In a recent episode of Square Enix's "The Games That Made Us" series, Final Fantasy XVI producer Naoki Yoshida and composer Masayoshi Soken shared some of their gaming memories. Soken fondly recalled his first encounter with Square Enix games through The Portopia Serial Murder Case, while Yoshida reminisced about his early days in PC gaming with Wingman. The two of them shared nostalgic stories, like Yoshida's disappointment over losing progress in Final Fantasy V and Soken's tale of an unfortunate mishap on the NES that wiped out his Dragon Quest III saves.
However, the spotlight of the conversation fell on Final Fantasy XVI. Yoshida praised the team's commitment to bringing the game's vision to life, saying,
"I really admire the team. I’m proud of them for seeing it through and creating the game to its fullest."
Interestingly, Yoshida also mentioned his surprise at Square Enix approving the game's high development costs, feeling a sense of responsibility to deliver results that justify the investment.
“I can’t say how much, but I have to hand it to them that we were allowed to spend this much. As such, I do feel a little pressure in terms of wanting to pay it back, but it really was incredible.”
You can watch the 16-minute video below: