Support NeoGAF

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki Yoshida has said it might be time for a younger generation to lead the franchise and helm Final Fantasy 17.

Speaking to the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences as part of an interview with Sony's Shuhei Yoshida, Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida made clear publisher Square Enix hasn't made any decisions regarding the next mainline game's director, but did imply it won't be him.

"For the moment, I'll just say that nothing has been decided yet," Yoshida said. "That said, if I had to say something about that... I've had the chance to work on two of these - Final Fantasy 14 and Final Fantasy 16 - so maybe it's time for someone new, you know. Instead of having the same old guys handle 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 Final Fantasy with challenges that suit today's world."

Bringing in new people to overcome what's come before seems imperative to Final Fantasy too, as Yoshida said the series is "all about challenging what's been done before". He added: "While I'm certainly not looking to pick a fight with the older games, we all make Final Fantasy games thinking, 'Mine will be the most fun.'"

Final Fantasy 16 Producer Naoki Yoshida Says It May Be Time for the Younger Generation to Handle Final Fantasy 17 - IGN

Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki Yoshida has said it might be time for a younger generation to lead the franchise and helm Final Fantasy 17.

www.ign.com

He said this in an FF16 dev chat with Shuheih Yoshida from Playstation and it's a really great discussion where you find out how FF16 was conceptionalised, the intricacies of processes of developing games and development during COVID. Yoshida is a good and passionate guy, talks a lot about how FF can be turn based, action, dark fantasy, brighter fantasy etc... I think he gets far too much vitriol thrown at him considering he comes across as a good charactered person who's in it to make games with a classical approach.



Thick Thighs Save Lives might be worth adding this to the OP.

 

[Hudo]

FF17 will be about Twitch streamers getting isekai'd.

 

[Pejo]

I agree, why the heck not, give it a shot. DMC FF wasn't "it" in my opinion.

Now, find me some Japanese zoomers that like Turn Based gameplay.

 

[Mr Moose]

FF17 will be about Twitch streamers getting isekai'd.

Final Forspoken 17.

 

[Chukhopops]

There’s still hope for the next one then. It’s been so long since the last great mainline FF.

 

[Mister Wolf]

Even with the success of Baldur's Gate 3 they are going to still double down on the action game fuckery.

 

[KungFucius]

Even with the success of Baldur's Gate 3 they are going to still double down on the action game fuckery.

Action is not what made FFXVI a so-so Final Fantasy. World structure, lack of exploration, repetitive side-quests, and a plot that was trying to hard is what made me drop it near the end in favor of another disappointing game, Starfield.

 

[kunonabi]

Anything will be better than the people from the last few decades.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Yeah, hand it over...its time. Hopefully they can't make anything worse than xvi

Saying that, ff vii remake has been pretty decent imo.

 

[NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt]

I agree, why the heck not, give it a shot. DMC FF wasn't "it" in my opinion.

Now, find me some Japanese zoomers that like Turn Based gameplay.

S SlimeGooGoo

But it has to have sexy degenrate fanservice just to trigger you

 

[Mr Moose]

Me, seeing people hating on Final Fantasy 16 after I enjoyed it:

Now I know what Starfield enjoyers feel like.

 

[The artful mincer]

Just fucking use tech and gameplay systems from FFVII Remake, Rebirth!

Stop this retarded starting from scratch every new release its not sustainable and Square have nothing to show from it there sales have been flat or declining since OG FFVII.

 

[Gandih42]

A brilliant sentiment in my opinion. I loved FFXVI but we won't get the next generation of brilliant game makers if the torch isn't passed on.

And that shouldn't just mean tearing down what came before, but building on it with new ideas.

 

[Valt7786]

Just leave it to the FF7 Remake team, they know how to make a "modernised" FF.

 

[Exede]

Let this young generation remake FF8, it needs it the most. When they don't fuck it up, give them FF17

 

[Kumomeme]

i just want to see Natsuko Ishikawa as next lead writer for single player mainline FF

she been constantly put out consistent great writing from Shadowbringers to Endwalker expansion for FF14. some of best job side quest storyline in the game also done by him. let her also to write or atleast supervise side quest story content too.




she even got standing ovation from Pax West audience due to her work with Shadowbringers

 

[Krieger]

Nah man, nothing beats old school. Also, I don't want broccoli hair people talking about "gyat, zamn, OHIO" in my Final Fantasy.

 

[Fess]

Even with the success of Baldur's Gate 3 they are going to still double down on the action game fuckery.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is so slow, it actually got me interested in FFXVI after being so sceptical because of the realtime action. I don’t want BG3 style turn-based combat for FF anymore. Hoping FF can evolve greatly in roleplaying, each game is it’s own thing so no worries if there are big consequences from story choices, don’t have to worry about how the next game will be affected unless they do multiple parts.

