Naoki Yoshida

His first experiences playing online games such as ''[[Diablo (video game)|Diablo]]'' and the ''[[Ultima Online]]'' [[Software release life cycle#Beta|beta test]], left a huge impression and turned him into an avid fan.{{Cite book |author=吉田直樹 [Yoshida, Naoki] |date=2016-06-22 |title=吉田の日々赤裸々。 『ファイナルファンタジーXIV』はなぜ新生できたのか |publisher=Kadokawa Game Linkage |isbn=978-4-04-733154-9 |oclc=957254171}} Yoshida submitted three proposals to Hudson's internal new project contests: a multiplayer [[first-person shooter]], a [[PlayStation 2]] multiplayer ''[[Dungeon Explorer (1989 video game)|Dungeon Explorer]]'' revival and a [[Personal computer|PC]] space exploration MMORPG.{{sfn|''We Are Vana'diel''|2022|loc=[https://we-are-vanadiel.finalfantasyxi.com/post/?id=381 Part 2] (05-30)}} After four and a half years at the company, he left Hudson due to creative differences. Yoshida saw all titles he worked on as fun for all ages, but his superior only thought of them as made for children: "I couldn't work in a company that'd allow a person like this to be a manager. As soon as he told me that, I answered that I quit".

His first experiences playing online games such as ''[[Diablo (video game)|Diablo]]'' and the ''[[Ultima Online]]'' [[Software release life cycle#Beta|beta test]], left a huge impression and turned him into an avid fan.{{Cite book |author=吉田直樹 [Yoshida, Naoki] |date=2016-06-22 |title=吉田の日々赤裸々。 『ファイナルファンタジーXIV』はなぜ新生できたのか |publisher=Kadokawa Game Linkage |isbn=978-4-04-733154-9 |oclc=957254171}} Yoshida submitted three proposals to Hudson's internal new project contests: a multiplayer [[first-person shooter]], a [[PlayStation 2]] multiplayer ''[[Dungeon Explorer (1989 video game)|Dungeon Explorer]]'' revival and a [[Personal computer|PC]] space exploration MMORPG.{{sfn|''We Are Vana'diel''|2022|loc=[https://we-are-vanadiel.finalfantasyxi.com/post/?id=381 Part 2] (05-30)}} After four and a half years at the company, he left Hudson due to creative differences. Yoshida saw all titles he worked on as fun for all ages, but his superior only thought of them as made for children: "I couldn't work in a company that'd allow a person like this to be a manager. As soon as he told me that, I answered that I quit".

After leaving Hudson Soft, he worked at several smaller game studios for five years, These included a studio founded by a former Hudson executive who recruited him. A partnership with [[Enix]] saw them develop a [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] online [[Action role-playing game|action RPG]] with randomly generated dungeons and a ''Diablo''-like system, designed by Yoshida and produced by {{ill|Yosuke Saito (producer)|lt=Yosuke Saito|ja|齊藤陽介}}. After the merger, higher ups ordered a pivot to make it cross-platform with the PlayStation 2 and [[PlayOnline]]-compatible. The heads of [[Square (video game company)|Square's]] business divisions had high hopes for his game; those involved in ''[[Final Fantasy XI]]'' offering support, advice and that game's [[Garbage collection (computer science)|garbage collection]] [[source code]]. A sales meeting by management concluded a story mode was required, but since the team already had to rework it twice due to their demands, a debate ensued over how to inform the developers, which ultimately led them to shelf it instead.{{Cite magazine|editor1=TAITAI|date=2014-03-08|url=https://www.4gamer.net/games/139/G013991/20140307079/|title=MMORPGの面白さってなんだ？——オンラインゲーム開発のあれこれを語り尽くす「DQX」「FFXI」「FFXIV」プロデューサー座談会|trans-title=|department=インタビュー|magazine=[[4Gamer.net]]|publisher=Aetas|page=1}}{{sfn|''We Are Vana'diel''|2022|loc=[https://we-are-vanadiel.finalfantasyxi.com/post/?id=367 Part 1] (05-16)}}

After leaving Hudson Soft, he worked at several smaller game studios for five years, These included a studio founded by a former Hudson executive who recruited him. A partnership with [[Enix]] saw them develop a [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] online [[Action role-playing game|action RPG]] with randomly generated dungeons and a ''Diablo''-like system, designed by Yoshida and produced by {{ill|Yosuke Saito (producer)|lt=Yosuke Saito|ja|齊藤陽介}}. After the merger, higher ups ordered a pivot to make it cross-platform with the PlayStation 2 and [[PlayOnline]]-compatible. The heads of [[Square (video game company)|Square's]] business divisions had high hopes for the project; staff involved in ''[[Final Fantasy XI]]'' offered support, advice, and the game's [[Garbage collection (computer science)|garbage collection]] [[source code]]. A sales meeting by management concluded a story mode was required, but since the team already had to rework it twice due to their demands, a debate ensued over how to inform the developers, which ultimately led them to shelf it instead.{{Cite magazine|editor1=TAITAI|date=2014-03-08|url=https://www.4gamer.net/games/139/G013991/20140307079/|title=MMORPGの面白さってなんだ？——オンラインゲーム開発のあれこれを語り尽くす「DQX」「FFXI」「FFXIV」プロデューサー座談会|trans-title=|department=インタビュー|magazine=[[4Gamer.net]]|publisher=Aetas|page=1}}{{sfn|''We Are Vana'diel''|2022|loc=[https://we-are-vanadiel.finalfantasyxi.com/post/?id=367 Part 1] (05-16)}}

While working on the game, Yoshida proposed a tool to run different variations of events in online games by combining preset settings, to aid Toshio Murouchi, a then new member of the PlayOnline operations team.{{cite web|last=Nogishi|first=Aki|date=2020-10-22|url=https://automaton-media.com/articles/interviewsjp/20201021-140775/|title=『FF14』室内俊夫氏インタビュー。皆が知りたかった（？）プライベートなプレイ事情や吉田Pとの意外な馴れ初めも訊いた|department=インタビュー|work=Automaton}}

While working on the game, Yoshida proposed a tool to run different variations of events in online games by combining preset settings, to aid Toshio Murouchi, a then new member of the PlayOnline operations team.{{cite web|last=Nogishi|first=Aki|date=2020-10-22|url=https://automaton-media.com/articles/interviewsjp/20201021-140775/|title=『FF14』室内俊夫氏インタビュー。皆が知りたかった（？）プライベートなプレイ事情や吉田Pとの意外な馴れ初めも訊いた|department=インタビュー|work=Automaton}}