The industry has come a long way since the first Final Fantasy VII released in 1997. At the PlayStation Partner Awards 2024 Japan Asia / the Director of the GRAND AWARD-winning title “FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH” Naoki Hamaguchi noted that there is a change of essence in Square Enix’s approach to game development in terms of prioritizing the global audience right from the beginning.
“When the original Final Fantasy VII came out, we were first making it for the Japanese market, and it grew internationally as it became known,” Hamaguchi said. “But now, instead of initially focusing first on the Japanese market and allowing the game’s audience to grow naturally, we now make for the whole world first. In that respect, we are in a totally different time period.”
This is a dramatic change from previous industry tradition, whereby Japanese developers tended to prioritize their home market first before undertaking international localization. Square Enix now makes sure Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is developed with global players in mind from day one, a wider industry shift toward global releases and culturally responsive storytelling.
Nonetheless, Hamaguchi recognized the difficulties inherent in this strategy, especially in localization. As creators from Japan, we tend to create the game in Japanese first and then translate it into other languages. When localizing, we may change phrasing to more suitably fit into various cultural settings.
But this is a sensitive operation—players with great respect and strong emotions for the original piece tend to catch even the most minute variations between the Japanese original and translated version and inquire about why specific changes were made.
Maintaining authenticity against accessibility continues to be a primary challenge for Square Enix as they balance the demands of long-time fans with newcomers who are experiencing Final Fantasy VII for the first time. With Final Fantasy VII Rebirth poised to take over where the ambitious remake series left off, the global-first approach of the team heralds a new chapter for the iconic franchise.
As excitement mounts for the next title in the Final Fantasy VII Remake series, one thing is certain: Square Enix is developing a game that not only pays homage to its heritage but is also being built to connect with fans worldwide from the ground up.