FINAL FANTASY XI (FFXI) today is supported by a wide variety of staff members with roles ranging from development, operations, infrastructure, quality assurance, publicity, and project management. Here’s Part 2 of asking each interviewee 11 questions on a number of subjects ranging from their role to personal experiences.
Kengo Shigemoto
1.What’s your role, and how long have you been with the FFXI team?
Community Planner
2.Do you have any hobbies or interests?
I’m the type of person that dabbles in a wide variety of interests. Recently, I’ve been interested in outdoor activities.
3.What was your first experience with video games?
Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride and Super Tetris 2 + Bombliss which my father bought for me. I’m a Bianca fan.
4.How did you end up joining Square Enix and the FFXI team?
I was hired as a Community Planner and was assigned to the FFXI team because I had experience playing the game.
5.What’s your most memorable experience in FFXI?
I started the game as a black mage, and there was this time when I was leveling in Valkurm Dunes. When nightfall came, a Bogy spawned and started attacking me. As I panicked and tried to run away, a Rabbit hopped over to the Bogy and swiftly defeated it in a single kick. That was my first encounter with the beastmaster job, and from that moment forward, I was determined to become a beastmaster myself.
6.What’s your most memorable experience outside of the game?
Back when I was a player, I wasn’t aware that there were real-life events for FFXI. When I learned about them after joining the company, I couldn’t believe I’d been missing out on something so fun!
7.What was your roughest experience related to FFXI?
After I managed to become a beastmaster, I frequented Giddeus in hopes of getting my hands on Monster Signa, but all that ever dropped was the Zealot’s Mitts. As time passed, the Light Staff was eventually added, and I never obtained the Monster Signa in the end.
8.Do you have any secrets you can share with us now that 20 years have gone by?
When Mr. Akihiko* posts his weekly summaries on the Japanese forums, he ends his sentences with “desuzo~.” But Mr. Yoji* was actually the first one to add “desuzo~” to the end of his sentences.
* Akihiko Matsui, Producer for FFXI.* Yoji Fujito, Director for FFXI.
9.What do you like or find amazing about FFXI?
The game’s atmosphere hasn’t changed in these 20 years. Sure, new content is constantly being added, and new methods of travel have made things more convenient. But whenever I log in, the game always greets me with the same leisurely atmosphere and eases me into the mindset of, “Well, what should I do today?”
10.What does FFXI mean to you?
FFXI is like a teacher to me, as it was my first online game. Not only did it teach me internet etiquette and how to get along with others but also how to type properly; I was only able to type using my index fingers, but I wanted to improve so I could chat with everyone else. And even today, FFXI continues to teach me many things in my job.
11.Do you have anything you’d like to say to our adventurers?
The countless adventurers I’ve encountered since I first started the game have helped me to become who I am today. I look forward to continuing to work with our adventurers to make Vana’diel even more exciting, so please lend us your support!
Mitsuru Ishida
1.What’s your role, and how long have you been with the FFXI team?
Community Planner (3 years)
2.Do you have any hobbies or interests?
Video games (FPS, horror, and puzzle games; any genre in general, really), watching movies, and taking walks.
3.What was your first experience with video games?
Super Mario Bros., which I played at a friend's house.
4.How did you end up joining Square Enix and the FFXI team?
I changed careers because I wanted to work on FFXI.
5.What’s your most memorable experience in FFXI?
Desperately fighting alongside my friends and linkshell members when Besieged was going nonstop. (Though Al Zahbi eventually fell.)
6.What’s your most memorable experience outside of the game?
The mystery-solving activities they had at Fan Festivals and other events. I’m a shy introvert, but eventually I managed to form parties by messaging “Excuse me...” and “Team up?” with the auto-translate function!
7.What was your roughest experience related to FFXI?
Our group had a waiting list (with participation points) to distribute relic armor between our members, but when it was my turn, I lost the roll and didn’t get the armor.
8.Do you have any secrets you can share with us now that 20 years have gone by?
I’m the guy who decides where the pumpkins are hidden. (I roam around Vana’diel on foot for about ten days when that time of year approaches.)
9.What do you like or find amazing about FFXI?
