Streaming games online for others to watch is more popular than ever today, but Final Fantasy 7 Revelation director Naoki Hamaguchi believes that it’s causing “a bit of a crisis” for RPGs.
Hamaguchi explained in an interview that some fans might be more interested in simply watching a stream instead of actually playing. Because of this, he feels game developers need to inspire people to pick up the game for themselves.
Hamaguchi said in a 4Gamer interview (thanks to Automaton for the translation):
“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. This is a bit of a crisis for the work itself, or rather, it’s not something game creators can wholeheartedly celebrate… 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.”
Note that in the interview, Hamaguchi wasn’t ragging on streaming in general. Hamaguchi says he’s been trying to challenge himself with Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Birth, and Revelation. He also feels that entertainment should evolve and adapt rather than stubbornly clinging to old ways.
Right now you can play Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade and Rebirth on Nintendo Switch 2 with Revelation coming in 2026. Check out the first screenshots of Revelation on the console here.
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