Final Fantasy XIV Producer Explains Lightning Returns Crossover: “It’s the One and Only Lightning”

During Japan Expo Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida announced that Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII will appear in the upcoming MMORPG , creating quite a lot of controversy between that part of the fanbase that suffers from a serious form of allergy to the character, while others were concerned by the possibility that her inclusion would break the game’s lore.

Yesterday Yoshida-san posted a rather detailed explanation letting fans know how everything will make sense.

[Mr_Nuts]

Urgh...why doesn't he just admit higher ups told him to shoe horn her into the game because they are obsessed with us to love her.

*** The story that answers these questions is already being created and it will also be related to the Lightning saga. This is not just a Lightning clone showing up in Eorzea; it is the one and only Lightning. We are also creating a lot of character dialogue for Lightning as well as special cut scenes. We’ve established a proper story, and I hope you’re excited to see it. ***

So why start with her, what about Cloud, Squall, Zidine, Tidus etc....I bet you right now they won't get any missions. Maybe a few items from their games but nothing special.

I mean they are taking a character which is mostly hated and despite already having three games with her in, they want to shove her in another. A game which is supposed to be separate from FF13s world.

Did anyone find it funny that he only adressed one half of the issues, the "will it ruin the lore" issue...not the "We don't like her, why the hell are you including her" problem.

Honestly...Japanese companies this gen just seem so out of touch and so arrogant. I mean it's like they want us to hate them

[Abriael]

"Urgh...why doesn't he just admit higher ups told him to shoe horn her into the game because they are obsessed with us to love her."

because you know better than him, right?

If you hate a company just because it puts a character you don't like in one questline in a very big game, you got problems.

And by the way, you may want to talk for yourself. You don't like her, others do.

You really need to come to terms with the fact that you =/= the majority, and that there are a lot of people out there that don't feel like you do.

[Mr_Nuts]

*** because you know better than him, right? ***

Yeah I do because thats what most likely happened, you know for a fact how obsessed they are with getting us to like her.

*** If you hate a company just because it puts a character you don't like in one questline in a very big game, you got problems. ***

Have you been in a coma all this gen. This is just one of many problems with Square Enix...this isn't just about a character being shoe horned into another game, it's the fact that they don't listen, are ignorant and arrogant and they don't give a crap about what their fans want. They think they know what we want when they don't/

*** And by the way, you may want to talk for yourself. You don't like her, others do. ***

Look I think it's safe to safe more people hate her then like her. Thats why in my comment I said "mostly hated"

*** You really need to start accepting that you =/= the majority, and that there are a lot of people out there that don't feel like you do. ****

I think you need to start accepting that the majority of people don't like FF13. It really seems like you can't stand the fact people don't like it, your the type of person who would defend the crap out of this game to the high heavens if you had to. I bet you haven't even played the old FF games, but will say you have to try and make a valid point in this argument

[Abriael]

@MR_Nuts: No. I don't know it "for a fact". neither do you.

- If you think Square Enix doesn't listen, you haven't followed FFXIV at all, and you're the ignorant one. The whole A Realm Reborn is a result of "listening".

- No, it's not "safe to safe", show me a valid poll on the issue, otherwise speak for yourself.

- Differently from you, I'm able to make an argument for myself, instead of looking for the support of a fake majority like you do because you know your arguments are weak :D

In your irrational hate you may want to consider the fact that there are a ton of Japanese gamers out there, and that's where Final Fantasy sells the most. Guess what? In Japan lightning isn't hated at all. quite the contrary.

[N4GDgAPc]

Apparently you don't know because they did a survey in japan who was there favorite FF girl character. Guess who won. From your logic lightning lost when she didn't. They didn't make lightning appear for you but for others that do like her. I'm surprised someone can be but hurt just by adding a small side quest to a big game.

Its the same thing with LR:ff13. There is people that want the game like me. So there catering to the people that want it to continue. People that really hate FF13 have this mind set that NO BODY wants it. When clearly that isn't true. There catering to people that want it to continue. But that goes right pass your brain because you only care on what you want.

[rataranian]

Take some of that medicine youre dishing out. Cause not everyone feels the same as you. In fact last i heard most people think Lightning can f off.

[N4GDgAPc]

So others word your telling me don't make that because I don't want it but screw others that do? Sounds kind of arrogant to me. Plus if they really hate her so much its optional. They can skip it.

[lucidity]

I wonder what kind of blackmail material Toriyama has on the other dudes at Square-Enix to get away with forcing Lightning into everything.

[CrossingEden]

probably very little considering that lightning is extremely popular in japan -_- despite the LOUD minority of nostalgia fanboys

[Root]

Japan likes anything new. Once FF15 comes out I bet Noctis will be very popular or Stella if you go with a female FF character.

Besides Japan vs everyone else who didn't like her. They are very small vocal minority

[CrossingEden]

@root
japan does not like anything new, japan does not like the new resident evil for instance, and ff is undoubtedly most popular in japan compared to the rest of the word, so it's japan, which is the biggest audience with the most sales, vs. the rest of the world -_-
Lightning is the favourite female character in Japan and Europe. That's why they continued with this series and put her in cameos
novacrystallis.com/2013/01/ja pan-ranks-their -favorite-female-characters-fr o m-the-final-fantasy-series/
ffdream.com/news-14619.html
That's all. You can complain but still, there's a substantial majority of people happy with these games, so keep whining like a child.

[fsfsxii]

I heard they were going to include every FF game in XIV.
Too damn bad that i missed the beta

[Abriael]

Not all of them, but they sure ain't gonna stop here.

[Lionsguard]

I like Lightning but she does not fit in FF XIV at all. I wish they paired her up with Cloud in a game though, they fit each other. They're both mopy-ish.

[Abriael]

Actually she's the only one that really fits. She travels between space and time, and that's a feature that exists in FFXIV's story.

[Dno]

great post people just hate and have neither played ff13 or ff14 in any way.

bubs for you.

[Lionalliance]

Just.....no

[fsfsxii]

The one and only thing nobody wants.

[-Gespenst-]

Sounds like they've put a lot of thought into it. I for one find something pretty awesome about separate fictional universes crossing over in really deep and convincing ways. The narrative possibilities are endless. Dissidia kind of tried it, but since it was first and foremost a fighting game it seemed to struggle to work the narrative into the game. This sounds like it'll expound the whole parallel world thing in a much more interesting way.

While it is obviously partly marketing for Lightning Returns because I'm sure Toriyama and Kitase are a little bit worried about the game's prospects, it's still cool that they're really putting effort and thought into building a narrative out of it, not just inserting her into the game in a really shallow and meaningless way. Instead of just insulting our intelligence by doing such a thing, they're showing us respect by putting time and effort into crafting Lightning's role in the game.

[chikane]

ok now i'm really starting to get sick of light. every day with a damn light story. enough god

[Benjammin25]

Ha ha ha, WHAT?!

[TronEOL]

I'm perfectly fine with this. And I'm betting that most of the people complaining are anti-Lightning trolls who won't even be buying FFXIV, let alone pay the sub cost.

Lightning is actually one of my favourite FF characters next to Cloud, Terra, and WoL, too. So this is only a plus for me.

Can't wait to see what the story is!

[AzureskyZ]

And Squareenix is wondering why there business have been shitty for awhile now. People wanted ff7 remake /ignore people wanted a new chrono /ignore people hated lightning and 13 /lets toss crossover of her on every ff game, better yet why dont we make a cloud costume for her.