'Final Fantasy XIV' director discusses challenges of building always-online game
Gene Park, The Washington Post
Feb. 17, 2021
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"Final Fantasy XIV" recently announced its upcoming expansion "Endwalker."Square Enix
"Final Fantasy XIV," once considered a catastrophic failure, got a second shot three years later that turned fortunes around.
"Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn" is a success story of how an always-online multiplayer game can recalibrate after high-profile failure. Like a "Snyder Cut" for fantasy role-playing games, except with a proven track record of 20 million monthly players, and one of the longest shelf lives of any online video game.
Much of that success is attributed to Naoki Yoshida, or "Yoshi-P" as he's affectionately known. Yoshida took over the rehabilitation process as producer and director, armed with some knowledge of how to build massive multiplayer online RPGs after his stint as chief planner for "Dragon Quest X." "A Realm Reborn" released in 2013, and almost eight years later, it remains one of the healthiest online gaming communities in the world. For some, it's a game more beloved than "World of Warcraft." The game recently announced its latest upcoming expansion, "Endwalker."