Final Fantasy 14 found itself at the center of a conflict after the release of the Dawntrail expansion. Game director Naoki Yoshida publicly appealed to the community with a request to stop insulting the developers.
Speaking on the PAX West panel, he emphasized that behind every game there are real people who spend their energy and time to make the project as high quality as possible.
In recent weeks, the team has faced a stream of harsh comments and threats. According to Yoshida, constructive criticism is always welcome, but aggressive attacks destroy morale and undermine the desire to continue working.
Yoshida noted that overly harsh words can demotivate creators so much that they lose interest in creating new games. He recalled that developers are not enemies of players and do everything to ensure that fans enjoy their work.
The project manager urged the audience to show more empathy and think about the consequences of their messages online. He stressed that it is important to maintain a respectful tone and remember that there are people behind your favorite games, not a faceless machine.
