[General Discussion] Your Opinion On Yasumi Matsuno

How do you think Yasumi Matsuno stacks up when compared to other “more” popular game designers and what do you think of his work? I remember stumbling across a tread on the Final Fantasy IGN Board with one poster (can’t remember his/her name) calling him an “unproven talent”. While everyone entitled to their opinion and conclusion I just couldn’t agree with that, I find him a much more capable director when compared to Tetsuya Nomura and Motomu Toriyama. Yasumi Matsuno and Hideki Kamiya are my up most current favorite game designers from Japan. Nomura seems content to stay in his shell and cater to mass (anime fans) with no intentions on improving himself as a game designer, and Toriyama unlike Matsuno have grown.

Matsuno’s Ivalice has one of the most relieved worlds in Japanese RPGs and its shame that his vision of Ivalice will never be relieved, as said by Motomu Toriyama “Ivalice became more Square Enix's world than that of the former Quest team”. Nomura is to focus on the cool factor to concern himself about creating a believable world or good Gameplay for that matter. Look at how the uninspiring the new races that Toriyama conceived are compared to the Bangaa, Viera, and Seeq. The typical human with angle/bird wings Aegyl or Yuichi Murasawa’s equally typical Grai. Yeah, admittedly I’m more than a little resentful at what Square Enix game designers has done so far to Matsuno’s Ivalice

I so what do you make of Sakimoto’s claim that he’s currently working on something with now, I know I’m anxious to see what he can do without Square’s supposed incessant meddling.
Final Fantasy XII Composer Hitoshi Sakimoto Interview from 1UP.com

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Whoa, I never knew that Orges Zeteginia was actually a neighboring country to Ivalice? I never knew that, I guess the similarities in atmosphere between Orge Tatics and Fianl Fantasy Tatics was more intentional then I thought. That diffently adds another dimension as to how I see him and his Ivalice (not Squares).

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Megavolt now that you mentioned it I do remember you, I don't really post on IGN FF Board, but I have lurked there on many occasion, you’re known as Megavolt67 over there correct. I tried looking for that tread but it seems it’s in the void now. Well I try not to come down too hard on Square’s current employee roster, particularly the Nomura/Kitase duo you just mentioned, I just believe he truly earned my respect and admiration. I just what ever trouble he endured during the development process of FF12 haven’t shaken him up do the point to where he will no longer take risks and give in to mainstream conformity. Megavolt, are there any other designers either eastern/western that you’re not particularly fond of.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.