 

[Mister Wolf]

Baldur’s Gate 3 is so slow, it actually got me interested in FFXVI after being so sceptical because of the realtime action. I don’t want BG3 style turn-based combat for FF anymore. Hoping FF can evolve greatly in roleplaying, each game is it’s own thing so no worries if there are big consequences from story choices, don’t have to worry about how the next game will be affected unless they do multiple parts.

My point wasn't to emulate Baldur's Gate exactly. It's that people still like turn based of which there are many variants. Personally I think they should harken back to the Active Time Battle System and evolve it. That's a turn based system that's not slow at all.

 

[Zuzu]

I think it's best to have a mixture of old and young talent to lead the Final Fantasy franchise. Older game developers have a lot of experience and understanding of games which is very valuable.

 

[Whitecrow]

Just leave it to the FF7 Remake team, they know how to make a "modernised" FF.

They better not.
Ff7R has some important flaws that should be left out of any serious FF game.

Awful pacing, filler content, girl characters made anime tropes... Please dont.

 

[Fess]

My point wasn't to emulate Baldur's Gate. It's that people still like turn based which there are many variants of. Personally I think they should harken back to the Active Time Battle System and evolve it. That's a turn based system that's not slow at all.

Or just old school FF. In general I like turn-based battles but not when it’s complex with too many choices so even a small fight take minutes. I think there needs to be a way to play it fast.
I like what they did in Fantasian by ”collecting” random battles for a big fight later. That fight wasn’t very special but it was an interesting idea to tackle the problem where you end up sighing when it’s time for another battle just because you want to traverse the map.

But I feel like I need to play FFXVI before I can seriously request how they do the next one. I’ve seen several people say it was their GOTY, I plan to try it when it’s out on PC.

 

[Mister Wolf]

Or just old school FF. In general I like turn-based battles but not when it’s complex with too many choices so even a small fight take minutes. I think there needs to be a way to play it fast.
I like what they did in Fantasian by ”collecting” random battles for a big fight later. That fight wasn’t very special but it was an interesting idea to tackle the problem where you end up sighing when it’s time for another battle just because you want to traverse the map.

But I feel like I need to play FFXVI before I can seriously request how they do the next one. I’ve seen several people say it was their GOTY, I plan to try it when it’s out on PC.

That's a solution to something that shouldn't even be a problem anymore. Every single RPG at this point should show the enemies in the overworld even if they use basic/generic outlines to represent the enemies outside of combat. That's what Persona and even that new Star Ocean 2 Remake does.

 

[delfrickintree]

bring in a younger generation, with more youthful sensibilities

Im sure this has never and will never backfire. Reeks of that corporate lingo where they sugarcoat a horrible plan with obviously forced buzzwords.

 

[Badlucktroll]

They should do one with space exploration and going to other planets and black holes and shit

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

Just make a good open world fantasy game and that's it.

My point wasn't to emulate Baldur's Gate exactly. It's that people still like turn based of which there are many variants. Personally I think they should harken back to the Active Time Battle System and evolve it. That's a turn based system that's not slow at all.

BG3 success had nothing to with being turn based. BG3 success confirms once again that it is never about how the game plays but how it delivers.

 

[Mister Wolf]

Just make a good open world fantasy game and that's it.


BG3 success had nothing to with being turn based. BG3 success confirms once again that it is never about how the game plays but how it delivers.

BG3 shows that people still find turn based enjoyable. It is not outdated, and in many cases offers a more strategic layer of complexity. No game's success is based off one aspect.

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

BG3 shows that people still find turn based enjoyable

Turn based games are the games so people will enjoy it for sure. The thing is that BG3 did not have the usual "baggage" that a lot of turn based games have - BG3 did not throw walls of text, it had high production values, cool cinematic and good graphics, it did not try to appeal to hardcore base with overly convoluted role based system and had bear sex.

 

[Kikorin]

I agree, he can produce it. Look what a new director did to Zelda, same could happen to FF. They'll have for sure some younger people that have been involved for long enough to understand the IP and still innovate in the right way.

 

[Mister Wolf]

Turn based games are the games. The thing is that BG3 did not the usual "baggage" that a lot of turn based games have - BG3 did throw tons of wall of texts, it had high production values, cool cimenatics and good graphics, did not try to appeal to hardcore base with overly convoluted role based system and had bear sex.

