FFXV's Director Says "Final Fantasy Disease" Infected Square Enix

Image: Square Enix

Have you been infected with the "Final Fantasy disease"? If you're a long-time fan or a has a frozen-solid view of what a Final Fantasy game should be, chances are, you might have it.

During a recent talk with Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harado on the Japanese site 4Gamer, Final Fantasy XV director Hajime Tabata talks about what he calls "FF byou" (FF?) or "Final Fantasy disease."

The multiple-page long interview gets very interesting when Harada asks Tabata if there was backlash during the reorganization that occured when he took over Final Fantasy XV.

The interview is several pages long, but things get very interesting when Harada asks Tabata if there was backlash during the reorganization that occurred when he took over.

"Oh yeah, there was," Tabata said. "It wasn't only from inside the team, but outside as well. The reason was that if my way of doing it ended up working, there are those whose circumstances will worsen." (According to 4Gamer, Tabata laughed after saying this.)

Tabata says that there's been negative feedback for Final Fantasy XV, such as people not being pleased with the character choices. Although Tabata is aware that the Final Fantasy is a series with great history, he felt that it was important to make changes.

Image: 4gamer

"Around that time, I realized that among fans as well, there are people who've caught FF disease," Tabata said.

When Tabata was asked what "Final Fantasy disease" really meant, he said:

"It refers to people within the company who can't imagine anything other than their own view of Final Fantasy. Since the root is a strong self-affirmation, one's own view of Final Fantasy takes more priority than the team's success. If that view of Final Fantasy isn't fulfilled, then they're convinced that it's bad for Final Fantasy. They think, ‘Since Final Fantasy is a special team, then we are also special because we are making it. When the new Final Fantasy comes out, everybody is going to be so into it.' But that's not the reality of the situation, is it?"

Well-explained, Tabata. He continued: "Because of that, there was a time I told off the team, saying, ‘We're not special. Wake Up.' Yet, I realized that when Final Fantasy XV news was made public, this wasn't only inside the company. Everyone has FF disease."

You can find them everywhere in the Internet, and a lot of them are people who aren't open to change, and would rather whine about FFXV's battle system not being turn-based.

Harada pointed out that he's faced pushback when significant changes are made to Tekken's game system or character line up

Tabata explains that the voices of those wanting to maintain the status quo are the loudest, but according to him, Final Fantasy has become stronger, saving it from edge of crisis because of the changes. "At this point," Tabata said, "if the series didn't modernize, I think it could've been done for."

Watch: New Final Fantasy XV Trailer Shows Off Stunning Environments

Read: 10,000 More Final Fantasy XV Ultimate Collector's Editions Coming, and Here's How You Can Get One