Par Joanna Magot
– Posted on 05 Mar 2023 at 13:53
Reporter Cendre Parish confronts Yoshida on the issue of diversity in the game.
The development team of Final Fantasy XVI is under fire for its lack of representation of diversity in the game.
Naoki Yoshida, the producer of FFXVI, recently gave an interview to IGN. Asked about the presence of colored characters in the upcoming installment, Yoshida explained that FFXVI’s design concept focused on medieval Europe, incorporating historical, cultural, political, and anthropological norms from that period. This response drew strong reactions from people of color, who felt left out.
An answer that upsets fans of color.
The Verge reporter Cendre Parish disagreed with Yoshida’s response. She said that as a lifelong Final Fantasy fan and as a black person, she too had a problem with that response. Parish even had the opportunity to chat with Yoshida and the senior FFXVI development team. She asked if Yoshida had a chance to hear feedback from fans of color and if he had anything to say to those fans who might be disappointed by this lack of representation. However, Yoshida’s response did not convince Parish.
Yoshida pointed out how the “over-incorporation” of ethnic diversity would violate the narrative boundaries they had set for themselves. He also noted how the “over-inclusion” of people of color would “violate narrative boundaries” and, in his response, touched on the different peoples and cultures the development team was able to include in FFXVI.
Fans are eagerly waiting to see how Final Fantasy XVI will deal with diversity, while remembering that the series has featured characters of color before, such as Barret Wallace in FF7 as far back as 1997. It remains to be seen whether these criticisms will affect sales and the reception of Final Fantasy XVI when it’s scheduled for release later this year.