As the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy nears its end, the gaming community's attention is turning to another masterpiece from Square Enix—Final Fantasy VI. However, Naoki Hamaguchi, the current project director for the FF7 remake, recently stated in an interview with foreign media that he has no intention of personally involved in the development of the Final Fantasy VI remake, but rather hopes to hand over this important responsibility to a new generation of creators.
The realization after ten years of honing a skill: I don't want to spend another ten years.
Naoki Hamaguchi has been deeply involved in the Final Fantasy VII remake project since its early stages, dedicating over 10 years to it. In an interview, he frankly admitted that if he were to personally take over the remake of Final Fantasy VI at this time, it would inevitably be another extremely long and arduous development process.
Rather than continuing to be at the forefront himself, Naoki Hamaguchi stated, "If new creators emerge, I would love to support them." He believes that shifting his role to one of support and backing, allowing the younger generation of producers to unleash their creativity, might be healthier for the series' development.
Final Fantasy VI is the origin of my creation and my favorite.
Despite stating his reluctance to personally oversee the project, Naoki Hamaguchi repeatedly emphasized the significance of Final Fantasy VI to his life. He mentioned that he was inspired by Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy VII during his childhood, which inspired him to become a game developer. Therefore, these two works are undoubtedly the origin of his creative philosophy.
Naoki Hamaguchi has publicly stated that seeing Final Fantasy VI remade using modern technology would be "the best thing," but in terms of practical implementation, he prefers a generational shift. Regarding whether he will incorporate elements from Final Fantasy VI into the current FF7 remake, Hamaguchi clarified that he is currently focused on bringing out the charm of the original FF7 and has not intentionally borrowed specific ideas from FF6.
The coexistence of diverse game genres
In addition, Naoki Hamaguchi shared his conversation with Guillaume Broche, creative director of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Addressing the frequent debates on social media in recent years regarding "AAA titles vs. AAA games" or "action vs. turn-based games," Hamaguchi believes that from a creator's perspective, all game genres should continue to evolve and coexist; this is the healthy ecosystem.
