The advent of streaming on the likes of Twitch and Kick presents a dilemma for game developers. On the one hand, it's a lot of free advertising, but on the other, there's a risk some of the audience is satisfied simply watching something be played rather than trying it themselves. With Final Fantasy 7 Revelation coming next year, the remake trilogy's director believes it's on the devs to make sure people are always inspired to pick up the controller.
Naoki Hamaguchi, who co-directed Final Fantasy 7 Remake before overseeing Rebirth and Revelation, spoke on the subject to 4Gamer. "One thing RPGs like Final Fantasy need to be careful about today is the possibility that people might simply watch a stream and feel satisfied without ever playing the game themselves," he says, as translated by Automaton.
"This is a bit of a crisis for the work itself," he adds. "Or rather, it's not something game creators can wholeheartedly celebrate." It's noted he's very clear about not putting down streamers, but rather just acknowledging how they've altered the landscape.
In his mind, the challenge is now to make something where players feel like they need to play in order to have their own experience. "If people watch a stream and it makes them think, 'What would I do in that situation?' or 'How would I experiment with that?', then hopefully they’ll be inspired to try it themselves," he comments.
Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, the third and final part of the remake trilogy, is being developed with this MO, as player choices can impact elements of your progression. To what extent isn't specified, but Hamaguchi mentions there'll be "tension" around how you play in particular moments.
There aren't many crossroads in the original, so I'm very intrigued by how this might manifest. Could characters die? Or be somehow incapacitated? As a big fan of both Remake and Rebirth, in Hamaguchi I trust. Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is due out the first half of 2027.
