What does "generation shift" mean Fujito?

[Pixela]

"Happy New Year, FINAL FANTASY XI players!

Director Fujito here. Matsui-san wants to prepare for the eventual "generation shift," so this year I will be giving our customary New Year's greetings."

Putting this in the new years message obviously has some kind of untold meaning.

Does it mean you're taking over the project this year, does it mean some gameplay changes?

What does it mean?

[Lortheron]

Probably means they will stop faking the care about FFXI and stop supporting any updates to it altogether again and just focus on FFXIV. They probably will put on huge incentives for FFXI current retail players to move into FFXIV already. They really can't wait to shut FFXI down ever since FFXIV was a success.

[Alhanelem]

I'm quite sure hes talking about a generaiton shift of people, not some huge good (or bad) thing happening to the game.

Trust me you're all better off not speculating.

[Immortal]

If we haven't moved to XIV (hint: most are players of both or have played both already years ago) why would we move now? I think most players know what they like and would rather see a sub decrease for subbing to both instead of one or the other.

[Velner]

The generational shift is referring to the fact that Matsui is reaching retirement in the near future (approximately four years from now).

[Sp1cyryan]

Probably means they will stop faking the care about FFXI and stop supporting any updates to it altogether again and just focus on FFXIV. They probably will put on huge incentives for FFXI current retail players to move into FFXIV already. They really can't wait to shut FFXI down ever since FFXIV was a success.

If players haven't started trashy FF14 now then only a very insignificant minority will go to it once 11 shuts down in a decade or so.

Its possible that this game could outlive 14. If they ever make a new MMO to replace it then XI will survive, XIV will die out and end, and those people will move to the new 14. This game has lasting appeal and 14 absolutely does not. Thus 14 is a financial success, but otherwise a failure.

[Alhanelem]

Its possible that this game could outlive 14That depends entirely on how they respond to a decline in popularity or if they make a FFXVII Online. But I suspect after what happened with 11 and 14 they'll think twice about doing something like that again (at the very least, not without making sure it's actually good when it launches...)

[Vonima2]

During the anniversary event cast Matsui-san mentioned that one of his focus points is to create an environment where ffxi can survive well into the future because he is reaching retirement age. In Japan, when a business leader or manager is about to retire, they focus on handing off duties and tasks to those replacing them. In this case, Matsui-San asked Fujito-san to take up the mantle of delivering the new years address.

[Alhanelem]

During the anniversary event cast Matsui-san mentioned that one of his focus points is to create an environment where ffxi can survive well into the future because he is reaching retirement age. In Japan, when a business leader or manager is about to retire, they focus on handing off duties and tasks to those replacing them. In this case, Matsui-San asked Fujito-san to take up the mantle of delivering the new years address.
I knew people were reading too far into it!

[Sp1cyryan]

I knew people were reading too far into it!

Yah think? Lol.

Good post, Vonima2, thanks.

[Pixela]

So does this mean -1 or are we getting another developer? We only have 6-7 as it is.

I don't want to be rude but seriously this is important information.

[Alhanelem]

it means someone is replacing someone else.

It really isn't important. Whenever the team needs support to accomplish something they go through the head of their division, which is Naoki Yoshida aka YoshiP. A cost benefit analysis is done and if it is determined that something is worth doing, the support is provided. This is how it has been for years and how it still is. This was discussed in the WE ARE VANADIEL interviews with Yoshida.

[Pixela]

Nobody is replacing someone as far as we know, someone is taking on the job of someone else. As in the director is becoming the director/producer.

[Alhanelem]

Nobody is replacing someone as far as we know, someone is taking on the job of someone else

By definition, if someone is planning to retire they're planning to stop working. It's a thing that happens when people get older.

[Pixela]

the point was, if we have 6 and one is leaving are we getting another +1 or will it be a -1

[Alhanelem]

the point was, if we have 6 and one is leaving are we getting another +1 or will it be a -1 Someone else will obviously step in to fill their original role, because it's an essential role.

