Fantasy's Beginning
The Discovery
Hironobu Sakaguchi never thought about joining the gaming industry.
Growing up near the Ibaraki Prefecture, an area of Kanto that was still under reconstruction from the heavy bomb attacks after the war, he'd been more interested in the usual childish activities of playing outdoors, and occasionally adventuring when his parents would take him to Kyushu during their annual family visits. For a while there, his interest in shiny rocks and minerals during his explorations ignited a brief fascination with geology, yet that did not last his elementary years, where he discovered what he thought would be his true love; music.
Playing the piano had been an enjoyable experience; memorizing the right keys to produce the sounds, memorizing the music sheets and the wonder of finding the music being produced from his actions. It was like a type of magic that he never got tired of. High School only reinforced his conception, as he got into playing folk guitar with his friends, even going so far as to form an amateur band, and perhaps thinking on going further if the opportunity arrived.
And yet, it was that same experience that also scared him out of pursuing it, when during an attempt at organizing an illegal concert, and selling the homemade tickets for it, he and his friends nearly got arrested. From that moment on, one could say he had been "scared straight", or perhaps both him and his friends just wanted to escape the social stigma of being the guys who nearly went to jail just to play some music.
Whatever the case, all of them decided to just let their instruments gather dust and never speak of the experience again. God willing, it would become an embarrassing story to tell his grandchildren should he ever have them.
It was during his stay at Yokohama University however, when he met his true destiny.
Hiromichi Tanaka had been a good friend though his time at college, both of them bonding over their courses, going to play at the pachinko games when they had the time (and the money) and grousing over American films. Oddly enough, while they both agreed Star Wars was an amazing series of films, they disagreed over which one was the best, with Tanaka arguing that
Empire Strikes Back was better than
A New Hope.
Well, he had the right to his opinion, even when it was so clearly wrong! Which had led to many an argument and debate both before and after classes, and once at the cafeteria. The resulting food fight was in no way associated to it, and those who claim them are clearly wicked liars who lie. Nevertheless, both Hironobu and Tanaka decided to debate in a different place from then on.
Nothing suspicious about that, no sir.
Regardless, one night, during a lull in their studies, Tanaka had managed to get access to one of Apple's newest advance computers, something of an impossibility at first, yet becoming more common by the day. Hironobu had thought to give it a try once to see what all the buzz about it was, deciding to play the
Wizardry game that came with it.
Nex thing he knew, he was skipping class in order to spend just that little bit more time with it. He just couldn't get enough of it; the graphics, the variety, the adventure and randomness of it all. The strategy and tactics that made it difficult bit oh so satisfying when he was finally able to overcome the enemy. Hironobu may not have been aware of it, but this was the moment that sealed his future, and set him on his new path.
And it all began with a simple computer game
The Opportunity
It was one year since Hironobu Sakaguchi had been introduced to the wonders of technology, more specifically coding and software engineering after he changed his majors. It had been a truly eye-opening experience for him, who having played the game and thinking on perhaps making his own, had now discovered that there was more to the entire process than simply input "Make Game" into the computer and let it do the entire job. It took learning about the entire process of circuitry, hardware and software, the different coding techniques as well as finding just how much memory could the device take before it would overheat or crash.
Not to mention how despite the ever-growing trend to reduce the size of computers, that did not mean that their processing power increased or remained the same as when they occupied an entire building.
Still, he could take pride that his programming skills were at the very least not lagging behind the rest of his fellow students, even if it still trailed somewhat behind Tanaka. It was a matter of convenience however which made it so; Tanaka had access to the Apple Computer more than he did, and unlike himself, Tanaka did not need to skip classes in order to use it, practicing in it whenever he wanted while he could only wait for his turn.
At the end of the day, he needed his own computer, and for that, he would embark in his greatest quest yet.
Finding a part-time job.
...Which was easier said than done, as Apple Computers were expensive as heck. A single one would be enough to set him up for his entire expenses for the first two years of college alone, and still have enough for at least a small meal at that Ramen place he like to go on the weekends. If he wanted to have a realistic goal, then only a used computer would be affordable, and even then he would need to find a well-paying job at that.
Not that there weren't any. If there was something that defined post-war Japan, it was the industrial capacity of its people, and the constant need for jobs to rebuild, create and advance the different commercial and entrepreneur sectors of the economy... if you were willing to put in the hours, mental and physical abuse of working overtime, and never once complaining lest you be labeled a "troublemaker" or a "Communist", thus getting a black mark for future job opportunities.
But hey, that was the price of working in Japan. It had long been an open secret that no one was willing to challenge or make any issue.
