Final Fantasy XV changed the series forever, and it’s not done yet
When a big, years-in-the-making game finally releases, it’s common for staff to take an extended vacation. The grind of finishing up an ambitious project often involves plenty of late nights at the office, missing out on time with family, and little in the way of time off. For Hajime Tabata, who took over as director of the troubled Final Fantasy XV in 2013, the year leading up to launch was filled with many sleepless nights. “There is a sense that this is shortening my lifespan,” he told Polygon in 2015. “But it’s all worth it.”
The game had all the makings of a disaster. Over the course of its decade-long development, which began in 2006, FFXV changed names, platforms, and eventually directors. It went from a spinoff of the PS3 title F…