[Immortal]

I really like and respect Matsui but we need someone with more ambition. I hope its someone young who cares about preserving a two decade old game and wants to advance us forward. We need a new expansion or a remake/remaster, theres no other way. They can't continue adding small stuff in scale or the game will continue to bleed subs. We need something big, even if its a year or two away, to keep people excited for the future. We used to get road maps and conversations with the community to reassure them of the future. I am almost positive people still subbed/recently subbed would pay for a boxed expansion or even keep subbed if they knew the game had a concrete future. This is a game that made you the most money out of any FF prior to XIV being pumped with all the money they dumped into it (most likely from XI profits.) Please give back to this beautiful game and give us something to look forward to.

[Pixela]

I would want Matsui to stay, but I suppose it's not upto him.

I doubt he really wants to retire either.

[Alhanelem]

I would want Matsui to stay, but I suppose it's not upto him.

I doubt he really wants to retire either.
What sort of insider info do you have to suggest that he isn't retiring willingly?



I hope its someone young who cares about preserving a two decade old game and wants to advance us forward. We need a new expansion or a remake/remaster, theres no other way. I don't think this really has anything to do with Matsui himself and everything to do with how much SE is willing to invest. Hell, SE corporate barely even cares about games anymore unless it has something to do with blockchain. I really dunno why they're going all in on something nobody actually wants, but I don't work for them.

[Pixela]

Because it's usually mandatory if it's a big company, and people doing a job they care about don't usually want to stop.

[Alhanelem]

Because it's usually mandatory if it's a big company, and people doing a job they care about don't usually want to stop. No it isn't, and people who do a job they care about know when they're not able to do it as well as they could when they were younger.

I don't think you're old enough to really understand this. very, very few people can do a job forever ho matter how much they love it. There are lots of really important jobs that anyone would want but still wouldn't do forever unless they felt obligated to.

I've been in game dev and I want to do it, but will I still want to do it when I'm 80? No, I'll probably want to enjoy those golden years, so to speak.

[Pixela]

I'm gonna drop this after the post cause it's rude and he might read this, but it's not as simple as you think it is. Very few would want to retire from a job they find rewarding, even though there is this idea they would. Purpose > no purpose. It's almost always forced and people are not happy about it, unless they hate their job.

Regardless, the overall point is that we need to retain the level of staff that was there before. The game is already grossly understaffed (yes I know they can borrow help but still) and losing someone important (that does multiple things btw, he even designs ambv2 encounters) is not cool unless we get someone new to try keep a similar level of content being produced. Just shoveling more work on everyone else isn't acceptable.

I know there is an idea among some that this is an old game and it's not fair to take people onto the game since it stunts their career when everyone is working with UE or Luminous. However tens of thousands of us love this game and pay for it as a serious product, and we play it as our main form of entertainment. It's so unfair to not take on another developer out of fear of hurting their career long term, so we get a worse deal on a game we pay for and care about. Even Everquest hires new people, and that game is even more archaic than this is.

Yes this was mentioned official in the past in some interview.

[Alhanelem]

Very few would want to retire from a job they find rewarding,That's your opinion. Unfortunately the world doesn't agree with you.



overall point is that we need to retain the level of staff that was there before.The number of staff isn't changing.

[Pixela]

If 1 leaves and isn't replaced it's changed.

[Alhanelem]

If 1 leaves and isn't replaced it's changed.
Show me the proof that someone is leaving and not being replaced. It's a running theme in your posts that you make claims without backing them up.

All you have is your opinion that people don't retire from a job you're they're happy with, which is a load of baloney. Even if we were to accept that axiom, people in different countries and even different places have different attitudes about when you retire, why, and general attitude towards work. The emperor of Japan himself stepped down for health reasons- who wouldn't want to be an emperor? People retire for many reasons, and "I'm not happy with my job" isn't usually one of them.

[Pixela]

We have the names of all the developers, if one of the most known leaves and nothing is said about replacements the implication is they have not been replaced and now it's just -1

[Vonima2]

In the anni cast he suggested he was foremost focused on creating an environment where FFXI could be preserved for a long while to come. The suggestion I believe is that the game would not see any major updates or course changes going forward. They are going into time capsule mode.

As much as I want it to be like other posters here, the tone was certainly not one of passing the helm off to a new director for them to open a new chapter FFXI development.

Hope I am wrong but unlikely so.

