Naoki Yoshida is currently very busy with his work on Final Fantasy XIV Online, but, in a dream scenario, what kind of game would he like to make?
Speaking to GameSpot at the Square Enix offices in Shinjuku today, Yoshida said he’d like to take on the battle royale genre with a project of his own. He teased that he has “some ideas” to innovate on games like Fortnite and Apex Legends, though he didn’t share any specifics.
Yoshida also said he’d like to make another MMO someday that may not be set in the Final Fantasy universe. He’d like to make that game before he dies. And while on the subject of dream projects, Yoshida said he hopes to play Diablo 4 before he leaves this world.
“I would like to make a battle royale game. I have some ideas to do that,” Yoshida told GameSpot through a translator. “I have some ideas to make that type of game fun. As an online game designer, I would like to make an MMORPG from scratch without any limitations or restrictions. Removing all those kind of restrictions, I would like to make one MMORPG that fits the current trend before I die. I would also like [to play] Diablo 4.”
A Final Fantasy battle royale game would truly be something new and different, but Yoshida didn’t say if his idea for a battle royale game would be in the Final Fantasy universe. Similarly, it’s exciting to think about what Yoshida could do in the MMO space with a blank canvas.
But again, he’s only dreaming here. Yoshida has no plans to work on anything except Final Fantasy XIV Online for now. Whatever the case, it’s almost always intriguing to hear what “dream projects” developers have in mind, and this is no different for Yoshida.
And as for his Diablo 4 comment, it seems Yoshida is just like you, me, and the rest of the world–waiting, not always patiently, for Diablo 4.
We sat down with Yoshida as part of the Final Fantasy Fan Fest. For more, check out GameSpot’s recent stories linked below.
Disclosure: Square Enix paid for GameSpot’s flight to Tokyo and accomodation.