Shuhei Yoshida, former lead account manager for Japanese publishers at PlayStation, has reflected on the critical moment when Squaresoft moved Final Fantasy VII to PlayStation. In an interview with GamesBeat, Yoshida detailed how Sony worked to secure major Japanese franchises and how Hironobu Sakaguchi’s vision for the series played a key role in its shift from Nintendo.
During the 1990s, securing Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest was a major priority for PlayStation’s success in Japan. Yoshida described the impact of these franchises, noting that their releases would make national news, with long lines of fans waiting to purchase them. However, at the time, both series had strong ties to Nintendo.
Yoshida explained that Sakaguchi envisioned a more cinematic experience for the series, which required greater storage capacity than cartridges could provide. When Nintendo decided to continue using cartridges for the Nintendo 64, it became clear that this limitation would prevent Sakaguchi from realizing his creative vision.
“Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Final Fantasy, loved the potential of CDs. His dream was to create a movie-like Final Fantasy game. He was disappointed when he learned that the Nintendo 64 still used cartridges. His movies couldn’t fit there.”
"Squaresoft tried to convince Nintendo to change that plan, but they wouldn’t. They didn’t believe in CD-ROM at all."
Despite Squaresoft’s efforts to persuade Nintendo to adopt CD-ROMs, Nintendo remained firm in its decision. Sakaguchi’s desire for a technology that could support full-motion video and larger game worlds led Squaresoft to partner with Sony instead.
"Our team–my boss was a schmoozer. He’d come from Sony Music. He hung out a lot with the executives from Squaresoft, throwing parties at his apartment. Eventually we were able to get Squaresoft to commit to the PlayStation. They brought all their franchises from Nintendo to the PlayStation."
This shift proved to be a defining moment for PlayStation. Final Fantasy VII became one of the most influential RPGs of all time and played a significant role in PlayStation’s dominance in the console market. The move also marked a turning point for the gaming industry, as it demonstrated the advantages of CD-ROM technology and set a new standard for RPG storytelling.
Yoshida’s insights highlight how technological decisions shaped the future of gaming, with Final Fantasy VII serving as a key example of how developers adapted to new hardware to realize their creative ambitions.
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