is a Japanese video game developer, game producer, game director and game designer. He was Senior Vice President of Software Development at Square Enix (formerly Square) and the head of the company's Product Development Division-3.
Biography In 1983, Tanaka dropped out of Yokohama National University along with Hironobu Sakaguchi to join Square, a newly formed software branch of the Denyuusha Electric Company. Along with Sakaguchi and Kazuhiko Aoki, Tanaka was part of Square's original Planning and Development department.
He is best known as the former lead developer of Final Fantasy XI, Square's first massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG). He oversaw development of Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV until late 2010. He also worked in a prominent role for earlier single-player games including Secret of Mana, Trials of Mana, Xenogears, Threads of Fate, Chrono Cross, and the Nintendo DS version of Final Fantasy III. Tanaka also worked on the original Famicom version of Final Fantasy III in 1990.
Final Fantasy XIV received negative reception from critics and players, and was considered a financial loss for Square Enix. Three months after its release in 2010, Tanaka was removed from the Final Fantasy XIV team and replaced by Naoki Yoshida. At the Vana'diel Fan Festival 2012, an event celebrating Final Fantasy XI's 10th anniversary, Tanaka announced his departure from Square Enix for health reasons. In 2012, Tanaka joined GungHo Online Entertainment as a freelance advisor to the company.
Works YearTitleCredit(s) 1984 The Death Trap Game design 1985 GenesisDirector, game design, scenario 1986 Alpha Game design, scenario Suishō no Dragon Game design 1987 Aliens: Alien 2 Director, game design Cleopatra no Mahō Nakayama Miho no Tokimeki High School Staff Final Fantasy Game design 1988 Final Fantasy II 1989 Square's Tom Sawyer Cooperation 1990 Final Fantasy III Game design Final Fantasy Legend II Main data 1993 Secret of Mana Producer, system design, scenario message data 1995 Trials of Mana Director 1998 Xenogears Producer, battle planner 1999 Threads of Fate Producer Chrono Cross Producer, battle system design 2002 Final Fantasy XI Producer (until 2012) 2003 Final Fantasy XI: Rise of the Zilart Producer Sword of Mana Executive producer 2004 Final Fantasy XI: Chains of Promathia Producer 2006 Final Fantasy III (Nintendo DS) Director, executive producer Final Fantasy XI: Treasures of Aht Urhgan Producer 2007 Final Fantasy XI: Wings of the Goddess 2009 SaGa 2: Goddess of Destiny Co-executive producer 2010 Final Fantasy XIV Producer (until December 2010) 2011 Final Fantasy III Supervisor 2015 MOJI-POP'N Producer 2016 Seventh Rebirth 2023 JET DRAGON Special Thanks
References
External links
Hiromichi Tanaka profile at MobyGames