Naoki Yoshida on the Core Decisions Behind Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
- ⚡Xe⚡
- Jul 22
- 2 min read
In an interview with Mein-MMO, Naoki Yoshida confirmed there are no plans to make version 1.0 of Final Fantasy XIV playable again. The original client and server systems were too unstable, and much of the legacy code no longer exists.
I have never even once thought about this possibility, and I think you would get the same answer regardless of whom you ask in the development and operations teams.
The server system and design that supported the original version 1.0 had some fundamental problems, partly due to time pressure when the game was released. The same was true for the client-side system.
In other words: The updated content in version 1.0 was as if the ground itself was unstable, yet we were still trying to build a house on it – we were walking on an extremely narrow ridge, ensuring that the house did not collapse, even if it wobbled.
Essentially, there were many things in version 1.0 that were created quite forcibly – with hooks and eyes – based on the assumption that the game could only be played in that moment: It could only be experienced in that moment.
If we tried to reproduce this in the present, we would not be able to achieve the same feeling unless we went so far as to reproduce that instability. Therefore, unfortunately, we have no plans and probably will not be able to reproduce it in the future. It might be possible to create an emulation server, but there is a lot of server code that is no longer stored, and that alone would be a difficulty.
It is literally our legacy, and it was the best we could do at that time to provide the players who played version 1.0 with the best possible gaming experience. Honestly, it is also my wish to leave it as it is.
He explained that the decision to rebuild the game with A Realm Reborn allowed the team to implement expansions and modern systems. None of that would have been possible if 1.0’s structure had remained in place.
"I think the biggest benefit of the development of A Realm Reborn is how easy it is to implement expansions and new content. If we had left things as they were in version 1.0, we wouldn’t even have been able to create the first expansion."
Yoshida also emphasized that the relaunch was not motivated by business goals. The priority was to regain player trust after the failure of the original release.
"First of all, the goal, as mentioned, was the “restoration of customer trust.” I set no business goals. For us, that meant every single person: players, fans, partners, and the media. My thoughts were that money and business would come after this restoration of trust."
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-⚡Xe⚡
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