How many of you out there in the world have ever played a video game and went, “I wish they would’ve done this instead”? Or you love a franchise so much that you go, “I have a wonderful idea that would totally work in this series”? If you have, you’re not alone, as that’s the basis for many people going into the game development field. But what might surprise you is that certain video game developers are fine just being fans and not working on a game they enjoy playing. A great example of this comes from Final Fantasy XIV.
Hironobu Sakaguchi is the man who created Final Fantasy. He’s the reason that the franchise exists today. He noted long ago that he called it that because it was his “last chance” to make a hit game for his company. Obviously, it worked out, and his influence on it is felt to this day. However, when it comes to Final Fantasy XIV, he’s fine with just playing it as a fan. At a recent Fan Festival for the MMO, he took part in a panel that was documented by GamesRadar, and when asked if his love for the MMO would lead to him working on it, he said:
“Absolutely not! If I make this part of my work, I’ll know what’s going on behind the scenes, so I won’t be able to enjoy the content myself while I’m making it. So, no offense, but no.”
That might seem odd for him to note, given how attached he is to the game on a player level. Plus, with his past efforts and creativity, it’s not a stretch to think that he has ideas for the game that he’d love to implement. But this is an excellent example of “turning off part of your brain” and just enjoying what’s in front of you.
Plus, if he knew what was coming in any way, he wouldn’t be able to feel as much “surprise” and “wonder” from unlocking it or encountering it naturally. Sure, there’s a sense of wonder when you get to watch something you’ve made in some capacity come to life, but there’s a difference.
For example, the MMO is about to get a huge collaboration with the 16th mainline entry to the franchise, which includes Clive Rosfeld coming into the game and being a part of a key quest line! Hironobu will undoubtedly want to enjoy that as a player instead of having everything spoiled.