The worldbuilding had outstanding depth to it compared to that of other MMOs of the time. Thanks to that, even the so-called “fetch quests” spark my imagination, and I enjoy thinking to myself, "I wonder if the character felt the same way?” and "What are they trying to accomplish through this quest?”
10.What does FFXI mean to you?
Life.
11.Do you have anything you’d like to say to our adventurers?
Thank you for choosing to play FFXI out of all the many games out there. I always enjoy watching your livestreams and videos, as well as seeing you share your feedback and showing off loot on social media. I’ll be doing my best to help ensure that you’ll be able to keep posting, so I hope you’ll continue to enjoy the game.
Keisuke Ito
1.What’s your role, and how long have you been with the FFXI team?
Community Planner (2 and a half years)
2.Do you have any hobbies or interests?
Reading manga and playing games (both traditional and digital); I live surrounded by a bunch of manga and board games. I’m also a fan of the Japanese professional baseball team Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
3.What was your first experience with video games?
Mega Man 4 on the NES.
4.How did you end up joining Square Enix and the FFXI team?
I was considering changing careers when I heard there was an opening for a Community Planner, so I applied for the position on a spur-of-the-moment decision and got the job. In my application, I made sure to mention that I’d been playing FFXI since launch, which may be why I’m entrusted with so many FFXI-related tasks.
5.What’s your most memorable experience in FFXI?
I befriended a fellow linkshell member and we were chatting while we fought the crabs in Valkurm Dunes. I was a student living in the countryside at the time, so when they told me they were a manga artist, I was really impressed and thought, “I can’t believe that just happened, FFXI is incredible!” They are still very active today, so I’m still supporting them from the shadows.
6.What’s your most memorable experience outside of the game?
At my former job, a senior colleague happened to see me browsing the FFXI website during my break, and that’s how we discovered that we both played FFXI. We really hit it off after that and ended up going to Fan Festival together, and we still keep in touch to this day.
Another fascinating and precious experience was when my work reunited me with a linkshell member I befriended almost ten years ago, back when I was still in school and hadn’t moved to Tokyo yet.
7.What was your roughest experience related to FFXI?
I used to be the leader of a linkshell, but when I got busy with real life and couldn’t log on for a while, the linkshell ended up falling apart. I still feel bad about it since I was gone for personal reasons.
8.Do you have any secrets you can share with us now that 20 years have gone by?
I don't have any secrets that would make for an interesting story. Sorry!
9.What do you like or find amazing about FFXI?
All of the components that make up the world—the characters, scenery, and music—are deeply familiar to me; they provide a sort of relief similar to going back home, an emotion that can’t be explained through reasoning. The fact that many of us can attest to this allure is surely what’s allowed the game to thrive for these past 20 years, and that’s impressive.
10.What does FFXI mean to you?
It’s undeniable that its existence has changed my life.
11.Do you have anything you’d like to say to our adventurers?
I may have only been a staff member for two and a half years, but even so, I’ve already felt just how passionate our players are for FFXI, and I’m keenly aware of how worthwhile my job is. I’ll continue to do my best so everyone can continue enjoying their time in Vana’diel, including myself, as a citizen of San d’Oria!
Salalaruru
1.What’s your role, and how long have you been with the FFXI team?
Community Planner
2.Do you have any hobbies or interests?
Video games, especially genres like online games and hack-and-slash games where I can play infinitely.
3.What was your first experience with video games?
FINAL FANTASY IV.
4.How did you end up joining Square Enix and the FFXI team?
At my previous job I worked with FFXI in media relations, so when I saw the job opening, I thought to myself “I’m going to liven up FFXI!” and got on board.
5.What’s your most memorable experience in FFXI?
When I obtained Maat’s Cap shortly after it was implemented, I was messaged by a lot of overseas players asking if they could take a screenshot.
There was also this one time soon after I started playing where I was casting elemental spells in Sarutabaruta. A Mithra came up to me from behind and called out, “That’s awesome!” but I couldn’t bring myself to respond and ended up running away. By the time I reached Windurst, my heart was racing with excitement as I understood: “So this is what an online game is like!”
6.What’s your most memorable experience outside of the game?
VanaFest 2010. When they showed the trailer with the character in level 75 gear leveling up, everyone immediately understood what it meant and roared with excitement.