His search for a job gave him some different experiences however; as a cashier in a regular store, moving boxes from one place to another, even working at a bar once or twice before foregoing such attempts in the future after nearly missing a couple of classes in the morning. None of them however gave him the amount necessary for him to get his own computer before leaving College. He needed something that would pay a bit more, and keep to his regular studying hours as well.
It was just his luck however, that the news of a new gaming company starting up reached his ears just as he was about to try his luck in the Namco corporation. LucasArts may have been just another attempt at trying to get into the gaming market for some, an insult to more local companies at worst, but for Hironobu, they represented opportunity. He could see how a newly formed company would need as many workers on board, whether for the more menial tasks, or for the more senior positions as well. And though he would not call himself a true professional yet, he was sure that at the very least he could get an internship or a gofer job if he applied.
Talking it over with Hiromichi, both of them decided to try their luck the next day, giving their resumes and hoping for the best.
Before the day was out, he received a call giving him the address and schedule for his new job.
The Meeting
Hironobu Sakaguchi was in trouble, and he was sure he was about to be fired.
How the heck did it come to this?
Looking at his partners in crime, both as nervous and fidgety as himself, both trying to look anywhere but the door that would lead to the meeting room they were waiting for, he could only blame the impetuousness of youth... and perhaps a sense of curiosity that had been cultivated ever since he and Hiromichi had been hired by LucasArts.
It had been a whirlwind mixed with a bit of incredulity and a small sense of unrealism when both of them had applied and were given the chance to work for the new up and coming company, not so much because of how they did not expect to pass the selection process, but more on how there was a bit of a culture shock the moment they crossed the doors. Perhaps they should have paid more attention about LucasArts being an American based company first, since at the very least they would not have gaped at the fact that most of the usual working Japanese traditions were usually discarded for more American ones.
There was also the more permissive atmosphere, where one could see a relaxation and less stressful atmosphere that other companies would probably be embedded with. As an intern and programmer he was still technically being taught all what was needed to aid in future activities, yet there never seemed to be a pressure for him to display results, instead there was an expectation of living up to his skill, showing what he could do so that he could move to the next step of the process. It was an amazing period for him, where both his studies at college synergized with his learning at LucasArts. Many were technicians and programmers from Atari as well, that giant of the American videogame industry that was even well known in Japan... prior to their decline that is.
It was in this atmosphere that both him and Hiromichi had met Akitoshi Kawazu, another fellow intern, and another with whom they could bounce ideas with about the different programs and codes used by the many videogame companies, the development of the personal computers, their potential for games, and of course their enjoyment of the
Wizardry games, along with others that were coming not only from America, but from Japan as well. Soon enough they were not only sharing ideas, but working on thesis and small projects of their own, making small programs that could work with the College's computers when they could acquire their use.
But their ambitions grew larger as time went on, as those small programs grew larger in scope and in memory, when they realized that the time and computers at college would just not be enough for what they wanted to do, when perhaps by their own hubris and desire they decided to remain behind some night at LucasArts and use their latest computers to bring to life their own idea for a variant of the Wizardry series. One that would follow the Dungeons and Dragons format, one that you could customize your class and have better graphics for a world that would be fun, colorful, and explorable...
At least that was the plan until they were caught, and then sent to the conference room where they sat, waiting for their final judgement, and some hoping against hope that there would be no charges pressed against them.
The sound of the door opening had them jump, their bodies tense as all hell and ready to jump at the slightest noise. The man who entered did not seem to be one of the managers though; wearing some comfortable clothing, glasses, and brown hair, he thought he'd remembered seeing him occasionally in the development areas. One of the American hires if he recalled correctly.
He approached them, smiling, as he spoke in badly accented Japanese.
"Hey boys. I'm Steve Dawson, and I have a proposition for you..."
The Development
Team Fantasy... a bit of an on the nose name, but at the time Dawson could have called it "Team Knickerbocker" and Hironobu would have still told him it was the greatest name in the history of naming. It was the least he could do after taking him, Hiromishi and Akitoshi out of the frying pan they had found themselves into, speaking with the supervisor and spinning a yarn about them being a recent addition to his team that had gotten a bit too overeager.
A bit of grousing, some talks with the current head, and a promise of having the paperwork ready by next day made sure that not only would they get to keep their internships, but that they would also become part of one of the most ambitious, and revolutionary, games of their fledgling company so far.
Final Fantasy, the brainchild of Dawson, and his passion for his entire life if what he said is correct. An ambitious videogame that would not follow the regular RPG formula of the current games like
Wizardry or
Ultima, but one that would take the concepts and revolutionize them, setting a new standard for the videogame genre, one that would include not only the numbers or the random element of the fights, but actual story background and NPCs that would be beyond what one would usually see in the old Computer games and the former American industry... when it was still alive and kicking of course.
