Highlights
- Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi is uninterested in returning to the series.
- Sakaguchi is reuniting with Square Enix for Fantasian Neo Dimension, and has expressed excitement about the collaboration.
- He stated in an interview that he prefers to play Final Fantasy games now instead of make them.
Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Final Fantasy, has stated that he is not interested in returning to the series. Many gamers who are fans of the Final Fantasy series are aware of the legacy behind it, with a history of releases that now spans decades. Although it started out comparatively small, Final Fantasy games now often serve as a benchmark, showcasing the progression of technology within video games as well as the scope and size possible for them.
The first Final Fantasy game was released in 1987, selling over 500,000 copies in Japan and preventing the bankruptcy of its developer, Square, now Square Enix. By 2003, the game had sold approximately two million units worldwide, and the series had been cemented as a mainstay for gamers and JRPG fans. After the release of Final Fantasy 10-2 that year, Hironobu Sakaguchi left Square and eventually formed his independent studio, Mistwalker.
Fantasian Review
Mistwalker's Fantasian is highly derivative of other JRPGs, but is perfectly serviceable and has a rather striking art style.
Sakaguchi is reuniting with Square Enix, which will publish his game Fantasian Neo Dimension. In a Bloomberg interview about the upcoming release, he notes that he is uninterested in working on Final Fantasy again, and that his relationship with the property has changed. Now, Sakaguchi considers himself "a consumer rather than a creator" who wants no part in the development process of Final Fantasy games, worrying it may impact his enjoyment.
Final Fantasy Creator Prefers to Play the Games Now
Alongside working on other projects with Mistwalker, Sakaguchi now finds himself playing Final Fantasy 14 quite often, playing the new Dawntrail expansion minutes before his interview with Jason Schreier. He was somewhat concerned about what his experience reuniting with Square Enix might be, potentially worried over apprehension from other staff because he parted ways with the developer so long ago. Instead, he has described his return as akin to a high school reunion with a warm welcome. Sakaguchi expressed excitement towards the hard work the staff is putting towards a common goal.
Although Hironobu Sakaguchi is enthusiastic about working with Square Enix on Fantasian Neo Dimension, he has also noted that he is not interested in rereleases of other games he has been involved with, such as Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon. It appears that, in the context of preservation, he is most interested in rereleases for games that face the threat of becoming lost media, such as Terra Battle, a mobile game that was discontinued in 2020. Regardless of what he works on next, Sakaguchi has a large catalog of releases to draw from, and many fans who remain interested in supporting him.
