FFXIV Director Yoshi-P explains why there’s extra to his style than meets the attention

Naoki Yoshida, the beloved director of Remaining Fantasy XIV, is definitely a personality. Dexerto sat down with the whimsical Yoshi P to debate his status within the trade, the legacy he’ll depart behind, and… even be taught the place he buys his garments.

Yoshi-P is ostensibly the figurehead of FFXIV. Taking up the reins again in A Realm Reborn, the director has shifted the MMORPG right into a title that followers from everywhere in the world have come to like.

We had been lucky sufficient to talk to Yoshida throughout his time in Melbourne for PAX Australia 2024 and relaxation assured, we touched on all method of topics, together with attending to the underside of his iconic style sense.

A director amongst followers

Yoshi-P is extra than simply beloved by the neighborhood, the director is virtually heralded because the face of the sport. And with the MMO impacting thousands and thousands across the globe, followers are at all times heaping reward on Yoshida as somebody who has enormously modified their lives.

Although the director had by no means got down to grow to be a figurehead of the MMORPG, and whereas he’s glad individuals view him in that regard, he honestly feels extra embarrassed than something. That is notably so at in-person occasions, the place followers can meet the legendary developer in particular person.

“After all, I’m at all times glad to obtain assist from all of our followers and gamers, however there are occasions once I’ll be there at bodily occasions like on the Tokyo Sport Present in Japan and once I meet some followers, they’ll simply burst into tears after they meet me. And I’ll simply be there pondering, ‘hmm, what ought to I do?’” Yoshida recounted.

Regardless of being well-known inside the neighborhood, the director needed to level out that the sport solely exists because of the arduous work put in by the entire workforce.

“Our recreation exists due to our improvement workforce and in addition our operations groups. I’m there on high and I stand because the consultant of the workforce. However for all of the assist that we get as a complete workforce from all of our followers, I’m actually grateful.”

A trendy supervisor

As essentially the most front-facing member of the dev workforce, Yoshida is continually beneath the eyes of the followers. With the director so typically within the highlight, many have famous his immaculate sense of fashion, and it turns on the market’s a motive why he clothes so nicely.

“Initially, I simply need to say, I’m actually grateful that folks suppose I’m trendy,” Yoshida blushed. “However there truly is a motive for this.

“After I entered the video games trade, it was simply round 30 years in the past. So at the moment, I used to be within the recreation design workforce and we had two workforce supervisors. In my part, there was one supervisor who was not very trendy, or if something, he didn’t actually put on good garments and in addition wasn’t the sort of one that bathed a lot.

“So he could be there, his hair could be actually oily and he could be carrying all of this apparel which actually screams, ‘I’m a video games developer!’ Again at the moment once you would go to Akihabara in Tokyo, it was that sort of style that you’d see and he was carrying. However in fact, once I take a look at it, I believe if that’s what makes him completely happy that’s fantastic.

“However there was one time when he was representing the workforce, and he had protection in Famitsu, so principally he was representing the workforce. So I can’t get that reminiscence out of my thoughts when opening Famitsu and seeing him there and having that disappointment from everybody on the workforce.”

Conversely, Yoshida’s different supervisor on the time was the exact opposite, providing what he known as a really “mild and trendy” sense of style.

Being conscious of his place as director of Remaining Fantasy XIV, Yoshida ensures that he at all times brings his finest when representing the workforce.

“I’m very conscious of all the private ideas and aspirations that everybody on my workforce has, and I’m answerable for representing the workforce. So if I used to be to go and characterize our recreation and take part in an interview, I needed to guarantee that I do the most effective for my workforce as nicely,” the director defined.

“I didn’t need them pondering ‘Oh I want this man had some higher style sense’, so with all of that in thoughts, that’s one motive why I take nice care by way of how I gown.”

Nonetheless, as Yoshida will get older, he believes that some members on the workforce may not really feel the identical method.

“I’m certain everybody’s pondering, ‘Hey you, you’re already previous 50, it’s about excessive time you cease carrying these flashy shirts,’” he admitted with a smile. “With each FanFest, I’m certain there are some individuals on the workforce who see this previous man popping out on stage decked out on this bizarre cosplay for the brand new job.”

And to some extent, he tends to agree with the workforce, which might positively sadden a few of the followers.

“Hey, on the finish of the day, I don’t need to cosplay myself.”

Should you’ve ever needed to placed on a Yoshi-P cosplay, we inquired the place the director shopped, and the dev name-dropped a division retailer known as Isetan. In accordance with Yoshida, they’ll stroll by means of the lads’s division and pick no matter fits him, with no specific manufacturers in thoughts.

Legacy

There’s little question that Yoshida has left an enormous mark on the Remaining Fantasy sequence and its neighborhood, as evidenced by participant response and the sheer variety of adjustments the sport has undergone. Nonetheless, the director claims he hasn’t thought a lot about his influence within the grand scheme.

“Remaining Fantasy all has a really lengthy historical past, and I actually grew up with the Remaining Fantasy franchise. So to have the ability to come to this place and work on a numbered title within the franchise, it’s an enormous deal,” Yoshida remarked. “Lots of people would aspire to that, however they wouldn’t have the ability to truly attain that time. So for me, it’s an enormous deal, and I’m extremely glad that I used to be in a position to do this.

“After all, proper now I haven’t completed with my work. I’m nonetheless engaged on Remaining Fantasy XIV, and even once I die, Remaining Fantasy XIV will proceed. So I believe it actually doesn’t matter a lot by way of legacy. I believe what’s essential is the appropriate now.”

Even then, Yoshida admitted that he isn’t the kind of particular person to ponder, and would quite run his life again over again if he had the prospect.

“After all, once I die I’ll return into the Aetherial Sea, and I’m the sort of one that would simply need to wipe my reminiscence and reset and repeat every part.”

The director famous that nobody is aware of what the long run could maintain for him, and joked about doubtlessly leaving a foul mark in historical past.

“You by no means know, there could possibly be an enormous slip-up, and I’d be leaving a foul mark on historical past. It’d , depart me mentally so broken that I’ll simply head over to the information heart with a bomb!” Yoshida playfully quipped.

“However as soon as once more, that basically simply goes to indicate for me how a lot I don’t give it some thought. For me what’s enjoyable is simply persevering with engaged on the sport and creating it with the remainder of our employees, and having a very good time whereas we’re at it.”