Final Fantasy XI Developers Reflect On 20 Years of Service
PlayStation Blog recently published a post from several Final Fantasy XI’s development team members. May 2022 marks the title’s 20-year anniversary, and with it still receiving notable support, the team decided to share its history with this significant mainline entry.
The following individuals provide their perspectives throughout this blog post:
- Akihiko Matsui: Battle Planner, Second-Generation FFXI Producer
- Yoji Fujito: Current FF11 Director
- Masaru Taniguchi: Battle Content
- Iori Watanabe: Planner, System Modifications Overseer
- Yasushi Yamazaki: In Charge of “Trusts, Ambuscade Chapter 1 & A.M.A.N. Trove”
- Takashi Hisagi: Content Developer
This lengthy read details various subject matters, such as what developing an MMO in the early 2000s was like and the challenges that accompanied the first Final Fantasy game of this genre, let alone it being a mainline entry. One standout quote that shocked me was from Fujito, who stated that “Everyone on the development team came in without any knowledge about MMORPGs.” This goes to show you just how experimental and fresh this concept was, alongside how terrifying such responsibility must have been for the team. Matsui even notes that no one even had any experience with online game development in general.
For those unaware, Final Fantasy XI remained active on PlayStation 2 (and Xbox 360) until March 2016, primarily because of how vast the player base was. It remained playable online until the last possible moment, illustrating just how vital of a game this was to so many fans.
For more information on the development team’s thoughts on Final Fantasy XI, including content management and favorite memories, check out the full post on PlayStation Blog.
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