7.What was your roughest experience related to FFXI?
Nothing in particular comes to mind. And I mean that in earnest.
8.Do you have any secrets you can share with us now that 20 years have gone by?
When I originally requested “Monsters around the three nations are revved up and rarin' to go!” for “Let’s Go! Vana’diel Day!” I wanted the monsters to be about as large as Behemoth, so I was disappointed when they told me there was a limit to the sizes they could do. But the final sizes were quite adorable, so everything turned out great in the end. (A crowd of Behemoth-sized monsters roaming around probably would’ve only gotten in the way anyway.)
9.What do you like or find amazing about FFXI?
Leveling up and obtaining new gear are seen as mundane chores in a lot of other games, but I just couldn’t get enough of them in FFXI. It’s easy to claim that progression is part of the journey, but you rarely see cases where those activities are actually enjoyable, and I think it’s something to be proud of. The world around us has changed nowadays and the emphasis of the game has shifted to enjoying the “goals” more than the process of reaching them, but the preparation and research involved in completing the content still yields a similar sense of accomplishment.
10.What does FFXI mean to you?
People have claimed that FFXI changed their lives, and I’m definitely one of them. After all, working on the game is my job now.
11.Do you have anything you’d like to say to our adventurers?
Thank you for playing. Without all of you, FFXI would be no different from an empty container. How this container will be used is up to you all. We’ll continue maintaining this container with the utmost care, so I hope you’ll continue to enjoy your lives in Vana’diel.
GM Bylects
1.What’s your role, and how long have you been with the FFXI team?
Game Master (GM) / Lead GM of the Network Operations Center team (17 years total)
* The Network Operations Center is the team in charge of monitoring the servers, addressing technical difficulties, conducting maintenance, making news announcements, and more.2.Do you have any hobbies or interests?
Gaming!
3.What was your first experience with video games?
I think it was a Nintendo Game & Watch that my father bought for me, but I don’t remember which game it was.
4.How did you end up joining Square Enix and the FFXI team?
I enjoyed playing FFXI so much and figured life would be even more fun if I could make it my job, so I joined the company as a GM.
5.What’s your most memorable experience in FFXI?
There are a few, but I can’t say them as they are business related...!
6.What’s your most memorable experience outside of the game?
Our first official live event, SQUARE ENIX Party 2005, allowed me to meet with our players face-to-face when I’d only ever interacted with them online before, and seeing them enjoy themselves motivated me to work even harder from there on out. That was a very memorable experience for me, as it was the first live event I ever attended.
7.What was your roughest experience related to FFXI?
This was more of a challenging experience than a painful one, but around 2005 or 2006, we started to see an increase in victims to unauthorized account access, which wasn’t very well-known at the time. We didn’t have any systems or support tools in place for recovering accounts, so we didn’t have a lot to work with, and it was quite challenging to conduct log investigations by hand.
8.Do you have any secrets you can share with us now that 20 years have gone by?
Back when I was working the night shift as a GM, there was this one time where players were organizing some kind of event. Thinking everyone would enjoy it, I equipped my GM character with an item that had a special signature and watched them from nearby. The players noticed me, and we had a great time chatting away, but I later got in a lot of trouble for creating gear without authorization!
9.What do you like or find amazing about FFXI?
The most amazing thing is how, back when online games were almost non-existent in Japan, we managed to launch a service that many could enjoy without prior experience of the online world. That same service has remained as enjoyable as ever by continuing to adapt with the times, even though technology has come a long way in these 20 years.
10.What does FFXI mean to you?
FFXI was the reason I joined the company, and I also gained a lot of experience thanks to FFXI. I’d say it’s brought about the biggest changes in my life.
11.Do you have anything you’d like to say to our adventurers?
I’ll continue doing my best to maintain peace and order in Vana’diel, and hope you’ll continue to enjoy the game!
GM Eulatot
1.What’s your role, and how long have you been with the FFXI team?
GM / Senior GM of the Network Operations Center team (morning shift) (17 years total)
2.Do you have any hobbies or interests?
Games.
3.What was your first experience with video games?
A pay-to-play NES they had at a Japanese hostel in Matsushima (Miyagi Prefecture).
