Hironobu Sakaguchi, the Japanese game designer, director, producer, and writer best known for being the creator of the Final Fantasy franchise, has no interest in returning to the best-selling series despite having reunited with his former employer in recent years for various new ventures, including the release of an enhanced version of his latest RPG, FANTASIAN Neo Dimension, for PC and consoles, according to a new story that was published today about how the industry veteran is now on good terms with Square Enix despite having severed ties with the company two decades ago. Sakaguchi, who now runs his own studio, Mistwalker, also revealed that he has no interest in bringing his older games, including Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon, to modern platforms, except for maybe one title.
From an report:
- “Sakaguchi said that despite the newfound partnership, he has no interest in revisiting Final Fantasy or any of his old franchises — in part because he’s ‘switched to a consumer rather than a creator’ and doesn’t want a glimpse at how the sausage is made.”
- “‘If I take on the Final Fantasy brand again, I don’t know if I’ll be able to genuinely enjoy Final Fantasy XIV as much,’ he said.
- “Sakaguchi also said he has no interest in bringing older games such as Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon to modern platforms, despite recent rumors suggesting otherwise.”
- “He does want to find a way to revive the strategy game Terra Battle, which was released for phones in 2014 but is no longer playable.”
An announcement trailer for Sakaguchi’s latest project:
Game description:
The father of FINAL FANTASY, Hironobu Sakaguchi, and renowned composer Nobuo Uematsu return to deliver an original RPG story with FANTASIAN Neo Dimension. Experience an enhanced version of FANTASTIAN, initially released for Apple Arcade in 2021, with brand-new features, including English and Japanese voiceovers and additional difficulty options. In FANTASIAN Neo Dimension, assume the role of Leo as he journeys to recover his memories and solve the mystery of a strange mechanical infection destroying his world. Experience an original and modern take on the beloved turn-based battle system, with a wealth of unique mechanics and strategic combat that shake up the classic RPG formula, and explore a multi-dimensional universe come to life, set against the backdrop of over 150 charming hand-crafted dioramas.