Naoki Yoshida, the beloved director of Final Fantasy XIV, is certainly a character. Dexerto sat down with the whimsical Yoshi P to discuss his reputation in the industry, the legacy he’ll leave behind, and… even learn where he buys his clothes.
Yoshi-P is ostensibly the figurehead of FFXIV. Taking over the reins back in A Realm Reborn, the director has shifted the MMORPG into a title that fans from all over the world have come to love.
We were fortunate enough to speak to Yoshida during his time in Melbourne for PAX Australia 2024 and rest assured, we touched on all manner of subjects, including getting to the bottom of his iconic fashion sense.
A director among fans
Yoshi-P is more than just beloved by the community, the director is practically heralded as the face of the game. And with the MMO impacting millions around the globe, fans are always heaping praise on Yoshida as someone who has greatly changed their lives.
Though the director had never set out to become a figurehead of the MMORPG, and while he is glad people view him in that regard, he truthfully feels more embarrassed than anything. This is particularly so at in-person events, where fans can meet the legendary developer in person.
“Of course, I am always glad to receive support from all of our fans and players, but there are times when I’ll be there at physical events like at the Tokyo Game Show in Japan and when I meet some fans, they’ll just burst into tears when they meet me. And I’ll just be there thinking, ‘hmm, what should I do?’” Yoshida recounted.
Despite being well known within the community, the director wanted to point out that the game only exists due to the hard work put in by the whole team.
“Our game exists because of our development team and also our operations teams. I am there on top and I stand as the representative of the team. But for all the support that we get as a whole team from all of our fans, I’m really thankful.”
A stylish supervisor
As the most front-facing member of the dev team, Yoshida is constantly under the eyes of the fans. With the director so often in the spotlight, many have noted his immaculate sense of style, and it turns out there’s a reason why he dresses so well.
“First and foremost, I just want to say, I’m really grateful that people think I’m stylish,” Yoshida blushed. “But there actually is a reason for this.
“When I entered the games industry, it was just around 30 years ago. So at that time, I was in the game design team and we had two team supervisors. In my section, there was one supervisor who was not very fashionable, or if anything, he didn’t really wear good clothes and also wasn’t the kind of person who bathed much.
“So he would be there, his hair would be really oily and he would be wearing all of this attire which really screams, ‘I’m a games developer!’ Back at that time when you would go to Akihabara in Tokyo, it was that kind of fashion that you would see and he was wearing. But of course, when I look at it, I think if that’s what makes him happy that’s fine.
“But there was one time when he was representing the team, and he had coverage in Famitsu, so basically he was representing the team. So I cannot get that memory out of my mind when opening Famitsu and seeing him there and having that disappointment from everyone on the team.”
Conversely, Yoshida’s other supervisor at the time was the complete opposite, offering what he called a very “gentle and stylish” sense of fashion.
Being aware of his position as director of Final Fantasy XIV, Yoshida ensures that he always brings his best when representing the team.
“I am very aware of all the personal thoughts and aspirations that everyone on my team has, and I am in charge of representing the team. So if I was to go and represent our game and participate in an interview, I wanted to make sure that I do the best for my team as well,” the director explained.
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“I didn’t want them thinking ‘Oh I wish this guy had some better fashion sense’, so with all of that in mind, that’s one reason why I take great care in terms of how I dress.”
However, as Yoshida gets older, he believes that some members on the team might not feel the same way.
“I’m sure everyone’s thinking, ‘Hey you, you’re already past 50, it’s about high time you stop wearing these flashy shirts,’” he admitted with a smile. “With every FanFest, I’m sure there are some people on the team who see this old guy coming out on stage decked out in this weird cosplay for the new job.”
And to some extent, he tends to agree with the team, which would definitely sadden some of the fans.
“Hey, at the end of the day, I don’t want to cosplay myself.”
If you’ve ever wanted to put on a Yoshi-P cosplay, we inquired where the director shopped, and the dev name-dropped a department store called Isetan. According to Yoshida, they’ll stroll through the men’s department and pick out whatever suits him, with no particular brands in mind.
Legacy
There’s no doubt that Yoshida has left a huge mark on the Final Fantasy series and its community, as evidenced by player reaction and the sheer number of changes the game has undergone. However, the director claims he hasn’t thought much about his impact in the grand scheme.
“Final Fantasy all has a very long history, and I literally grew up with the Final Fantasy franchise. So to be able to come to this position and work on a numbered title in the franchise, it’s a huge deal,” Yoshida remarked. “A lot of people would aspire to that, but they wouldn’t be able to actually reach that point. So for me, it’s a huge deal, and I’m incredibly glad that I was able to do that.
“Of course, right now I haven’t finished with my work. I’m still working on Final Fantasy XIV, and even when I die, Final Fantasy XIV will continue. So I think it really doesn’t matter so much in terms of legacy. I think what’s important is the right now.”
Even then, Yoshida admitted that he isn’t the type of person to ponder, and would rather run his life back all over again if he had the chance.
“Of course, when I die I will go back into the Aetherial Sea, and I’m the kind of person who would just want to wipe my memory and reset and repeat everything.”
The director noted that no one knows what the future may hold for him, and joked about potentially leaving a bad mark in history.
“You never know, there could be a huge slip-up, and I would be leaving a bad mark on history. It might you know, leave me mentally so damaged that I’ll just head over to the data center with a bomb!” Yoshida playfully quipped.
“But once again, that really just goes to show for me how much I don’t think about it. For me what’s fun is just continuing working on the game and creating it with the rest of our staff, and having a good time while we’re at it.”
