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Summary
- Yoshida focuses on game quality over subscriber numbers, prioritizing player satisfaction for FFXIV’s longevity.
- Despite explosive growth, Yoshida doesn’t worry about FFXIV’s player count fluctuations, aiming for long-term success.
- The development team’s approach involves addressing player concerns to create an experience that fosters returning players.
Final Fantasy XIV director and producer Naoki Yoshida is a veteran game developer, but a decade into the rebirth of one of the world’s most influential and popular MMORPGs, he’s also no stranger to the weight of expectation. In a recent interview with Screen Rant during the FFXIVDawntrail media tour, Yoshida was candid in his stance on how much subscriber and player count matters to the health of the live service title.
While discussing what was on display during the FFXIV Dawntrail media tour, we asked Yoshida-san about the explosive growth of the game over the last few expansions. Yoshida suggested that part of the drastic increase in subscribers was because of the pandemic, where many people used the MMORPG to stay connected to friends and family.
That said, regardless of what influences player count in FFXIV, Yoshida-san believes that it would be unproductive to focus on it too much:
Screen Rant: I’m just wondering what the anticipation is for Dawntrail’s player numbers. Do you still foresee it growing as explosively as the other expansions have? Or do you actually expect it to taper off and kind of focus more on the people who are already invested in Final Fantasy 14?
Naoki Yoshida: So, this might not be the best answer from a business perspective, or even as a member of the board of Square Enix.
But I’m not that particular about subscriber numbers
per se.With trying to maintain production, as well as longevity, and making sure that the game is surviving – all of these things for an MMORPG are quite difficult. If I am affected by how the player numbers of that particular moment go up or down, if I’m excited or sad with how the numbers go up and down, it will not work for a long-term perspective.
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FFXIV’s Subscription Count Is Less Important Than Its Longevity
Why It Makes Sense Not To Worry About It
It may seem a little strange to hear the director and producer of FFXIV comment on not being particularly bothered by the game’s growth rate, but it’s also a microcosmic indicator of the broader approach taken by the development team. The history of MMORPGs has shown that the genre can fluctuate quite a lot, with exciting new releases eating into long-time player subscriptions from older titles before the hype dies down and people migrate back to their “home” game.
FFXIV has grown in leaps and bounds over the past handful of years, and Yoshida-san was clear about his focus: ensuring the quality of the game remains high and players feel like their concerns and wants are being addressed. Not being affected by fluctuations in FFXIV subscriber count means the team won’t make any rash decisions during a down period that will more negatively affect the long-term health of the MMORPG. In a genre with games that can persist for literal decades, a focus on the broader future makes more sense than any knee-jerk reactions to short time periods.
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Yoshida-san would later state that his priority is to ensure that “the players are satisfied,” and to focus on creating a game experience people want to actively return to. It’s a luxury not many games admittedly have – the competition is fierce and the playerbase is only so large – but thanks to the continued quality of FFXIV, it’s a stance Yoshida-san and the rest of the team can comfortably take while reassuring long-time players that the future is in good hands.
Final Fantasy 14
- Platform(s)
- PC , PS3 , PS4 , PS5 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S
- Released
- August 27, 2013
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- MMORPG
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Engine
- Crystal Tools
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Alcohol Reference, Animated Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Metascore
- 90
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
- PC, PS4 & PS5
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
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