4.How did you end up joining Square Enix and the FFXI team?
I was very addicted to FFXI and thought “This is a great game! I need to get a closer look” and applied when I saw the job offer for a game master.
5.What’s your most memorable experience in FFXI?
I’ll never forget the time I finally obtained the Morbolger Vine at 4:00 in the morning after two weeks of numerous failed attempts.
6.What’s your most memorable experience outside of the game?
Working as part of the staff at VanaFest 2012 and meeting players in person. It was a powerful reminder of just how many people were supporting the game.
7.What was your roughest experience related to FFXI?
I’m sure there’s something, but I can’t remember！
8.Do you have any secrets you can share with us now that 20 years have gone by?
This one time, I was on a stakeout and caught a player who was preparing to MPK at the spot where Serket and Fafnir spawn.
* “Monster Player Kill” (MPK) is a player term describing when a player manipulates an enemy’s attack in order to K.O. another player.9.What do you like or find amazing about FFXI?
What’s great about FFXI: the game greatly expanded the scope of the MMO genre in Japan and still receives updates after 20 years.
What I like about FFXI: It is both an MMO and an FF game. The various characters and the drama woven between them has emotionally moved me numerous times.
10.What does FFXI mean to you?
A lovable neighbor I’ve spent almost half my life with.
11.Do you have anything you’d like to say to our adventurers?
I’ll do my best to ensure that Vana’diel maintains its place in people’s hearts.
GM Kelfess
1.What’s your role, and how long have you been with the FFXI team?
GM / Senior GM of the Network Operations Center team (night shift) (Over 20 years total since the beta era.)
2.Do you have any hobbies or interests?
Traveling to places and socializing with the people there.
3.What was your first experience with video games?
Pac-Man by Namco (now Bandai Namco Entertainment). It was a table arcade cabinet that was available at a coffee shop in the neighborhood I lived in when I was little. I remember playing it quietly as I tried to get as far as I could with a single coin.
4.How did you end up joining Square Enix and the FFXI team?
I joined Square as a part-time debugger. I was originally tasked with eliminating bugs from pre-mastering versions of packaged games, which I did around the clock. I later became involved in debugging FFXI before the beta test, and that experience eventually led to my current position.
5.What’s your most memorable experience in FFXI?
Speaking from a player’s perspective, I thought it was amazing how in-game performers masterfully use character controls, animations, and chat to entertain their audiences. Whether they performed solo or with a group, their coordinated movements and meticulous dialogue always had me simply impressed at how much they must’ve rehearsed beforehand.
From a staff member’s perspective, sometimes it’s my job to remove the temporary objects that were requested through Player Event Support. It’s a little bittersweet for me when the objects vanish into thin air, and the crowd seems a bit sad as they realize the event is over. On the other hand, everyone seems to really enjoy socializing with each other during the event, which is heartwarming to watch.
6.What’s your most memorable experience outside of the game?
Before PlayOnline was launched, we held a live event called Online Party 2002 and I was the line attendant at the game demo booth. At the time, online games for consoles were still an emerging concept, and great deal of people seemed really intrigued as they tried it out.
7.What was your roughest experience related to FFXI?
The DDoS attacks* that occurred around 2005 caused us to have to deal with a variety of issues, and I remember it being a very difficult time for everyone. It was exhausting not only for those of us in customer support, but also our developers and network-related staff, and we received many complaints from players who were unable to play the game. However, I believe the fact that overcoming such hurdles contributed to FFXI making it this far.
* A distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack is a cyber attack in which multiple computers overload the servers supporting a website or service to render them inaccessible.8.Do you have any secrets you can share with us now that 20 years have gone by?
A long time ago, I had an opportunity to sit at the same table as Mr. Matsui and Mr. Tokita* as we ate hotpot. I was listening to their very intense discussion about game production and ended up missing the last train to go home. But even so, getting to see and hear their boundless enthusiasm up close was a valuable experience for me.
* Takashi Tokita, Game Designer for FFIV and other works.9.What do you like or find amazing about FFXI?
In addition to the longevity of the game and its nostalgic elements that have stayed the same over the years, it’s also wonderful how certain aspects like the systems and difficulty have been adapted to match the playstyles of modern online gaming.
