Yoshinori Kitase facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yoshinori Kitase
北瀬 佳範
Kitase at the 2009 E3
Born	(1966-09-23) September 23, 1966 (age 58) Japan
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 famous Japanese game director and producer. He works for a big video game company called Square Enix. He is well-known for directing many popular games in the Final Fantasy series, like Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII, and Final Fantasy X. He also directed Chrono Trigger. As a producer, he helped create the Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy XIII game series.

Currently, Yoshinori Kitase leads some of Square Enix's creative teams. He is also the Brand Manager for the Final Fantasy series. This means he helps make sure all Final Fantasy games and content are consistent. He is also an important executive and a member of the board of directors at Square Enix.

About Yoshinori Kitase

His Early Life and Inspiration

When Yoshinori Kitase was 11 years old in 1978, he watched the movie Star Wars. He was very impressed by it. He later watched a video about how the movie was made. This made him interested in how films are created.

Kitase decided to study screenwriting (writing movie scripts) and filmmaking at the Nihon University College of Art. He enjoyed making films. But he loved editing even more. He felt that editing could give a film a completely new meaning. It also helped him connect with the audience's feelings.

Starting His Career

After college, Kitase worked at a small studio. They made animated TV shows and commercials. Then, he played the game Final Fantasy for the first time. He thought the game industry had a lot of potential for animation and storytelling.

Even though he didn't know much about software development, he applied to a game company called Square. He was hired in March 1990. For the next ten years, he learned a lot as an "event scripter." This job involved directing characters' movements and expressions on the screen. He also set the timing for music and transitions in the game. He said this work was like directing actors in a movie.

Kitase continued to direct cutscenes (short movie-like parts in games) even when he took on other roles. For example, he directed some event scenes in Final Fantasy VIII. He also planned events for a part of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII.

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

Expanding the World of Final Fantasy

After games like Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII, many players wanted a "simple fantasy world." These games had a sci-fi (science fiction) setting. Kitase wanted to make the idea of "fantasy" bigger than just medieval European settings. This led to Final Fantasy X being set in a world inspired by Southeast Asia.

Kitase has said that Final Fantasy VII is his favorite game. Its main character, Cloud Strife, is his favorite character. He also enjoys playing first-person shooters. The creator of Final Fantasy, Hironobu Sakaguchi, feels that he passed the leadership of the series to Kitase.

Games and Other Works

Video Games

Other Media Projects

Additional Contributions

See also

In Spanish: Yoshinori Kitase para niños