In last week’s issue of Famitsu magazine, Final Fantasy Agito producer Hajime Tabata talked about the upcoming mobile game and how the project started. Famitsu follows up with the rest of the interview, where the producer also shared a few words on the other big project he’s a part of—Final Fantasy XV, which he is co-directing.
The upcoming smartphone game aside, Famitsu asks Tabata if he has any plans for any home console releases, such as an expansion to Final Fantasy Type-0 or a sequel to The 3rd Birthday.
“Firstly, there’s Final Fantasy XV.” answers Tabata. “I’ve recently joined as the co-director, and I’m currently giving it my all, along with the Final Fantasy Type-0 team, and development is going smoothly. We’re currently plunging into an important phase, where the engine developers and game developers are preparing to work together”
After having worked on various titles such as Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Kingdom Hearts coded, and Final Fantasy Type-0, this will be Tabata’s first jump into working on a non-portable title, and it will also be a large-scaled project on a next-generation console.
“I never felt the extreme desire of ‘I want to make it!’ on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.” shares Tabata. “However, after seeing the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One take their level of expression to a whole other level, I’ve become motivated. After seeing it on the big screen, the more I think about seriously challenging that world with quality product, the more it feels possible.”
He continues, “It is something similar to what you get from a culture shock after traveling overseas. As an artist, I believe that there’s an amusing feeling that comes from being able to captivate something that wasn’t possible up until now.”
This may help explain why Square Enix’s output on portable devices has been noticeably reduced in recent times. While the team that developed Final Fantasy Type-0 is helping the original Kingdom Hearts team develop Final Fantasy XV, the team that developed Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII and Kingdom Hearts 3D is now in charge of Kingdom Hearts III.
