Yoshida Gets It - And We May Get Our Auction House

Naoki Yoshida, the new producer and director for Final Fantasy XIV, is not used to having his face in the media.  However, Square Enix has brought him in to save their latest MMO, and Yoshida is anxious to connect with the players and bring them what they want.  In an interview with Famitsu this week, he detailed the problems FFXIV has faced, and how he will work to repair them -- with the help of the player base.

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- Can you tell us about the circumstances leading up to that ultimate announcement to restructure the development team on December 10th, 2010?

Yoshida: Ever since service began in September of 2010, we had been receiving demands and complaints from the players.  Additionally, for a game that bears the Final Fantasy name, it is important that the entire company work together to raise the quality of the title.

 

- When was the decision made?

Yoshida: The end of November, 2010.

 

- So, you're saying the new policy was drafted soon after the decision was made?

Yoshida: We had been talking with the core members of the new team well before then, but the official decision was made in late November.  I had some responsibilities from the beginning among the directors, and I was concerned about the state of FFXIV, so it wasn't as if I was suddenly thrust into the role of producer and director out of nowhere.

 

- What is the reason for you alone being both producer and director?

Yoshida: In the gaming industry, the realm that producers and directors cover can be incredibly vague.  However, with an MMORPG like FFXIV, work continues after the point of sale, so the job of producer remains important.  At the same time, I am hearing a lot of dissatisfaction coming from our players, and my top priority is to see those complaints become positive feedback, meaning managing the direction of the game is also important.  We now need to act with speed and accuracy, and so the development team advised me that having these two areas managed by the same person is the most efficienct way to achieve this.

 

- What meaning do the keywords FUN, LIVE, REBOOT and REBUILD hold?

Yoshida: At first, I just planned to put the keywords out there without writing detailed explanations for each one.  But then people interested in the game began asking if these indicated specific targets we were aiming for.  I just thought these were keywords that are inherent to an MMORPG.  FUN means I want people to enjoy the game.  LIVE (the game feeling live and spontaneous) is important as well.  I can't pinpoint what this will mean for the game, but I hope you look forward to the plans we have in store.  The remaining two and REBOOT and REBUILD.   There will be adjustments and changes, and we would love for you to imagine how things can be rebuilt or rebooted through the course of play.

 

- I see, so with REBUILD, in accordance with the second question of the player survey where you ask about changing the rules of Eorzea, is there a possibility Windows players could see their characters being wiped?

Yoshida: As a policy of mine, I would absolutely never do a wipe.  While there may be adjustments that significantly alter the meaning of one's physical level or skill ranks, I would still allow players to reallocate their stats.  By the way, I actually wrote those questions myself, and I purposely referred to Eorzea, not FFXIV, in the question.  What do I mean by the "rules of Eorzea?"  That is something I'd like you to speculate about.

 

- The survey is touted as the "first," so are there more in store?

Yoshida:  Yes.  If we started right in with lots of specific questions, it would tough to get a solid idea of what the players want.  We plan to gradually move through a number of different topics.  Our players need to be satisfied above all else, and so we will focus on interacting with everyone to create an even better experience. 

 

- In the survey, you ask what content players would like to see added.  One of the options is an auction house, which seems quite specific.  What was your aim with this question?

Yoshida: The auction house is a system that was implemented in Final Fantasy XI.  This is something I haven't revealed before, but I believe we focused too much on FFXIV being different from FFXI.  As a key to having a vibrant economy, there should exist a system for players that is easy to use.  If that means an auction house, then shouldn't we work aggressively to implement it?  Making everything original isn't necessarily correct, I think.

 

- By the way, how has the reaction to the survey been at this time (January, 7th, 2011)?

Yoshida:  Our core players have been filling in the survey.  We've taken a look at the responses so far, but encourage everyone to voice their opinions by the January 14th deadline.

 

- This may depend on the survey results, but is there anything you wish to immediately change about FFXIV?

Yoshida: The user interface.  More than improving any other aspect of the game, if we don't fix the controls, the players' frustration will drown out any feedback on positive changes.  Next would be the battle system.  Eorzea in its current state is way too peaceful. (laughs)  I'm thinking of bringing that Final Fantasy essence to the forefront so we have players banding together to face down fearsome enemies.

 

- Lastly, do you have any words for our readers holding out hope for a PS3 version?

Yoshida: I apologize for not having a set release date, and unfortunately, I cannot decide upon a solid date until our current players are fully enjoying FFXIV.  We are determined to deliver a product that lives up to the Final Fantasy name, and I hope you look forward to playing it.

