game, so we like to think of this as a sort of advanced version of social gaming. Communication will be important in FFXIV as well, and we’re hoping this may lead gaming in a new direction.
I: What parts of FFXIV do you want players to pay close attention to?
DK: I want the players to see the cutscenes that we worked our blood, sweat, tears, and sleepless nights into. We put a lot into the setting and the story, and we want players to gather their party together and open the door to adventure.
PT: I just want people to have fun messing around with their character with the armoury system.
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