...Dawson and nearly the entire American contingent drank heavily the day of the collapse.
It had surprised Hironobu how he and his friends had been thrown into the thick of the development, along the more senior programmers and some other who while younger, were still more experienced than them. Sure, there were the other interns who were there to lend a hand, but it seemed that Dawson was quite willing to turn this into a "trial by fire" in order to weed out the weak as it were. That they had managed to impress with their inventive solutions to some of their coding issues at the time gave them some leeway, but they were not going to be coasting along with it.
Hironobu was determined to prove that he deserved to be here... and perhaps repay Dawson for his help as well of course.
The work had been unlike anything seen before, what with Dawson prioritizing the story over the gameplay and characters. That still left a lot for him to do, but also let Akitoshi shine when it came to the design of the weapons and combat system, which earned him instant praise along with the responsibility of putting it into practice for the entire game. Hiromishi had gone on to make himself busy with the rest of the programmers for the overworld and the characters, even convincing the rest that a secret unlockable character, unless the right conditions were available, would be an excellent addition to the world.
Which left Hironobu dealing with Dawson's world for the game, one that was truly inspired by the old fantasy storis of the west... and yet they seemed a bit lacking nonetheless. Perhaps it had been all the times that he had played
Wizardry, but the overall world and story seemed a bit too... generic to him. Like it was just aping what it had come before in previous games; wizards, elves, dwarves, old time castles. Sure, they were the staple of the genre, but it just looked and was used in the same way that it had been done since the very beginning of gaming.
And after seeing how the rest of the game seemed to be breaking boundaries, this was not something that he could accept.
He'd told his friends about it, but they all kept telling him not to rock the boat anymore, how they were still on thin ice, or how they would just need to do their jobs like they had been told to.
And perhaps they were right... but the niggling feeling did not go away, but expanded in every session when Dawson would expound on how the story would go, and he felt it being more and more cliche each time. The worst part was that it was not a bad story, it was clearly well thought out, solid, and without any loopholes on it. Heck, the time-loop idea was brilliant in and of itself... but he just knew it could be better.
And in the end, all it took was one session where Dawson asked for opinions, where he no longer keep his own silent.
"Alright then, any questions?" Dawson asked, a smile on his face.
As everyone seemed ready to just end the meeting however, Hironobu stood up. A file on his hands with all the research he'd done prior to this meeting. Notes he'd made on some of the movies and Mangas that he felt could be of help, ideas and designs that he knew could only enrich the experience. All ready for use at this moment. He catched the eyes of his friends, who went pale and for a moment seemed to move to stop him.
A bit too late though.
"Yeah..." He said, as all eyes turned to him. "I have some suggestions. And some proofs of concept as well."
Time to earn his pay.
The Release
You could not believe that you had not been fired.
That had been Hironobu's mantra, and one that had been on repeat ever since that meeting where he'd dared to go against the grain. The meeting he'd made sure to highlight the parts that he thought could use some work. Where he'd actually put forth some of the ideas that had been taken from different movies and manga that had taken the concepts and worked wonders with it in new and imaginative ways.
And once he'd finished, he'd finally notices how deadly silent the entire room had gotten, and how the entire group seemed to look at him as if he'd just decided to just jump onto the table and poop on it. The entire atmosphere of the room had gotten heavy, as if ready to crush him with its oppressive silence, cursing him for daring to step out of his previously assigned position and deviate from what was clearly Dawson's own vision for the videogame...
"Huh, sounds good. Let's try it."
The words seemed to break the entire spell, as everyone gawked at Dawson, almost in shock that the leader of the team was willing to hear and accept criticism for his ideas. Was this how it had been all this time? He recalled how Hiromishi and Akitoshi did not seem to have said problems... but then again, they were not going directly against the Team Leader either, right?
Still, that meeting seemed to have let the flood of ideas out, since from then on, little by little, as if testing the waters, the rest of the team began pushing forth some of their own thoughts for what to do with the game, Dawson sometimes accepting said ideas, and other times just rejecting them, but always giving his reasons as to why. To many of the other programmers he spoke to this was an entirely new concept, many of them still recalling their previous experiences in Namco, Konami, or even Taito, where any of their ideas would have been ruthlessly mocked or "sarcastically complemented" as one explained, the shame sometimes becoming too much to bear.
Unintentionally, Hironobu may have just broken the decades old tradition of just shutting up and do what is told.
From there, the work went swimmingly, with the only small bump in the road being when the Sega Genesis finally made its demo introduction to the team. At the time, many were not expecting much considering that this was the first entrance of LucasArts, not to mention that for this they even had to buy the Sega Company to work on their hardware. What they had not counted on though, was that they were also in a partnership with the creators of the Apple II computer systems, and Lucasfilms Unlimited had some of the most advanced computer programming that had been put into work for many of their films.
