DEVELOPER PROFILE
Hiroyuki Ito Active Time Architect
Credited: FFI (1987) - FFIX, FFT, FFXII (2006) Now: Producer/Director/Designer at Square Enix
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f one system designer has had a larger impact on Final Fantasy than any other, it’s Hiroyuki Ito. He began humbly, contributing to FFI and FFII as a debugger before working on the sound effects of FFIII. He was quickly catapulted to the role of Battle System Designer for FFIV - and would there change the series - and the RPG genre - forever. A fan of Formula One, Ito birthed the idea of the Active Time Battle system when considering how F1 cars all raced at differing speeds. The end result was the gradually filling action bar for each character in battle that has appeared in most FF titles and countless other major RPGs since. For FFV Ito worked as a game designer, tweaking the ATB system, creating the AP system and expanding FFIII’s job system. He’d also create Gilgamesh, a hapless enemy who would become a series staple. FFVI saw Ito stepping up to the role of director when Hironobu Sakaguchi became too busy. All of FFVI’s major gameplay systems were either designed or overseen by Ito. He beefed up interactivity in story beats such as the infamous opera sequence. Ito provided the original concept for FFVII’s Materia system, but was moved off production to aid Yasumi Matsuno on FF Tactics. He returned for FFVIII, helping Battle System Design and concepting the Triple Triad card game, but again was pulled aside to head up a new spin-off, titled ‘FF Gaiden’. FF Gaiden later became FFIX with Ito directing. He made that game his own, working as director, game designer, battle system director and scenario editor, shaping the game massively. After delivering FFIX successfully, Ito was set to work with Matsuno again co-directing FFXII.
When Matsuno departed, Ito directed FFXII with Hiroshi Minagawa, remaining a designer and battle system director at the same time. FFXII’s real-time action is owed in equal measure to FFXI and the NFL, whose rules and playbook helped to inspire Ito’s Gambit system. FFIX and XII - two of Ito’s directorial projects - are the two highest rated FF titles on MetaCritic. Ito is a designer at heart, but one who understands the importance of plot, working hard to balance his love of gameplay systems and story evenly - quite different from the story-heavy approach others take. Baking clever gameplay design into story sequences is practically his calling card, from FFVI’s Opera to Chrono Trigger’s trial and FFIX’s sword fighting sequence. He’s currently working on a large-scale unannounced project speculated to be FFXV. When asked in February 2012 who he felt could make FF as respected as it was in the 90s once more, FF creator Hironobu Sakaguchi didn’t hesitate, giving a decisive two word answer: Hiroyuki Ito. 47