Recently, I had the chance to interview the lead producers of the Japanese and global versions of Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, Kei Hirono and Hiroki Fujimoto respectively. We discussed the success of Brave Exvius, what crossovers they would love to see, and more.
Spencer Legacy: What part of FINAL FANTASY BRAVE EXVIUS are you most proud of?
Hirono: As a creator of this game, it makes me happy that its story and its qualities as a video game have been so well received by people around the world. Meanwhile, as a producer, I’m most proud of the fact that it’s the FINAL FANTASY app that has been downloaded the most times (i.e. best known by people around the world).
Fujimoto: FINAL FANTASY BRAVE EXVIUS has been able to reach its fourth anniversary by growing together with players around the world. Thank you so much for always playing FFBE.
What I’m most proud of is all the players that support FFBE. And on the other side of things, I’m also proud of the FFBE team, with their continuous passion in creating content for all our players to enjoy.
A free-to-play game thriving for four years is very impressive. Were there always plans for such a long support period? Do you have plans for four more years?
Hirono: The nature of an F2P game is that if the game’s service ends, it can no longer be played, and it won’t be around anymore, so I think the most important thing is to keep the game going. I’m most conscious about this point particularly because we’re working with an IP as cherished as FINAL FANTASY. I’ve been saying this since the beginning to players and on-site team members alike, but I want this to be content that keeps going for ten years to come.
Fujimoto: This is something we’ve said at events like Fan Festa and during livestreams, but since its release, we’ve always developed/operated this game with the intention of keeping it going for at least ten years.
We have goals in mind for the next four years for the global version of FFBE. At the same time, there’s a side to F2P games that involves operating the game while incorporating feedback from the players, so I, too, am excited to see what sort of game it’ll grow into as we move forward.
What have been some of the challenges of working on a game like FINAL FANTASY BRAVE EXVIUS? What are some of the most rewarding experiences?
Hirono: Since we were creating a game with the name FINAL FANTASY, which is so beloved by people throughout the world, I felt a massive amount of pressure. Despite that, we worked relentlessly to create a FINAL FANTASY of our own, and the fact that it’s been accepted by people all around the globe following its release, and being able to meet those fans in person throughout the world – those are the moments that I find most rewarding.
Fujimoto: In the production of the global version, despite using the original Japanese version as a base, we’ve always tried to have independent operations for the global version. Operations for the Japanese and global version have a difference of approximately six months. The challenge we take on every time is to see how much we can add in terms of global original features or content during that period.
Additionally, in introducing Neo Visions this time around, we shortened that six-month difference down to four months. This was quite a difficult challenge we undertook, but the development team worked hard to make it a reality.
What drives the team to work so hard is their desire for the players to have fun. Being able to see the players’ responses in person at places like Fan Festa or during livestreams, or directly through posts on social media or among the community, are the most rewarding moments for us.
Who are your favourite units thus far?
Hirono: My favorite unit is Aldore King Rain.
Fujimoto: We get this question a lot, but my favorite is Medius. This unit starts at 3 stars as its base, and I think it’s a unit that might not be placed in parties very often. In spite of that, this unit, who manipulates a pistol in each hand, has extremely detailed, well-made animations. I think this unit exemplifies the attention to detail and quality pursued by FFBE.
If you could use any franchise as a crossover unit, which would you pick? (thank you for the Dragon Quest crossovers!)
Hirono: We haven’t done this yet, but I would love to have a collaboration with Star Wars someday.
Fujimoto: The collaborations with Ariana Grande and Katy Perry were extremely exciting.
I would love to be able to have a collaboration with another artist in the future.
We’d like to thank Hirono-san and Fujimoto-san for taking the time to answer our questions. You can check out Brave Exvius on the Google Play Store and iOS App Store.
