In case you haven’t heard, Hironobu Sakaguchi, the daddy of Ultimate Fantasy, is returning dwelling to Sq. Enix, so to talk, for the primary time in 21 years, bringing Mistwalker’s one-time Apple Arcade-exclusive RPG Fantasian to Nintendo Change, PlayStation 5 (each bodily and digitally) and to PlayStation 4, Xbox Collection X|S, and Steam (digitally) on December 5, 2024, within the type of Fantasian Neo Dimension.
To research extra about his newest effort, which was first introduced in 2018 and launched three years later, Nintendo Life met up with Sakaguchi-san a number of weeks in the past (earlier than the start of his grandchild!) in Los Angeles to debate his latest sport’s second life, and whether or not it could be his closing Fantasian.
Nintendo Life (James Mielke): A few 12 months and a half in the past, I requested you [Interviewer’s note: I met up with Sakaguchi-san in Tokyo in February 2023] if there have been any plans to deliver it to consoles or PC after the Apple Arcade exclusivity had expired, and also you stated one thing was within the works. Did you already know at the moment that you’d be publishing with Sq. Enix?
Hironobu Sakaguchi: Not at the moment. We didn’t have a transparent path or reply. I used to be in all probability speaking with about 4 completely different publishers.
NL: Have been you already engaged on porting it to different consoles, or was that in a holding sample till you had secured a writer.
HS: That call was — as a result of we had an unique cope with Apple Arcade — I knew from the very starting, even at the moment, that after this deal was over and [the exclusivity period had expired], that this sport was going to come back to different platforms. Even earlier than I secured the deal [with] Apple Arcade, I knew in my head that it could come to different consoles.
NL: So even whenever you had been getting ready it for Apple Arcade, you had been prepping the supplies for different platforms at the moment?
HS: Sure. For instance, we shot all the pieces in 4K, the place the specs for an Apple Arcade sport wouldn’t match. However we did that as a result of we knew that point would ultimately come [to use them].
NL: So for probably the most half, for all of the variations you’ll be releasing this 12 months, all of the arduous work was already carried out, you simply needed to carry out the assorted platform conversions as soon as the exclusivity was up.
HS: I consider so, and simply to allow you to in on the suggestions we’ve gotten from [Naoki] Yoshida at Sq. Enix -[it] is that the so-called porting work that we’ve got taken on has been so quick. The programmers on our facet knew that we had been ultimately going to take the sport from cellular to console, they’d carried out their job to the very best of their information on the time and all of the completely different variations that we’re bringing out by way of Sq. Enix – they’ve by no means seen porting work carried out so rapidly.
However on the identical time, not all the pieces is easy crusing. Initially we didn’t have voice-over in thoughts, so I’ve been informed that’s been somewhat little bit of a problem, but it surely’s getting carried out. Most likely the bottom barrier to entry port undertaking would have been if we’d carried out it ourselves and solely carried out a PC launch on Steam. That might have been straightforward, quick, fast, doesn’t contain some other companions, and was the minimal tier we had been anticipating on the time.
NL: So is Sq. Enix really dealing with the porting course of themselves?
HS: I’m glad you requested, as a result of the porting work itself is definitely being carried out at Mistwalker, however something that has to do with the voice appearing and voice-over is being dealt with at Sq. Enix.
NL: Are there any particular enhancements, apart from voice-over, that the console variations are receiving?
HS: The extra enhancements are one, you’re going from smartphone to controller-based consoles and PCs, so redoing the controller scheme is the primary. Second, adjusting the steadiness for fight […] provides us a chance to achieve a wider participant base, so we’ve rebalanced the fight system.
NL: So the Apple Arcade model is Fantasian, however the upcoming model is Fantasian Neo Dimension. What does this new title suggest?
HS: The positioning is that it’s extra like a Director’s Lower of Fantasian. All of the issues I’ve stated — the uprezzing, controller scheme, updating enhancing the fight system steadiness. There isn’t any further story content material, however we’ve mainly lined all of it, specifically the voice-over.
NL: So the composer for the sport, your longtime buddy and colleague, Nobuo Uematsu, has expressed his want to maneuver away from full sport soundtrack composition, and also you your self have hinted at retirement. Do you continue to really feel that manner? What occurs if Fantasian Neo Dimension is tremendous fashionable and the followers demand a sequel? You as soon as thought Ultimate Fantasy is perhaps your final sport, too, so is that this actually your closing Fantasian?
HS: In fact I can’t say a lot, or in any respect, however I’m already engaged on the following undertaking, so no matter whether or not this can be a hit or not, I’m engaged on one thing already.
no matter whether or not this can be a hit or not, I’m engaged on one thing already
NL: So that you’re not retiring but.
HS: I’m going to be a grandfather very quickly, so I’ve to work and purchase many toys. [Editor’s Note: Since speaking with him, Sakaguchi-san has indeed become a grandparent — see the Bluesky post below.]
NL: So concerning Uematsu-san’s standing, is Fantasian Neo Dimension the very last thing you’ll work on collectively?
HS: So the Fantasian franchise is the final one the place I’ve had [Uematsu] work on the whole lot of the sport by way of music. However we’ve already promised to one another that there’s a subsequent alternative for us. It is probably not your complete [soundtrack], however we will likely be working collectively on one thing.
おじいちゃんに
— auuo.bsky.social (@auuo.bsky.social) 2024-09-22T22:57:06.468Z
NL: A form of random apart, however how did Akira Toriyama’s passing have an effect on you, particularly having labored with him so carefully for a few years.
HS: If anybody has an opportunity to work with somebody like Toriyama-san, think about your self fortunate. I really feel lucky to have labored with him on Chrono Set off, Blue Dragon, and so on.
NL: Ultimate query; Sq. Enix is releasing Fantasian Neo Dimension as a bodily product along with digital, proper?
HS: Sure. Change and PlayStation 5. I’m blissful about these variations popping out in bodily kind.
Our due to Sakaguchi-san. Fantasian Neo Dimension launches for Change on fifth December.
