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Yoshinori Kitase
北瀬 佳範
Square-enix dissidia yoshinori-kitase.jpg
Kitase at the 2009 E3
Born (1966-09-23) September 23, 1966 (age 58)
Alma mater Nihon University
Occupation Video game director, game producer
Years active 1990–present
Employer Square Enix
Notable work
Final Fantasy series

Yoshinori Kitase (北瀬 佳範, Kitase Yoshinori, born September 23, 1966) is a Japanese game director and producer working for Square Enix. He is known as the director of Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy X, and the producer of the Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy XIII series.

He is currently the head of Square Enix's Creative Studios I and II, the Final Fantasy series Brand Manager, an executive officer at Square Enix and a member of the board of directors at both Square Enix Co, Ltd and Square Enix Holdings.

He was the head of Square Enix's Creative Business Unit 1 as well as Business Division 1 during their entire respective existences as well as a Corporate Executive. He is also part of the Final Fantasy Committee that is tasked with keeping the franchise's releases and content consistent.

Biography

In July 1978, at the age of 11, Kitase watched the movie Star Wars for the first time and was deeply impressed with it. He later examined the making-of video to it and became interested in the creative process of the film industry. Kitase decided to attend the Nihon University College of Art and studied screenwriting and filmmaking. Although he enjoyed filming, he showed a much greater passion for post-production editing as he felt it allowed him to give the footage a completely new meaning and to appeal to the viewers' feelings. In his first year after the graduation, Kitase worked at a small animation studio that produced animated television programs and commercials. When he played Final Fantasy for the first time, he considered a switch to the game industry as he felt that it had potential when it came to animation and storytelling. Despite having no software development knowledge, he applied at the game development company Square and was hired in March 1990. In the ten years to follow, he gathered experience as an "event scripter", directing the characters' movements and facial expressions on the game screen as well as setting the timings and music transitions. He has compared this work to directing film actors. Kitase continued directing cutscenes in spite of filling other roles in later projects; for example, he directed part of the event scenes in Final Fantasy VIII and was event planner for the Nibelheim section of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII.

Isamu Kamikokuryo and Yoshinori Kitase
Yoshinori Kitase (right) and art director Isamu Kamikokuryo (left) at HMV's Final Fantasy XIII launch event in London in March, 2010

When many players responded to the sci-fi world of Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII by requesting a "simple fantasy world", Kitase tried to expand the definition of the word "fantasy" beyond that of a medieval European setting. This led to Southeast Asia being the backdrop for Final Fantasy X. Kitase referred to Final Fantasy VII and its protagonist Cloud Strife as his favorite game and character, respectively. In an interview, he said that he loves first-person shooters. Kitase supervised the Final Fantasy VII: Technical Demo for PS3. Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi feels that he "handed the torch to" Kitase as far as heading the series is concerned.

Works

Video games

Year Title Role(s)
1991 Final Fantasy Adventure Game design, scenario
1992 Romancing SaGa Field map design
Final Fantasy V Field planner, event planner, scenario
1994 Final Fantasy VI Director, event planner, scenario
1995 Chrono Trigger Director, scenario
1997 Final Fantasy VII Director, story
1999 Final Fantasy VIII Director, story, system designer, event scene director
2001 Final Fantasy X Chief director, producer, scenario
2002 Kingdom Hearts Producer
2003 Final Fantasy X-2
2004 Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII Executive producer
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories Producer
2005 Kingdom Hearts II
2006 Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy V Advance Supervisor
Dirge of Cerberus Lost Episode: Final Fantasy VII Executive producer
Final Fantasy VI Advance Supervisor
2007 Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Executive producer, event planner
2008 Sigma Harmonics Producer
Dissidia Final Fantasy
2009 Final Fantasy XIII
2010 The 3rd Birthday
2011 Final Fantasy Type-0
Final Fantasy XIII-2
2013 Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster
2014 Final Fantasy VII G-Bike Executive producer
2015 Mobius Final Fantasy Producer
2016 Final Fantasy XV Special thanks, original producer
2017 Flame vs Blaze Executive producer
2019 Final Fantasy VIII Remastered Special thanks, supervisor
2020 Final Fantasy VII Remake Producer
2021 Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Supervisor
Final Fantasy II Pixel Remaster
Final Fantasy III Pixel Remaster
Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster
Final Fantasy V Pixel Remaster
Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier Executive producer
2022 Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster Supervisor
Chocobo GP Executive producer
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion
2023 Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis
2024 Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Producer

Other media

Year Title Credit(s)
1995 Final Fantasy VI The Interactive CG Game Director
2001 Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within Thanks
2005 Final Fantasy VII Technical Demo for PS3 Producer
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Producer
Last Order: Final Fantasy VII Executive producer
2009 Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete Producer
On the Way to a Smile - Episode: Denzel Executive producer
2016 Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV Special thanks

Additional credits

Year Title Credit(s)
1998 Xenogears (Japanese version) Cooperation
1998 Ehrgeiz FF VII staff
1999 Chrono Cross (Japanese version) Development cooperation
2002 Unlimited Saga Special thanks
2003 Hanjuku Hero Tai 3D Development cooperation
2004 Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Special Final Fantasy part cooperation
2005 Romancing SaGa Special thanks
2006 Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Portable Final Fantasy part cooperation
Dawn of Mana Special thanks
2007 Heroes of Mana
2009 Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light
2010 Final Fantasy XIV Crystal tools
2011 Dissidia 012: Final Fantasy Special thanks
2012 Theatrhythm Final Fantasy
2013 Final Fantasy: All The Bravest
2014 Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call
2015 Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster for PlayStation 4
Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius
Dissidia Final Fantasy (2015 video game) Arcade
2016 Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster for Microsoft Windows
2017 Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward (Patch 3.56)
Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood
Pictologica Final Fantasy
Itadaki Street: Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary
Final Fantasy Dimensions II
2018 Dissidia Final Fantasy NT
Chrono Trigger Upgrade Version
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Original game supervisor
2019 Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers Special thanks
Romancing SaGa 3 remaster Executive officer
SaGa: Scarlet Grace Ambitions English Version
War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius Special thanks
Star Ocean: First Departure R Creative business unit 1, vice president
2020 Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition
Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory
Collection of SaGa Executive officer
2021 SaGa Frontier Remastered
Neo: The World Ends with You Creative business unit 1, vice president
Dungeon Encounters
Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker Special thanks
2022 Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin Creative business unit 1, vice president
Chrono Cross The Radical Dreamers Edition
Star Ocean: The Divine Force
Tactics Ogre: Reborn
Romancing SaGa Minstrel Song Remastered Executive officer
2023 Theatrhythm Final Bar Line Creative business unit 1, vice president
Final Fantasy XVI Special thanks
Star Ocean: The Second Story R Creative business unit 1, vice president
2024 Foamstars Square Enix special tester
SaGa Emerald Beyond Creative business unit 1, vice president

See also

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