What came to them was nothing like they had ever thought possible.
The former small sprite representations of the leading party members on the main world screen were given an update, allowing the designers to have the characters be more detailed in appearance, not to mention being able to express more emotions. Previous NPC's roles were expanded thanks to the upgrade in memory, and side-quests added as well. Former glitches had been outright fixed, or when possible turned into a feature like with the additions of "Cheap Spell Stores" that would grant a different path for the players to take when it came to the management of their gold coins. The Battle screens were more detailed, with more effects when the animations for fighting were used, not to mention the pixel levels that went from a simple 26 with a limited color palette of 4 to near triple of it, along with sound design that actually allowed the system to play music instead of a facsimile of it.
It was no wonder that the game became the hit success of the console.
But what truly made the moment special, was the end of it all. Dawson had brought the system and game to play along with the rest of the team in the days prior to the release, and when the final scene played, the screen showing the credits, there was a hiss from nearly everyone as they saw the credits roll, the sudden inhalation of air heralding the shock and surprise that they were all feeling at the moment.
Their names... their real names were being shown.
Even you understood what this meant. Developers of games usually had the final decision as to whether to credit their employees in the final titles, with many preferring to keep them out. Some with excuses about how there was not enough space, but many understood the truth of it all; there was not enough trust in the employee to remain in the company if they were to be headhunted, so better to make it as difficult as possible for them to be known.
That LucasArts had decided to add them was a measure of trust that not many others were even willing to entertain. And from the looks of it, it was one that would be reciprocated.
The Future
Hironobu Sakaguchi, recently graduated student from Yokohama National University, member of Team Fantasy, former Intern at LucasArts and now a newly full employee of said company, had to take one of the greatest decisions laid in front of him, and during the first few weeks of his time as a full employee at that.
Whether Team Fantasy will continue, or will it be broken apart.
After the success of the first game one would think that the company would be pushing hard in order to make the next installment as soon as possible, to make sure that the they could still keep the hype train going, and take advantage of all the enthusiasm for what had just been created. Yeah, that would be true, if that company was not LucasArts that is. Many seemed to forget that the game company took its cues from the parent company, and if there was one lesson that had been imparted from overseas, it was the one that had become the main driving force since its founding.
Let the artist with a vision work his own magic.
Dawson was not interested in continuing the franchise, seeing his passion project brought to life being enough for him, and willing to go to work on different games and find a new idea he could sink his teeth into. But, instead of making the choice himself, he'd decided to take a different path; making him the new leader of Team Fantasy, and thus his problem from now on.
Gee, thanks a lot boss.
Oddly enough, there had not been the pushback he'd expected from the rest of the team. His contributions and interactions with many of them during the development putting him in great regard by all. That he'd been the one to break open the gates for many of them to have their ideas implemented was another factor, and that he'd managed to contribute a great deal to the story was another big checkmark for him being the new leader.
But did he want to?
He'd come into the team later than others save for his friends (who'd managed to be hired just like him) so he did not have that much of an attachment to the series. During the entire development period he'd worked harder than he'd ever expected to, and had so much fun planning on the different areas and stories that could go with each. The many different side-quests had been partly inspired by him, but he also had so many others that had to be cut in order to streamline the story somewhat. There were many different ideas that his mind was percolating that could not be seen in the previous game, so many monsters that could have been implemented, different twists in the interactions between the heroes that could have made the game so much more immersing, along with quests and other playable characters aside from the Dragoon... Speaking of, perhaps he could be added to the next game as a real class, along with a new world, perhaps in a different world. You could even include those giant birds to move around the overworld which could not be added for the previous game! They told him that it would be a bit ridiculous, but he just knew that they would be a great hit...
...Fuck, he was going to keep the team going, wasn't he?
There was no other choice really. There was still a story to be told, still ideas to explore, and giant birds that would serve as rides to move through a whole new world full of adventure.
For better or for worse, Hironobu Sakaguchi was ready to take on the challenges of being the Team Leader for Team Fantasy from here on. Whether it will continue beyond this new idea he had, only time would tell.
But first, he should really think of a name for it. Something that will make sure to show that this is still connected to the previous game, despite it not happening in Corneria nor having Garland and the Four Fiends mentioned.
...
Final Fantasy II
...Eh, it'll do.
A.N.: Kind of wanted to write the story behind the making of Final Fantasy, as well as to show how it was that Hironobu got hired and how he worked with Dawson to make the new version of the game. I'll be making a pitch for Final Fantasy II later on, but for now this should show just how the entire ball for the rest of the games gets rolling.