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Early days
# Jan 31 2011 at 12:05 PM Rating: Decent
Its still very early days to even see what ff14 is capable of becoming i agree that we need something like an AH but not an AH lol if you get what i mean. I would like to admit i loved playing ff11 played it for 5 almost 6 years had to give it up for personal reasons, so when i tryed ff14 for the first time i hated it it was nothing like 11 it was all wrong and far to easy in ways.

Then the more i played the more i found myself liking it i still miss the LEVEL UP sign and want bst and drg and smn back so bad but yeh looking forward to whats to come.
best game imo
# Jan 21 2011 at 10:51 PM Rating: Decent
best game anyone could make imo would steal Everquest 1 AA system for high lvl's ... Vanguard's crafting/harvesting system ... WoW's battlegrounds (say i said wow plz no one have a heartack) Eve-onlines market system .. and FFXI classes <3 them and maybe EQ2 and wow's way of doing quest
...
# Jan 21 2011 at 11:57 AM Rating: Decent
20 posts
I hope when he said Defining each class, he meant adding some flavor into the DoW and DoM. I like what they are now, don't get me wrong but I always felt it lack a certain excitement and pride to each class. I remember playing each Class from 11 and due to there uniqueness, it really brought life to each role. I guess my concerns are for future updates.
Rofl
# Jan 21 2011 at 12:19 AM Rating: Decent

Rofl!!: "Naoki Yoshida, the new producer and director for Final Fantasy XIV, is not used to having his face in the media."

Then he better get used to it reeeeeaaaal quick rofl!
Auction House?
# Jan 20 2011 at 8:30 PM Rating: Default
If they come up with an FFXI-like action house I will be quite angry. Despite what everyone thinks, that was disaster. When someone outgrew their current gear they would just dump it on the AH at a cut-rate price. This eventually led to most crafting being a losing propostion. People would spend millions trying to level a craft and would never see a return-on-investment. The only way you could have any hope of actually making a profit was to specialize in consummables. Armor, weapons, jewelry -- all that was a waste of time and money to make. Even if you managed to farm each and every ingredient, you were still losing profit because the total profit you got for selling the materials was more than the profit you could get for actually making something with them. I know this for a fact. I made millions doing nothing more than farming materials that the morons would buy to level their craft.

By the way, even with the retainer market system, this is a problem. So the current system really doesn't address the dumping issue.

Now, if SE took their cue from other games, such as Everquest II, and made gear attunable/equip (meaning that if once you put on a peice of gear it became "attuned" to you and could not be sold or traded) that would be a different story. Then the crafters could make money selling gear for any level and not have to worry about stuff being dumped back onto the market. Of course there would be a hue and cry from those who are too lazy to go out and make some money, like ... what? ... "You mean I spent a million gil for this and can never recoup my money?"

Hey, get used to it. That system works well and does not bog down the economy.
Auction House?
# Jan 22 2011 at 4:38 PM Rating: Decent
I"d like to also agree with this, the idea of that sounds good. Maybe, they could make the condition of gear once its been worn only equal 99% at maximum. While anything that is not 100%(from being newly purchased, looted, or crafted) can not be placed into the auction house. However, they should let merchants still purchase damaged goods. That way people aren't just throwing stuff away. The NPC merchants still currently give quite a return. This would help your idea for the economy and crafting. While not being completely one sided for the people who want to dump gear off. Also this gives SE an idea. however i'm sure they will never see this lol.
Auction House?
# Jan 20 2011 at 10:15 PM Rating: Decent
18 posts
I agree: the FFXI auction house eventually killed the economy on the game. With the market ward/bazaar system in place now in FFXIV it would be harder to have the same thing happen, but it still could. An implementation as you said like Everquest II would be cool.
Yep I'm optimistic
# Jan 20 2011 at 7:18 PM Rating: Decent
32 posts
about this. It's going to be a long road to recovery but it looks like the groundwork's being laid with interviews like this. I must imagine that a good number of us who have given up on the game will return to have a look once these sorts of changes get implemented.
Good stuff.
# Jan 20 2011 at 6:02 PM Rating: Decent
Can't wait to see the changes in store. Seems like he gets it.
Re: But!!!
# Jan 20 2011 at 2:18 PM Rating: Decent
Quote:
Why dosent he officialy post some news on his plan for FFXIV? ...


