Before Square Enix finally got its act together and started presenting information on Final Fantasy 15, the series wasn’t exactly in the greatest situation over the years. Forget Final Fantasy 14‘s initial launch – the Final Fantasy 13 series had turned many a fan off entirely, each game less successful than the last.
Speaking to Game Informer (via GameSpot), Final Fantasy 15 director Hajime Tabata (who brought out the only good title in that interim with Final Fantasy Type-0) spoke about concerns with the franchise when Final Fantasy 15 began.
“The gravest situation of all was that, at the time we were starting Final Fantasy 15, we didn’t see an increase in new fans of the franchise. The brand image of Final Fantasy wasn’t really clear. The reality is not that the situation is okay or in favor of us. Rather, it is more grave and serious than we had initially thought. The way we understood Final Fantasy after our analysis is that it was a dying IP that had already peaked.”
However, Tabata believes that fans still have hope. “One thing I’ve felt from fans is that they are disappointed in the current state of Final Fantasy, but still have hope in terms of where the brand could go.”
Tabata then listed three core qualities he believed defined the brand, which are: “A willingness to challenge the status quo,” “An exceptional, out-of-the-ordinary experience,” and “Cutting-edge technology to use the hardware to the fullest.”
“Any Final Fantasy released after [Final Fantasy 7] lacks in one or the other. But what Final Fantasy fans desire is a new entry that encompasses all of these elements, and that is our objective with Final Fantasy XV.”
Final Fantasy 15 is out on September 30th for PS4, Xbox One and PC.