Hiromichi Tanaka Bids Farewell To Square Enix

June 25, 2012

Square Enix has been in a rut lately, and now one of its veteran team members is leaving the pack.

At this year's VanaFest, an event in Japan held annually for Final Fantasy XI fans, Producer Hiromichi Tanaka announced that he's resigning from Square Enix. But it wasn't to leave for greener pastures. Nope, he revealed that he's been battling with health issues and would like to concentrate on his well-being before making a return to the industry.

Tanaka has been employed at Square Enix, formerly known as Square, since 1983. During that time he has worked on some of the best classic RPGs ranging from the early Final Fantasy titles to Secret of Mana and even Xenogears—a personal favorite of mine.

In his stead, Akihiko Matsui will now command the troops for both Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV's development teams. Tanaka had a lot of good things to say about Matsui, so hopefully he's up to the difficult task of not only maintaining an aging MMO, but saving one of the worst MMO launches from extinction.

Although Jonathan Leack began covering the gaming industry in 2009, his earliest roots date back to 2004 when he wrote his first of many reviews to come. Equipped with a B.S. in Computer Information Systems and several information technology certifications, he provides a unique perspective that is technological and business conscious. Having acquired the role of Executive Editor in 2016, his mission is to make GameRevolution a gaming site that thoughtfully considers the consumer perspective, and has a knowledgeable presence of PC gaming, console, hardware, and eSports coverage.