Naoki Yoshida

Naoki Yoshida
Yoshida at the Japan Expo in Paris (2013)
Born 吉田 直樹
(1973-05-01) 1 May 1973
Nationality Japanese
Other names Yoshi-P
Occupation Video game producer and director
Employer Square Enix

Naoki Yoshida (吉田 直樹, Yoshida Naoki, born May 1, 1973),[1] also known by the nickname Yoshi-P,[2] is a Japanese video game producer, director and designer working for Square Enix. He is known primarily for his work on massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), as chief planner on Dragon Quest X, and as director and producer of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. He is credited with rescuing the original Final Fantasy XIV project from its disastrous launch. Yoshida is an Executive Officer at Square Enix,[3] the Head of Square Enix's Business Division 5[4] and part of the Final Fantasy Committee that is tasked with keeping the franchise's releases and content consistent.[5]

Early career

Yoshida joined the video game industry in 1993 and started his career at Hudson Soft, where he was assigned to the creation of PC Engine games at first.[6] Later, he participated as scenario writer in the Far East of Eden series and as game designer in the Bomberman series.[7] After he left Hudson Soft, he worked at several smaller game studios for five years.[6]

Career at Square Enix

Yoshida eventually joined Square Enix in 2004 and became the head of the Dragon Quest: Monster Battle Road series as well as a game designer of Dragon Quest X in its early stages.[6][7] In December 2010, he was taken off the Dragon Quest team and placed in charge of the staff that developed the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) Final Fantasy XIV, which had been unsuccessful since its launch several months before.[2][8] Then company president Yoichi Wada attributed this decision to Yoshida's experience, "charismatic" leadership skills and "passionate" will to satisfy customers.[8] Yoshida was not acquainted with any of the Final Fantasy XIV team's members and thus had to demonstrate his dedication to the project first to gain their trust as director. He then talked with the individual developers to find out their ideas for improvements to the revised version known as Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. He proceeded with describing to the team the precise goals to achieve.[2] Yoshida drew some inspiration from his long-lasting enthusiasm for MMORPGs, having played such titles as Ultima Online, EverQuest, Dark Age of Camelot, World of Warcraft, Warhammer Online, Rift, Star Wars: The Old Republic and Guild Wars 2.[6][9] As a result of his direction, reviewers and commentators have credited Yoshida with "rescuing" the Final Fantasy XIV project.[10][11][12][13]

Works

YearTitlePlatformCredit(s)
1998Star Soldier: Vanishing EarthNintendo 64Special thanks
1999Bomberman 64: The Second AttackStory mode director
2007Dragon Quest: Monster Battle RoadArcadeDirector
Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of MirrorsWiiSpecial thanks
2008Dragon Quest: Monster Battle Road II LegendArcadeDirector
2010Dragon Quest: Monster Battle Road VictoryWii
Final Fantasy XIVWindowsProducer, Director
2012Dragon Quest XWii, Wii UPlanner chief
2013Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm RebornWindows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4. macOSProducer, director
2015Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward
2015Final Fantasy: Brave ExviusiOS, AndroidSpecial thanks
2015Final Fantasy XI: Rhapsodies of Vana'dielWindows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2Division executive
2016Dragon Quest BuildersPlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita
Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XVFilmSpecial thanks
Final Fantasy XVPlayStation 4, Xbox One
2017Final Fantasy XIV: StormbloodWindows, PlayStation 4, macOSProducer, director
Itadaki Street: Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy 30th AnniversaryPlayStation 4, PlayStation VitaSpecial thanks
Final Fantasy Dimensions IIiOS, Android
2018Dissidia Final Fantasy NTPlayStation 4

References

  1. ↑ "「FFXIV: 新生エオルゼア」プロデューサーレターLIVEレポート". Game Watch. 2013-04-29. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  2. 1 2 3 Vreeland, Michael (2012-06-04). "FFXIV Interview: Phoenix Down For a Fallen MMO". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on 2015-08-10. Retrieved 2012-12-18.
  3. ↑ "Board of Directors". Square Enix. 2016.
  4. ↑ "第5ビジネス・ディビジョン". Square Enix. 2016.
  5. ↑ "What Does Square Enix's Final Fantasy Committee Do?". Siliconera. March 25, 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Donaldson, Alex (2011-11-01). "Final Fantasy XIV Interview with Producer/Director Naoki Yoshida - Round 2". RPG Site. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  7. 1 2 "『ファイナルファンタジーXIV』新プロデューサー兼ディレクターに直撃インタビュー". Famitsu. 2011-01-20. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  8. 1 2 Wada, Yoichi; Yoshida, Naoki; Tanaka, Hiromichi (2012-12-10). "An Important Announcement for Final Fantasy XIV Fans". Square-Enix. Archived from the original on 2010-12-12. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  9. ↑ Lefebvre, Eliot (2013-02-13). "Massively Exclusive: A dinner with Final Fantasy XIV's Naoki Yoshida". Joystiq. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
  10. ↑ Nutt, Christian (2011-04-01). "Fixing Final Fantasy XIV: The Yoshida Interview". Gamasutra. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
  11. ↑ Nutt, Christian (2014-04-18). "Understanding the successful relaunch of Final Fantasy XIV". Gamasutra. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
  12. ↑ Lin, Joseph C. (2015-04-14). "Meet the Guy Who Saved Final Fantasy XIV from Total Disaster". Time. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
  13. ↑ Parkin, Simon (2014-04-18). "Meet the man who salvaged Final Fantasy 14 from ruin". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
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