10.What does FFXI mean to you?
Because I’ve been involved with FFXI for the majority of my life, I have this impression that it’s ever-present.
11.Do you have anything you’d like to say to our adventurers?
Perhaps you’re striving to become stronger, enjoying the story at your own pace, or even taking a break from the game. Those of you who’ve been with us the whole time can enjoy the game in real time, and our returning players can enjoy both the drastic changes and the nostalgic elements. I’ll continue to do my best to support all such players from behind the scenes.
GM Clokettin
1.What’s your role, and how long have you been with the FFXI team?
GM / Senior GM of the Network Operations Center (afternoon shift) (20 years total)
2.Do you have any hobbies or interests?
Gaming, as you might expect.
3.What was your first experience with video games?
The first game I experienced was Super Mario Bros. on the NES.
4.How did you end up joining Square Enix and the FFXI team?
I was playing Ultima Online when I learned that FFXI was hiring GMs, and it got my attention, so I applied for the job.
5.What’s your most memorable experience in FFXI?
GMs used to manually handle Wedding Support, which was very memorable, including the occasional mishaps that occurred.
6.What’s your most memorable experience outside of the game?
My most unforgettable experience was attending VanaFest 2012 as a staff member and seeing the venue teeming with excitement.
7.What was your roughest experience related to FFXI?
Back when our overseas services started, we’d occasionally receive inquiries in English. I had to handle and respond to those in English, which I remember being somewhat of a struggle.
8.Do you have any secrets you can share with us now that 20 years have gone by?
Back when we started offering GM services on the PS2 version, the client would get so sluggish in crowded areas that we sometimes had to turn our cameras towards the wall to lighten the load while we spoke to players.
9.What do you like or find amazing about FFXI?
It’s amazing how FFXI was released when online games weren’t widely recognized in Japan, but it managed to make a name for itself and spread the appeal of the genre.
10.What does FFXI mean to you?
It’s no exaggeration to say that my involvement with FFXI is what made me who I am today.
11.Do you have anything you’d like to say to our adventurers?
We’ll be doing our best so that all of you can continue to enjoy their adventures in Vana’diel in the future.
Mitsuka Ando
1.What’s your role, and how long have you been with the FFXI team?
Localization/Project Manager (2nd year)
In charge of Japanese to English localization
2.Do you have any hobbies or interests?
I really enjoy both playing games and watching others play.
Baking bread and making sweets late at night is my way of relieving stress.
I also enjoy singing at karaoke. I really like planetariums and have visited all of the ones in Tokyo and neighboring prefectures, but I also try to make time to visit them in places I go to for vacation.
3.What was your first experience with video games?
Nintendo’s Game & Watch Fire, which I received as a Christmas present when I was a child. It was the only game I had at the time, so I played the heck out of it.
4.How did you end up joining Square Enix and the FFXI team?
How I ended up joining Square Enix: I was doing localization work while living abroad, so I was looking for the same kind of job when I returned to Japan, and that’s how I found and ended up working for Square Enix.
How I ended up joining the FFXI team: I was assigned to the team after my predecessor retired. I have to say I was really lucky!
5.What’s your most memorable experience in FFXI?
That would be when the game servers were stopped as an energy-saving measure after the Great East Japan Earthquake (March 11, 2011), back when I was working abroad before joining Square Enix. At the time, I could only pray that my fellow players were safe.
6.What’s your most memorable experience outside of the game?
I passed by someone who was wearing a T-shirt from the FFXI x UNIQLO collaboration. I kept a straight face, but inside I was bursting with delight like, “Do you play FFXI!? You like it, right? I totally understand!!” and it was like a Rio Carnival in my heart.
7.What was your roughest experience related to FFXI?
This isn’t directly related to the game, but when I was moving overseas, I wanted to continue playing games with my friends in Japan, so I took my desktop PC with me as carry-on luggage. It was super heavy... Thankfully, a flight attendant helped me with it.
8.Do you have any secrets you can share with us now that 20 years have gone by?
When I was assigned to the FFXI team, I pored through all the documents and resources on the development database out of pure joy. It’s one of the perks that come with being involved with development!
9.What do you like or find amazing about FFXI?