Because silence's the bane of beleaguered people. You focus so hard on the to-do list that you consequently forget to communicate. Just like you forget to breathe when you're in panic. It happened (and I know I'm importing a comparison out of all proportions here) to the Obama administration, more to the point, it happened--and awfully--to the panic-stricken Tanaka/Komoto duumvirate (go back and look at their faces in the photographs taken at all those pre-launch appearances.) It's happening by necessity to poor Yoshida San.

Sometimes it's like they want their first plans, their first impressions to be pitch perfect (something that it's impossible in a project of this complexity and one in which expectations are so subdivided) and they procrastinate the upkeep of the communication. They do it--without noticing--until their silence becomes their character. By the time they let some words out, the audience has developed a neurosis, is hating them for their lack of communication, and, now that they're doing it, can't read them straight; their vision of a lacking leader takes over any sense of reality and they just complain.

But hey! The Obama administration got it after a while and, back to our point, Yoshida seems to have his priorities in the right order. Granted, one third of my example list didn't get it, but again, Tanaka seems to come from a world of executives that enjoyed exercising their muteness on their constituents... You're right if you think that the man that made the Chocobo Mazurka famous was not a silent tyrant; more like a silly uncle that would give you pokerface to enhance the surprise of an underwhelming christmas gift! Or, at his worst, some store Santa Claus chuckling theatrically to hide from us the sad fact that he's got nothing in his bag for anybody. However, the important point, from my vantage point, is that somehow I don't read any of Tanaka's self-importance in Yoshida's statements so far. And that's a good thing.



Edited, Jan 20th 2011 4:11pm by circiter

Edited, Jan 20th 2011 4:27pm by circiter
But !!!
# Jan 20 2011 at 9:38 AM Rating: Default
Why dosent he officialy post some news on his plan for FFXIV? ... so many of us are waiting and are on the edge of %$%$@ ... :)
great
# Jan 20 2011 at 8:29 AM Rating: Decent
I am very glad to hear this, except the PS3 release part, makes me a sad panda.

He addressed everything that currently bugs me about FFXIV

1) UI, yes it's bad, way too much clicking, way too rigid and so many other games old and new do it way better

2) Battle, too much as people say 1,1,2,1,1,2. Not to mention you can't queue up moves and THINK about what to mix in for fun results. Instead it's all on the fly and requiring absolute attention and still resulting in delay. Way too much to do in a group battle. FFXI was the opposite, i used to fall asleep depending on class, like thief, SA+TA then yawn till you need to pull.

3) Auction house - Thank god. If the Market Ward system was actually built to be efficient and anyone who argues right now cannot say it's efficient, it takes forever to find things if it's busy, hard to tell who you checked etc ANYWAYS it would be a great system. However it isn't, if an AH system fixes everything until such time they can tweak the market to be globally appealing, yes i will be happy. However i have a feeling once an AH is in place they will say, yes the general public like it, we will keeep it.

My only concern is time... how long until all this stuff is in place? We all have "Plans" of doing things at home but will they ever be done. I would pick up this game in a heartbeat if they fix all this stuff by PS3 release.
good news
# Jan 20 2011 at 8:27 AM Rating: Decent
-

Edited, Jan 20th 2011 7:29am by boriss
Finally, they get it.
# Jan 20 2011 at 8:20 AM Rating: Good
38 posts
Quote:
This is something I haven't revealed before, but I believe we focused too much on FFXIV being different from FFXI. Making everything original isn't necessarily correct, I think.


I want to stand up out of my chair, and applaud these words with a standing ovation. God damn it, thank you for realizing it. You didn't need to reinvent the wheel. If the man says nothing else, he just gained 100% credibility from me. Bravo.
#REDACTED, Posted: Jan 20 2011 at 6:59 AM, Rating: Sub-Default, (Expand Post) Still words.
yay!
# Jan 20 2011 at 5:40 AM Rating: Decent
AH system and more animatiom to elemental nukes!!! and change Ancient magic like FFXI plz ^ ^
FFXIV AH on the way plus real exp mobs.
# Jan 20 2011 at 4:48 AM Rating: Decent
16 posts
its about time get that AH in there quickly. And yes FFXIV is way to safe i remember when i first started playing FFXI DC(decent challenge) actually meant death is certain. Only had the game less than a month and feel its to much like American MMO's. lets get back to partying for exp please teamwork yes please. let those american companies make games for cowboys.
FFXIV Real mobs & better Combat
# Jan 20 2011 at 11:16 AM Rating: Decent
He spoke upon everything I wanted to hear and want implemented. One of my earlier concerns was some of the lame creatures. A Ladybug has taken my party out??! Um yeah, real menacing. I REALLY miss many of the dramatic effects of the old weapon skills and a solid looking provoke. I like this new game, but would still love to see them incorporate some of FFXI's great ideas as well.
Finally
# Jan 20 2011 at 1:23 AM Rating: Good
*
58 posts
About time news came about, this is great! I wish news updates like this would be posted on the lodestone though! I feel like hes only communication with the japanese players base.... Keep it up Yoshida and let us americans know your hard at work!
#REDACTED, Posted: Jan 19 2011 at 10:43 PM, Rating: Sub-Default, (Expand Post) I would consider Yoshida an idiot if he follow the crowd and add an auction house.
geez
# Jan 20 2011 at 9:05 AM Rating: Excellent
*
237 posts
Quote:
This is something I haven't revealed before, but I believe we focused too much on FFXIV being different from FFXI. Making everything original isn't necessarily correct, I think.