None of that has anything to do with the combat system. Divinity 1 & 2 sold well and it didn't have BG3's production value. Persona series sells well and it doesn't have BG3's production value. Fire Emblem sells well too. People enjoy those combat system's just like they enjoy the one in BG3. You're trying to frame it like people are stomaching through the combat in BG3 to get to the stuff they like which is nonsense. DND 5E was popular as a combat system before it was adapted to a videogame in BG3.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

That goes for anything. The young are the future, at some point they have to take over anyway.

Such is life.

Maybe it's for the best. FF XVI felt archaic in design, despite real-time battles.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

He said this in an FF16 dev chat with Shuheih Yoshida from Playstation and it's a really great discussion where you find out how FF16 was conceptionalised, the intricacies of processes of developing games and development during COVID. Yoshida is a good and passionate guy, talks a lot about how FF can be turn based, action, dark fantasy, brighter fantasy etc... I think he gets far too much vitriol thrown at him considering he comes across as a good charactered person who's in it to make games with a classical approach.



Thick Thighs Save Lives might be worth adding this to the OP.

 

[NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt]

Turn based games are the games so people will enjoy it for sure. The thing is that BG3 did not have the usual "baggage" that a lot of turn based games have - BG3 did not throw walls of text, it had high production values, cool cinematic and good graphics, it did not try to appeal to hardcore base with overly convoluted role based system and had bear sex.

So it appealed to Furries?

 

[Celcius]

I don’t see why they refuse to return to a turn based game, at least once. If persona and yakuza can do it right then FF can too. Yoshi P has done an amazing job with FF14 but please don’t let him touch any more FF games.

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

So it appealed to Furries?

The hidden gaming governing body

 

[The artful mincer]

Just leave it to the FF7 Remake team, they know how to make a "modernised" FF.

Issue is they won't be able to make it until the FFVII trilogy is complete.

That's why I'm saying stick with Unreal engine 4 and stick with the combat system. Obviously make a new story, world,etc. They will still have plenty of room for creativity within that framework.

The Fanbase has said Lound and clear they like the FFVII Remake combat system the best. A new setting with new characters and different upgrade system will still make it feel fresh.

 

[a multicultural team of v]

If you thought the dressphere system was innovative, wait until you see genderspheres.

Seriously though, there were a lot of issues with FFXVI well before you even got to the gameplay. Frankly the gameplay was the least of the reasons why I didn't enjoy the game - they can make XVII a racing game for all I care as long as the racing is good and it actually feels like you are going on an adventure with a bunch of interesting party members. XV had far, far more of a soul in this respect.

 

[Mr.Phoenix]

About time.

Hopefully the "younger generation" doesn't wokify the game though.

 

[Madflavor]

I'll always be grateful to Yoshi-P and CBU3 for giving us the incredible FFXIV, but they did a lousy job with FFXVI. There were a lot of things about it that were wonderful, that were marred down by really awful design in regards to gameplay loop, level design, pacing, lack of RPG elements, and side quests. Easily the most disappointing game of the year for me.

They better not.
Ff7R has some important flaws that should be left out of any serious FF game.

Awful pacing, filler content, girl characters made anime tropes... Please dont.

FFVII:R was the best single player FF game we've had since FFX, and I'll die on that hill.

 

[Irobot82]

I'll always be grateful to Yoshi-P and CBU3 for giving us the incredible FFXIV, but they did a lousy job with FFXVI. There were a lot of things about it that were wonderful, that were marred down by really awful design in regards to gameplay loop, level design, pacing, lack of RPG elements, and side quests. Easily the most disappointing game of the year for me.




FFVII:R was the best single player FF game we've had since FFX, and I'll die on that hill.

Yes, but the bar is very low.

 

[sigmaZ]

Smartest things he's ever said. I'm glad to here his attitudes towards these things. Shows a nice lack of hubris.

 

[SantaC]

Let the FF8 director take over. It was their best game.

 

[NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt]

The hidden gaming governing body

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[K2D]

Time for Square Enix to go full indie/AA, ditch high production value bling, double down on game design and good writing and CULTIVATE great production leads. Give higher budget to the the higher performing teams.

Make games the developers would love and stop chasing trends and analytics.

 

[Magic Carpet]

Final Fantasy is a Boomer RPG older than DOOM.

 

[Radical Dreamer]

Jesus fuck just let ff7r team make new ff and not try to be shitty dmc...

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[Myths]

FF17 is online, FF18 is single player — double reveal watch. Or even the reverse to be charitable.

 

[Fess]

That's a solution to something that shouldn't even be a problem anymore. Every single RPG at this point should show the enemies in the overworld even if they use basic/generic outlines to represent the enemies outside of combat. That's what Persona and even that new Star Ocean 2 Remake does.

True the Fantasian battle collector mechanic is a fix that is there because small fights gets annoying. They’ve likely added it during playtesting.
Makes traversing the map faster anyway.