It’s like a nostalgic fairytale-like world that you can venture off to whenever you want.
10.What does FFXI mean to you?
It’s like a photo album filled with memories of all the adventures I shared with my friends.
11.Do you have anything you’d like to say to our adventurers?
I’d like to continue supporting the game so that both our English and Japanese players can share their moments of joy, sorrow, and surprises with each other.
Yasutaka Nakata
1.What’s your role, and how long have you been with the FFXI team?
Engineer (2011 to 2012)
In charge of: Server and network maintenance
2.Do you have any hobbies or interests?
I’ve been a fan of Western liquor for about 10 years now. There’s a certain brand that I collect.
3.What was your first experience with video games?
Moon Cresta was my first experience with video games. When I was in grade school, the graphical violence in Wizardry had me shocked, but I still fully enjoyed it. I encountered Battle Garegga when I was in college, which is probably the game I spent the most time and money on to date.
4.How did you end up joining Square Enix and the FFXI team?
I was interested in engineering for MMOs and moved to Square Enix from another company in the industry. As an infrastructure engineer, I was naturally assigned to the FFXI project.
5.What’s your most memorable experience in FFXI?
When the PS2 version of Seekers of Adoulin was announced. I was surprised that it was still possible to release software for the PS2.
6.What’s your most memorable experience outside of the game?
I’ll never forget the humongous crowd that showed up for the Real Vana’diel event in Akihabara.
7.What was your roughest experience related to FFXI?
The virtualization of the servers and network revamp that took place a few years ago, and how our network equipment kept failing…
8.Do you have any secrets you can share with us now that 20 years have gone by?
The game portion of FFXI doesn’t use databases!
9.What do you like or find amazing about FFXI?
The tremendous amount of content, the brilliant fundamental designs that still hold up to this day, and the charisma of Mr. Fujito and Mr. Matsui.
10.What does FFXI mean to you?
A mentor figure that taught me how playing and operating an MMO both require resolve.
11.Do you have anything you’d like to say to our adventurers?
The most important people in shaping the world of Vana’diel are the residents; namely, our adventurers. As an engineer, I will continue to support the game so that everyone can fully enjoy their experiences in the timeless world of Vana’diel.
Yuto Katayanagi
1.What’s your role, and how long have you been with the FFXI team?
Engineer (5 years)
In charge of FFXI’s infrastructure, such as measures to ensure long-term operations, patch distribution, and more.
2.Do you have any hobbies or interests?
Drinking.
3.What was your first experience with video games?
The Game Boy Pocket was the first game console I ever bought.
I remember how when I bought it, I just couldn’t wait and ended up opening it up and playing with it on the car ride back.
4.How did you end up joining Square Enix and the FFXI team?
I was interested in the infrastructure of an MMO.
5.What’s your most memorable experience in FFXI?
Logging into the game right after we performed a large-scale system replacement.
We tested it beforehand to make sure there weren’t any issues, but my heart was still pounding with worry.
6.What’s your most memorable experience outside of the game?
I once got to participate in one of Lightning Brigade’s offline summer festivals. Everyone was having a great time and I had a lot of fun.
* Lightning Brigade is a team of FFXI players formed by editors and writers of the Japanese gaming magazine Dengeki PlayStation.7.What was your roughest experience related to FFXI?
When we were having one equipment failure after another…
8.Do you have any secrets you can share with us now that 20 years have gone by?
The game has been going for 20 years now, and I was shocked at how old some of our development equipment was.
9.What do you like or find amazing about FFXI?
As an infrastructure engineer, I’ve learned a lot from our operations. There have been many times where the superb designs of the initial application and infrastructure helped me out.
10.What does FFXI mean to you?
A game that I want to be a part of for as long as possible.
11.Do you have anything you’d like to say to our adventurers?
Thank you for playing FFXI. So many people have loved the game for these past 20 years, and getting to work on it is a priceless experience for me. I’ll be supporting the infrastructure side of FFXI so that everyone can keep enjoying their adventures.
Mako Uenishi
1.What’s your role, and how long have you been with the FFXI team?
Project Manager
2.Do you have any hobbies or interests?
Going to concerts and music festivals, traveling, and reading manga.
3.What was your first experience with video games?
Bust a Groove 2.
