Yoshinori Kitase

Yoshinori Kitase is a Japanese game producer and former game director who has been working for Square Enix since 1990. He has directed four Final Fantasy games: Final Fantasy VI (1994), Final Fantasy VII (1997), Final Fantasy VIII (1999), and Final Fantasy X (2001).
He became a producer after Hironobu Sakaguchi promoted him to the position. He made his debut as a producer with Final Fantasy X (2001), while simultaneously directing the title. Since then, he has produced Final Fantasy X-2 (2003), the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII (2004–2009), the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy (2009–2013), Mobius Final Fantasy (2015), and Final Fantasy VII Remake (2020).
He was the division executive of Square Enix's Business Division 1 and also a member of the Final Fantasy Committee.FF Committee members He is currently an executive officer and member of the board of directors of Square Enix Co., Ltd., and the vice president of Creative Business Unit I. He was named the brand manager for the Final Fantasy series in April 2021, taking over for Shinji Hashimoto.<https://www.siliconera.com/yoshinori-kitase-succeeds-shinji-hashimoto-as-final-fantasy-brand-manager/ Since June 2022, he became a member of the board of directors of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. as well.
==Profile==
Kitase graduated in cinema at the Nihon University College of Art. In 1990, he was hired by Square, even though he didn't have any computer knowledge. His role was that of an "event scripter"; he would direct the characters' expressions and movements, the settings and the timing of music transitions, much like a stage director.
Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of the Final Fantasy series, chose Kitase to be producer of the mainline Final Fantasy games developed by Product Development Division 1. Kitase chose Motomu Toriyama as his successor as director.
He is currently working as producer on the Final Fantasy VII remake project, with the project being directed by Tetsuya Nomura, the director of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (2005).
==Works within the series==
Game 	Release	Work
Final Fantasy Adventure 	1991 	Game Design, Scenario Writer
Final Fantasy V 	1992 	Field Planner, Scenario Writer (with Hironobu Sakaguchi)
Final Fantasy VI 	1994 	Director (with Hiroyuki Ito), Event Director, Scenario
Final Fantasy VII 	1997 	Director, Scenario Writer (with Kazushige Nojima)
Final Fantasy VIII 	1999 	Director, Game Design, Story
Final Fantasy X 	2001 	Director, Producer, Game Design, Story
Final Fantasy X-2 	2003 	Producer
Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII- 	2004 	Executive Producer
Final Fantasy VII Technical Demo for PS3 	2005 	Supervisor
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children 	2005 	Producer (with Shinji Hashimoto)
Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII- 	2006 	Producer, Original Concept
Final Fantasy V Advance 	2006 	Supervisor (with Hiroyuki Ito)
Final Fantasy VI Advance 	2006 	Supervisor (with Hiroyuki Ito)
Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- 	2007 	Executive Producer
Dissidia Final Fantasy 	2008 	Producer
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete 	2009 	Producer (with Shinji Hashimoto and Ichiro Hazama)
Final Fantasy XIII 	2009 	Producer, Crystal Tools Development Staff
Final Fantasy XIV version 1.0 	2010 	Crystal Tools Development Staff
Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy 	2011 	Special Thanks
Final Fantasy Type-0 	2011 	Producer
Final Fantasy XIII-2 	2011 	Producer
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy 	2012 	Special Thanks
Final Fantasy All the Bravest 	2013 	Special Thanks
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII 	2013 	Producer
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster 	2013 	Producer
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call 	2014 	Special Thanks
Final Fantasy VII G-Bike 	2014 	Executive Producer
Mobius Final Fantasy 	2015 	Producer
Final Fantasy Brave Exvius 	2015 	Special Thanks
Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV 	2016 	Special Thanks
Final Fantasy XV 	2016 	Special Thanks (served as Producer when the project was Final Fantasy Versus XIII)
Final Fantasy Dimensions II 	2017 	Special Thanks
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT 	2018 	Special Thanks
Final Fantasy VII Remake 	2020 	Producerhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1OvupaRYCM
War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius	2020 	Special Thanks
Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier 	2021 	Executive Producer
Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin 	2022 	Executive Producer
Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion 	2022 	Executive Producer
Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis 	2023 	Executive Producer
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth 	2024 	Producer
==In-game appearances==
===Final Fantasy Type-0===
Yoshinori Kitase appears as a Support Personnel of Akademeia. He shares the character model with Machina Kunagiri. His code name is "Producer".
==Trivia==
*Kitase has stated that his favorite game in the series is Final Fantasy VII and his favorite character is Cloud Strife.http://www.videogamer.com/psp/dissidia_final_fantasy/news/yoshinori_kitase_on_ffxiii_ffvii_and_dissidia.html?page=2
*Tetsuya Nomura stated he considers Yoshinori Kitase one of his four "seniors", and an influence on his game direction.http://www.nintendo.co.uk/Iwata-Asks/Iwata-Asks-Nintendo-3DS-Third-Party-Game-Developers/Vol-11-KINGDOM-HEARTS-3D-Dream-Drop-Distance-/3-Square-s-Intentions/3-Square-s-Intentions-839620.html
*Kitase has stated his favorite Final Fantasy X scene is the ending. Specifically when Yuna attempts to run into Tidus's arms.http://www.denkiphile.com/2014/03/16/interview-with-final-fantasy-director-kitase-yoshinori-and-art-director-naora-yusuke/
==External links==
*Wikipedia article on Yoshinori Kitase
==References==
de:Yoshinori Kitase
es:Yoshinori Kitase
ru:Ёсинори Китасэ
Category:Personnel