His name may not be as recognizable as other Square Enix staff, but Takashi Tokita has been working with the company when it was known as Squaresoft in the Famicom days. He worked on Rad Racer II and designed Final Fantasy IV. He spearheaded Live A Live, was the Director on Parasite Eve, developed The Bouncer and most recently finished Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light.
Earlier, we discussed why Nanashi no Game, a horror game for the Nintendo DS, didn’t make it to North America and Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection’s new Interlude storyline. In this portion of our interview, we discussed Tokita’s future plans and how he wants to push the envelope with quirky characters.
Let’s talk about some of your other games, like Parasite Eve. Since you designed that game what are your thoughts on The 3rd Birthday?
Takashi Tokita: I have not worked on The 3rd Birthday or Parasite Eve II either. For me, Parasite Eve is a game that I created and passed on to other developers to grow the franchise.
What are your thoughts on the Nintendo 3DS and NGP?
For 3DS, the network features have been strengthened and I think that is key. For NGP, their main rival is going to be smartphones. What they need to do is make the most out of portability and speed of the network.
Aside from Nanashi no Game, were there any other titles canned by focus groups?
[Laughs.] Hanjuku Hero was also canceled by focus groups. In fact, I have had a lot of titles that focus groups have indicated that may not do well. A lot of times there are missed opportunities to start new IP because of focus groups.
Do you feel like the focus groups are right?
Instead of focusing too much on the global market it’s best to make something fun and trust that will be accepted. I think that we worry a little bit too much. I feel like now, especially if we make them downloadable titles, it can ease sales concerns and might allow us to bring some titles that push the envelope.
How do you as a game creator want to push the envelope for an RPG or any genre?
What I love to do is mix impossible things and put them together. In terms of movies, I love Tarantino films. Creating absurd combinations can result in a unique and interesting game.
Out of all the titles you developed, which one best fits that goal?
The PlayStation 2 version of Hanjuku Hero, Hanjuku Hero Vs. 3D. It has a lot of really weird stuff in it.
Hanjuku Hero Vs. 3D’s opening video
How did Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light come about? Was it always a Final Fantasy game or did you design it as a new IP [intellectual property]?
[Laughs.] I thought we could call it Final Fantasy Gaiden and out of that we could create a new IP.
If you got a chance to create a new IP what kind of characters would you have?
Hmm… I want to create the type of characters players have never seen before, far out, eccentric characters. [Laughs.]
Square Enix is launching many new IPs now. Are you working on a new IP too?
Yes, there is one I am currently working on.
Can you tell us what system it’s for?
It’s too early! [Laughs.] I’m proposing the game to the company, so it’s over a year away. We’ll have more information at the next GDC.
[Laughs.] It’s a good thing that we’re telling you this now, so there is an expectation this game is coming and it will push the marketing and production teams to create it. We can connect users and fans through Facebook to get backing for it!
Adding a brand like Final Fantasy, for example, to The 4 Heroes of Light makes fans of the existing series curious about a title. In this market with so many titles out there, do you think starting a new IP is risky?
There is high risk when you are creating a packaged game aimed at new consumers. In terms of downloadable and social games, I think there is a lower risk there and opportunities.
The After Years was a downloadable game for mobile phones and after all the chapters were released they were compiled for WiiWare and later as a retail title*. I think this new business model can become a standard for the company and the industry. It’s kind of similar to manga being released as chapters and then compiled into novels or a TV series being shown on TV and then later released on DVD. That’s a possibility as a new business model.
[Editor’s note: Final Fantasy IV: The After Years is sold as part of Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection.]
If you missed previous other parts of this interview check these posts:
– Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection interview where we discuss the "Interlude" episode and the original Super Nintendo game.
– Tokita’s thoughts on a Live A Live remake.
– What inspired Nanashi no Game and why it didn’t make it to North America.