I got so into it during the summer of my college entrance exams that I neglected to study.
4.How did you end up joining Square Enix and the FFXI team?
When I graduated and was looking for a part-time job, I found a recruitment ad for a part-time position at Square Enix in a magazine, so I applied and have been here ever since. At the job interview, they asked me what my favorite Square Enix game was, and I obviously answered “Bust a Groove 2!” but they assigned me to the Dawn of Mana team. After development for that finished, I was then transferred to the team for PlayOnline and FFXI.
5.What’s your most memorable experience in FFXI?
After I was assigned to the Project team, I was playing FFXI at my office desk to familiarize myself with the game. I got K.O.’d in the middle of a vast open field (I think a Crawler got me) and was shouting, “They got me!” so my supervisor, who was sitting next to me, logged in and raised me. My hero!!
6.What’s your most memorable experience outside of the game?
The release date for the Ultimate Collection overlapped with my vacation plans in Hawaii, so I had to cancel my plans to work on finalizing the master ROM before release. I’d purchased my ticket from a low-cost carrier that had a cancellation fee, so my ticket went to waste. (laughs)
7.What was your roughest experience related to FFXI?
When Mr. Hiromichi Tanaka* retired.
* Hiromichi Tanaka, original Producer for FFXI.8.Do you have any secrets you can share with us now that 20 years have gone by?
Prior to the release of Seekers of Adoulin, I was showcasing the new jobs on a livestream. However, I forgot I was playing on the dev environment and simultaneously changed my jobs and gear in full view of the audience. I got chewed out by the developers for that.
9.What do you like or find amazing about FFXI?
When I see our players’ interactions on social media and in-person events, I can’t help but notice we have so many kind players who cherish the game. We’re blessed to have them!
10.What does FFXI mean to you?
The game has taught me valuable lessons about the important things in game development and what we should do to meet the needs of our players.
11.Do you have anything you’d like to say to our adventurers?
Thank you for supporting FFXI! I hope all of you will continue to have a happy and enjoyable time alongside FFXI.
Rieko Katayama
1.What’s your role, and how long have you been with the FFXI team?
Publicity (Since 2001; I’ve been in Publicity since the PlayOnline days.)
2.Do you have any hobbies or interests?
Sniffing shiba inu dogs. Camping.
3.What was your first experience with video games?
The PC game Dezeni Land, which I played at my rich friend’s house. It really rocked my world.
4.How did you end up joining Square Enix and the FFXI team?
I used to work at an extremely toxic company, slaving away as an assistant director.
One day, I was browsing through a job magazine called “B-ing” as a means of escapism, when a recruitment ad for a PR position at Square caught my attention. I immediately purchased the magazine and applied for the position.
After joining the company, I asked what the determining factor was in me landing the job and they replied, “You seemed sturdy, both mentally and physically.” That might’ve also been the reason why I was lucky enough to be assigned to the FFXI team.
5.What’s your most memorable experience in FFXI?
During internal development (back when only Ronfaure was available), when I nervously logged on to the company for the first time, I ran into Mr. Tanaka (Mr. Hiromichi Tanaka), whom I rarely got to see in person because we were working on different floors. His character came running over and emoted /wave at me before running off again, and I thought to myself, “Wow!!! I really am online!!! Not to mention Mr. Tanaka is surprisingly friendly!” It was an extremely touching moment for me.
6.What’s your most memorable experience outside of the game?
There are too many to choose just one... Even the hard times and failures I experienced along the way are all priceless memories now...
7.What was your roughest experience related to FFXI?
When Mr. Tanaka retired.
8.Do you have any secrets you can share with us now that 20 years have gone by?
The one behind the character Destiny was actually... (The journal entry abruptly ends here.)
9.What do you like or find amazing about FFXI?
Its conviction and strength, which paved the way for a new era.
10.What does FFXI mean to you?
Life itself. (I’ve been working on the game for almost half of my life... and more than 4/5ths of my adult life…?）
11.Do you have anything you’d like to say to our adventurers?
Thank you all for supporting FFXI. I imagine many of you, like me, view FFXI as another life and precious treasure. I’m grateful for your continual support as I strive to continue defending the beautiful world of Vana’diel.