Anime Expo (AX) stands out as the largest anime convention in North America. The convention takes place annually in Los Angeles, California, to celebrate Japanese pop culture with fans, professionals, and creators! This year, the convention ran from Thursday, July 3rd, to Sunday, the 6th, attracting incredible cosplayers from around the world. Throughout the weekend, fans were able to attend epic panels, cosplay meetups, and walk through an incredible exhibit hall.
One such panel brought Final Fantasy XIV and Final Fantasy XVI producer Naoki Yoshida (or affectionately known as Yoshi-P) to the table! Yoshida took the audience on a journey through his inspirations and influences. With a personalized slide presentation, he shared key moments and experiences that shaped him into the game designer he is today.
A Glimpse Into The Life of Naoki Yoshida
Yoshida began his career at Hudson Soft in 1993 with Bomberman 64. In 2005, he joined Square Enix, where he has played a key role in production. His contributions include titles like Final Fantasy XIV, Final Fantasy XVI, and Dragon Quest Builders. He has also shared his inspirations for cover art, character designs, and story development. Moreover, he continuously provided recommendations that would further illustrate his gaming history. Here are some of the slides from Yoshida’s presentation!
“Vampire D artist Yoshitaka Amano is a very strong influence on me. I feel my brain was really emblazed with his art. Whenever I would discuss artwork with my team, we would reference Vampire D, as well as the different decorative materials of Final Fantasy, such as the balance between the cloth textures, the armor, and we are very cognizant of that.” – Yoshida
His parting words encouraged fans to preorder Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, set to release late September. The audience was delighted the entire time with Yoshida’s recommendations and insights into his creative process in the gaming world.
About Final Fantasy XIV and Final Fantasy XVI
Final Fantasy XIV is an MMORPG released worldwide in 2013. The game combines rich storytelling, iconic visuals, and an intricate gameplay system. All these ingredients combined create one of the most beloved online gaming experiences to date. With extensive dungeons and a variety of Jobs, the game caters to both hardcore gamers and casual players. Furthermore, it features emotional character storylines that appeal to everyone.
Final Fantasy XVI is a dark fantasy action RPG, the sixteenth main entry in the Final Fantasy series. The story takes place in the war-torn world of Valisthea. Here, players follow Clive Rosfield’s story, utilizing epic and fast melee and magic-charged combat with monster summons.
