The End of Final Fantasy?

Could 2010 be the end of the Final Fantasy series as we know it?  Recent statements by Square Enix President Yoichi Wada seem to suggest just that.

In discussing the future of Final Fantasy, Wada had this to say:

“I believe Final Fantasy XIII is going be something special, and that it’s going to be well received by the audience.  But whether we are going to continue to internally create this type of game remains to be seen, because I actually feel that the team that was involved with Final Fantasy XIII should next move on to create and generate some ‘next generation’ forms of play.

“I really think that the Final Fantasy team could create something completely different, but at the moment they’re strictly catering to the particular audience they have now.”

It’s difficult to discern the true meaning of these statements, as the developers of Final Fantasy have never been hesitant to stray outside their console-drive, turn-based RPG comfort zone.  Incorporating elements of strategy, real-time combat, and online play, Square Enix has kept the Final Fantasy series afloat as a mainstay of any gamer’s must-have collection.  But maybe Wada sees a watershed moment approaching in the world of gaming.   In today’s age of perpetual connection and instant gratification, the classic RPG model, sometimes requiring endless hours of leveling and constant re-loading (hope you didn’t forget to save before that ambush!), might not stand a moogle’s chance in Midgar.

But Final Fantasy’s core fan base has remained strong for nearly a quarter-century, since the initial release of Final Fantasy in 1987.  Since players first took their tiny band of misfit, 4-letter-named adventurers on a often maddeningly directionless yet endlessly entertaining journey to defeat Chaos and restore order to the world, the fun hasn’t really stopped.  Final Fantasy set the standard for what defines a great role-playing experience, and today the pillars of that standard remain largely intact.  Even with the advent of world-altering technologies like the internet, the core aspects of the RPG have continued to captivate and entertain gamers worldwide.  Thus, it is difficult to see why Wada would steer his company away from the continued development of this remarkably successful series.

If Final Fantasy XIII is truly the last in the series (FFXIV being an MMO and, therefore, not a true RPG), gamers worldwide will surely mourn the loss.  But it is interesting to wonder what Square Enix could do with all the talent that it has channeled to the development of Final Fantasy games.  If one dynasty must come to a close, we can only hope that another rises in its place.