When it comes to gaming franchises that have a truly “long history,” you’ll eventually reach a point where certain gamers don’t find that the “traditional favorite” is their favorite anymore because of some of the newer titles that have come out. Then, if some of those gamers go to the developer or publisher who made those games, they’ll share with those they now work with which ones they adore the most from the company’s history. For Naoki Hamaguchi, he revealed to Gamer Braves recently that for the “younger staff” at Square Enix, Final Fantasy XIII is the title they note as their favorite instead of a different classic title:
“So recently because the company has been growing and changing, as new employees come in and the company just keeps going on, the younger folk who come in don’t say Final Fantasy VI. They say, oh yeah, Final Fantasy XIII is my favorite. So I really do feel the passing of the ages.”
You can find the full interview with said statement below:
That makes sense when you think about it, as the trio of titles focusing on the character of Lightning and her comrades was a big focus during a key period in Square Enix’s lifespan. In fact, because the 14th game was an online title, one that still is going today, Lightning was the “face of the brand” for a bit until they could figure out what to do with the 15th game.
So, when you think about it, the first title in Lightning’s “tenure” came out in 2009, then its follow-ups occurred in 2011 and 2013. So, when you do the match, that means that it’s been about 17 years since that happened, which is plenty of time for the gamers who loved that title when they were younger to have grown up to be a part of Square Enix itself. Time has a funny way of catching up to people.
That’s not to say that there aren’t still fans of the 6th game. Naoki mentioned in an interview that if another “remake” were to happen, like with the 6th title, he wouldn’t be the one heading it up, and there are still plenty of people who want a remade version of the all-time classic RPG.
Yet, his talk about Lightning’s games and how they influenced young developers should be proof that just because something isn’t an “all-time great” doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect certain people who played it.
