Naoki Yoshida (Yoshi-P), the director of Final Fantasy XIV, is well-known for his open communications with the game’s community. He has also gone on record for his thoughts on game development, as he often provides a distinct perspective that you might not normally hear from someone else. In a recent interview with Japanese site, Weekly Bunshun, Yoshi-P has commented on the Metaverse, and Siliconera has provided a translation.
“To me, I see the Metaverse as ‘a system that replaces reality with a virtual world.’ So I don’t think the Metaverse has anything in common with entertainment,” he said.
“In the Metaverse I’m thinking of, people will be able to use an avatar in virtual reality, and take a stroll in Shinjuku or do shopping, just like in real life. Though it might be fun, there’s no entertainment there. ‘What’s so interesting about the systems of our real world?’ is how I feel.”
He was then asked about his thoughts on working on a Metaverse project, and he mentioned that he would “make something entertaining within the virtual reality rather than a Metaverse itself”. At current, Yoshida has no plans to associate himself with such a project.
However, Square Enix has already expressed interest in expanding into areas of the Metaverse and blockchain gaming. In January 2022, the president of the company released a statement discussing his interest in these areas, and recently, Square Enix sold some of its western studios for $300 million, which will supposedly assist them with these ventures. Final Fantasy XIV, on the other hand, is continuing to sustain a high-player base and has recently received a challenging ultimate raid.