wrongfeifong wrote:
I would consider Yoshida an idiot if he follow the crowd and add an auction house.

Why? FFXI have one, WoW have one, and every MMORPG have one.

Guess what? on the DC universe forum, people even request an auction house.

This isn't FFXIV, this is just a typical MMO that follows other games. Might as well throw it into the trash.

I am playing FF series because of its uniquiness. FFX13 was unique in the combat system, FFXII got unique stuff as well. FFXI is like the father who opened more recent MMORPG (first to have auction houses, first to have raid instances)



Yoshida gets it. Apparently, you don't.
geez
# Jan 21 2011 at 10:42 PM Rating: Decent
there is nothing new about the market wards lmao its the same system everquest 1 used with the baz and even that 12 year old game did it better get over it people want a ah you dont so go play a stand alone game where you can grind and farm for your armor all you want orr you can play this game and do the same thing just cuz theres a AH dont mean you have to us it /sigh noobs
geez
# Jan 20 2011 at 9:39 AM Rating: Decent
Xanfien wrote:
Quote:
This is something I haven't revealed before, but I believe we focused too much on FFXIV being different from FFXI. Making everything original isn't necessarily correct, I think.



wrongfeifong wrote:
I would consider Yoshida an idiot if he follow the crowd and add an auction house.

Why? FFXI have one, WoW have one, and every MMORPG have one.

Guess what? on the DC universe forum, people even request an auction house.

This isn't FFXIV, this is just a typical MMO that follows other games. Might as well throw it into the trash.

I am playing FF series because of its uniquiness. FFX13 was unique in the combat system, FFXII got unique stuff as well. FFXI is like the father who opened more recent MMORPG (first to have auction houses, first to have raid instances)



Yoshida gets it. Apparently, you don't.


I'm going to have to agree with everyone else on here and say that Yoshida gets what the fans want. So he can definately talk the talk lets just hope he can walk the walk and get what the players want done.

As for Wrongfeifong I know you are giving your opinion which everyone has the option to voice it or in this case write it. However I really have to disagree with you because it's an MMO not just a FF. Final Fantasy XI was amazing and I have yet to experience as much fun as I did with that game in any other MMO. I would have been content with a FFXI-2 with obvious upgrades in graphics and some tweeks here and there but to me that game was perfect and harder then most other MMO's out there. The community even though it wasn't huge was amazing and for the most part more mature then many other MMO's.

Anyways I'm still hoping/dreaming for to many games that I would love to see redone with updated graphics or games that give me that excitement like FFXI. I thought FFXIV would do it I'm still hoping that one day it will. SquareEnix if your out there just make an FFXI-2, KH3,KH1&2 HD Collection, and FFVII redone in HD and you guys would make a crap ton of money.
wow
# Jan 19 2011 at 10:37 PM Rating: Good
glad to see hes doing the job that needs to be done
Yay!
# Jan 19 2011 at 10:18 PM Rating: Good
I'm so excited to watch this game evolve.
<3 Yoshida
# Jan 19 2011 at 9:32 PM Rating: Good
Yoshida.
Is.
GOD!
Nice!
# Jan 19 2011 at 9:14 PM Rating: Good
I like this man :> his ideas is so much better , i hate FFXIV's user interface as its now :( i wish for something better soon ^^ ,,, Arigatou~ Yoshida .
Finally
# Jan 19 2011 at 9:10 PM Rating: Good
I love it. Yoshida seems to actually understand what needs to be done. I look forward to see how he plans on fixing this game.
...
# Jan 19 2011 at 9:02 PM Rating: Decent
Thank you, Elmer. I was beginning to think Yoshida had dropped off the face of the earth.
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