When he's not exploring Hydaelyn as a Lalafell Black Mage named Yoshi'p Sampo, Final Fantasy 14 director Naoki Yoshida uses alternate characters to interact with fans in-game. While this might sound like a dream for any creator, Yoshida finds these interactions bittersweet because he cannot communicate via voice chat or accept invitations to lunch with friends in Final Fantasy 14.
It's not uncommon for game directors to participate in their games, especially during streams and live events. However, when Yoshida wants to escape his fame, he loads up a different character to experience the game from a player's perspective. Although he enjoys this, it can be lonely, as his celebrity status prevents him from maintaining long-term friendships.
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In an interview with TheGamer, Yoshida revealed that "80-95 percent" of Final Fantasy 14's development team live double lives as both creators and players. They keep their identities hidden to preserve anonymity but still participate in the community. Yoshida enjoys engaging in community activities and making friends, often unnoticed. "A lot of people have been playing together with me, and they don't even realize it. I might even be on their friend's list, and they don't know about it," he said.
However, maintaining anonymity has its challenges. Yoshida cannot get too comfortable with his online friends, which makes him sad since he cannot join voice chats or accept dinner invites. "I have so many friends in-game, but when they all say, ‘Oh, let's go for dinner,’ I cannot join them, and that makes me sad. I can't even voice chat with them," he lamented. Despite this isolation, Yoshida finds solace in knowing his multiplayer RPG is a massive hit.
Following the success of Final Fantasy 16, Yoshida revealed in an interview that Square Enix is actively working on multiple unannounced games, with details on at least two of them coming soon. Fans can look forward to the latest expansion for Final Fantasy 14 on July 2, 2024, with early access for pre-purchasers starting on June 28.