[Alhanelem]

In the anni cast he suggested he was foremost focused on creating an environment where FFXI could be preserved for a long while to come. The suggestion I believe is that the game would not see any major updates or course changes going forward. They are going into time capsule mode.

As much as I want it to be like other posters here, the tone was certainly not one of passing the helm off to a new director for them to open a new chapter FFXI development.

Hope I am wrong but unlikely so.
I don't really think you can infer much of anything one way or the other from that. It is literally just a passing of the torch. It doesn't mean updates are suddenly going to stop nor does it mean there's some big huge thing coming.

[Alhanelem]

We have the names of all the developers, if one of the most known leaves and nothing is said about replacements the implication is they have not been replaced and now it's just -1
We do? List them.

[Vonima2]

In the anni cast he suggested he was foremost focused on creating an environment where FFXI could be preserved for a long while to come. The suggestion I believe is that the game would not see any major updates or course changes going forward. They are going into time capsule mode.

As much as I want it to be like other posters here, the tone was certainly not one of passing the helm off to a new director for them to open a new chapter FFXI development.

Hope I am wrong but unlikely so.

[Vonima2]

Sorry, double post.

[Pixela]

Not replacing someone implies that they are just going to allow the people to coast into retirement one after the other, and after Matsui leaves it's all down hill. What a wonderful company we give our money to.

[Pixela]

We do? List them.

Masaru Taniguchi
Iori Watanabe
Yasushi Yamazaki
Takashi Hisag
Akihiko Matsui
Yoji Fujito

One is missing for some reason.


Fujito: Simply put, two issues always stand in the way. One is the issue of “human resources.” Creating content requires staff who know how things work and how to make it. Currently, we have seven members including myself, all of whom are planners. There is one member who can act as an engineer, but essentially, the team is only able to implement movement with scripts for planning

For comparison, Everquest (which looks laughably archaic) has 9 designers 5 programmers, 11 artists, 1 sound engineer. It is free to play and sell currency, and has far less players than 11 and certainly far less paying players.

[Pixela]

In the anni cast he suggested he was foremost focused on creating an environment where FFXI could be preserved for a long while to come. The suggestion I believe is that the game would not see any major updates or course changes going forward. They are going into time capsule mode.

As much as I want it to be like other posters here, the tone was certainly not one of passing the helm off to a new director for them to open a new chapter FFXI development.

Hope I am wrong but unlikely so.

The strange part is, why would they say "generation shift" though if that is the case.

[Alhanelem]

Source?
"One is missing for some reason."
OH NOES. THEY MUST BE GONE AND WE MUST BE DOWN A MAN oh wait you didn't actually say that? o.O

why would they say "generation shift"Because the current leader is passing his role down to a younger generation. That's what a generation shift is.
There's also the possibility that statement wasn't translated well but I don't think that's the case.

[Pixela]

Matsui is the most important person on the team, if he leaves and they don't say they took someone new on that heavily implies they didn't take anyone else on and instead just put extra work onto Fujito.

Considering they are already understaffed that means less content.

[Alhanelem]

It means nothing.

Look man, if you want to live in gloom and doom and just prophisize the end of FFXI, be my guest. But all you have is a doomsday hypothesis that is not based in fact. You are in "let's panic" mode for no good reason.

These people play critical roles, you can't just transfer the #2 man to #1 without putting someone in their place. It's a critical role so it will be filled. Otherwise they would be saying "FFXI is coming to an end on X date." rather then talking about "generation shifts."

https://media.tenor.com/ZUAbXwvG2VEAAAAC/panic-oh-noes.gif

[Rinuko]

Lowkey feels like people panicking in this thread, never worked in a company before.

[Zenion]

Lowkey feels like people panicking in this thread, never worked in a company before.

To be fair, in most North American companies it certainly feels like "let a senior staff member retire, and replace them by shoving their duties on everyone below them" is Plan A. Saves a ton on payroll. Forget the long-term consequences, it's all about better numbers this quarter.

[Pixela]

A problem they have I suppose is that ff11 is more popular in the west than in Japan (same applies to ff14), so it's probably harder to get someone to join the team from a standpoint of it being a passion project and less of a career thing.

However we will see.

[Alhanelem]

A problem they have I suppose is that ff11 is more popular in the west than in JapanNo it's not lol. Not even close.