So while listening to the debate over the decision for FF XV to have an all-male lead cast, a few thoughts came to mind.

First, I think some critics are taking this decision (or at least how it was justified) in isolation. Looking at the last several Final Fantasy games (not counting the MMOs), we have:

FF X - Male lead character, but diverse cast and a plot in which the folly of racism and religious fanaticism played a role

FF X-2 - All playable characters were female

FF XII - Male lead character, but by far, the most popular character from that game was Fran

FF VII Crisis Core - All playable characters were male; game critically and commercially praised

FF XIII - Female lead character, with most popular supporting characters (Fang and Vanille) being female as well; male characters Snow and Hope were widely panned

FF XIII-2 - Female lead character

FF XIII-3 - Female lead character exclusively


I could dig into each item, but it's not really necessary; the data doesn't support the notion that the creative and business side of SE ignores diversity.

What seems to be lost in the discussion is the reality that FF XV was originally FF XIII Versus, and it was intended to come out soon after FF XIII. So in essence, one would have the main game helmed by powerful female characters and the supporting game helmed by male characters. The development hell of (now) FF XV makes this seem a lot less balanced, especially when FF XIII turned into three games.

Also missed is the years-long sentiment that FF XIII and its successors were "crappy FF games" and many outwardly bemoaned SE's decision to put so much emphasis and support behind Lightning. Sales for the FF XIII trilogy were not as high as they had hoped for, and the loudest voices from FF fandom seemed to say, "Stop shoving Lightning down our throats!" Ignoring that there were tons of fans who enjoyed the characters (I love seeing FF XIII cosplay), of course. But if you're SE, what are you hearing and seeing? Lots of fans complaining about the most recent female-fronted games and lower sales.

So one could argue that it's not a matter of SE turning a blind eye to diversity, but rather, a question of timing and a possible reaction to the negative feedback on the previous three games.

For the record, I personally wish there were more options in FF XV, but I wasn't the one writing the story.

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I think it's a well-known fact that the Internet, collectively, has a very short memory (except when it wants to remember stuff).

Final Fantasy, as a series, is known for having lots of memorable characters and character designs, and for representing both genders very well throughout the years. Anyone who says "Squeenix hates diversity!" based on one single party line-up is simply talking nonsense. Just take a look at the list of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy characters and how it's all over the map.

At the end of the day, there are some people who just spend their days looking for something to criticize. Haters gonna hate. I wish these people would simply relax, enjoy video games, and trust in the fact that character designers aren't actually trying to offend anyone. Sheesh.