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(Image: SQUARE ENIX)

Everyone is part of a community. It could be with the people in your local area, a football supporters club or an after-work group. It’s integral to our lives we interact with one another to get that feeling of belonging. A community that I choose to be a part of is the Final Fantasy XIV community. It’s the game I have spent the most of my time with and it has provided me with many hours of entertainment as well as a number of friends that I share those experiences with.

WIth those friends I have spent evenings playing the game over a drink or two, met up with them for days out but what always gets us all most excited is the Fan Festivals. These happen every other year and normally are the home for announcements for new expansions and what we’ll all be doing in the game together over in the future.

These Fan Festivals are a world tour over a number of months taking place in the USA, Europe and Japan. Each one has its own exciting updates for the community that players are excited to hear. The announcements are just a small part of the experience overall though. What keeps players coming back is the sense of unity that being with those who enjoy the same thing as you and sharing in these moments.

I’ve experienced five of the nine Fan Festivals that have taken place since the launch of Final Fantasy XIV and I have fond memories of each one I’ve been to. The experiences I’ve had are unrivalled and it’s not just me; tens of thousands have been lucky enough to share in these experiences.

One person who has pleasant memories is Michael Poveromo, also known as MrHappy. Michael is a content creator and life-long Final Fantasy fan. He is passionate about Final Fantasy XIV but clearly understands that these events are about more than just the game “I believe the benefits of holding Fan Festivals are mostly the ability to connect those who might otherwise only talk to each other online”

“While yes all the announcements and insight into the team's decisions are great, those who attend feel a deeper connection not only to FFXIV but to their fellow adventurers they've shared so much time with online.”

Fans are excited by hearing what’s coming next in the game but it’s a reason to be excited together which makes the Fan Festivals a joyous occasion.

Reminiscing about one of these such times, Michael then explains about one of his top memories at one of the Fan Festivals “I think perhaps when we did one giant Meet & Greet outside the hall of the 2016 NA Fan Fest. We had just completely taken over the hall, myself, Very Merri, Sly, Ethys, MIzzteq. We just got to meet so many people and have fun taking pictures with each other as well.”

It wasn’t just at the 2016 NA Fan Festival that Michael is recognised, after the keynote in Tokyo, a myriad of Japanese fans make their way over to him and begin expressing how glad they are to meet him. Luckily a translator from Square Enix is on hand to help remove the communications barrier and both sides are of the conversation are thankful that they get to meet.

Each territory that holds one of the Fan Festivals feels uniquely different thanks to the people that are there and the culture behind those locations. The first one always tends to be in Las Vegas and I think this is an inspired choice.

The reveal of the upcoming expansion is a big deal and no one likes to provide rapturous applause like the Americans. You can feel the tingle that each dedicated fan feels around the room as they see the new trailer for the first time and as everyone looks for any secrets that are hiding in it.

European Fan Festivals are always the ones that hold a certain place in my heart. These are the ones which I get to meet up with all the people that I play with so they are always synonymous with spending time with those people who I share my time in the game with.

Each time I’ve been I have met new people who I get to know and share my experiences with, something that simply couldn’t happen if these kinds of events didn’t take place.

For the first time, I was lucky enough to be invited by Square Enix to attend the Fan Festival in Japan this year. The experience once again was phenomenal. To see how a different culture interacts with the stage presentations and interacting with each other was a delight. In the home of Final Fantasy is where it’s clear to see the love for the game and the series. 15,000 fans all together in one room to share this experience and their passion for the game.

It’s a special time for all fans but it’s also important not to understate the relevance that holding these events has to the development team. A dedicated group who are all aiming to make the best possible game are driven by the energy they receive from these players who have travelled far and wide to attend.

Naoki Yoshida, the producer and director for the game understands this more than anyone. “Fan Festivals, not only show us how much the players - or should I say the Warriors of Light - across the world enjoy our title, but also how enthusiastic they are about it, and for that reason are the biggest supply of the dev team’s energy. We do our best, every single day, to make the best gaming experience by using that power from all of the players as our fuel.”

The Development team are right there with the fans all over the world as well, gaining vital real-time feedback from the audience, Yoshida explains about how quickly the feedback is received “That, of course, is instantaneous. Most of the dev team watch the Live Streams on Twitch, and we also have reports shared with us directly. We’re always looking forward to [hearing from] you all!”

When asked about why is it so important to hold events like the Fan Festivals over just making an announcement of a new expansion? “That is because we want all of the players to feel that, 'It’s not just me, there are so many others enjoying this game!'”.

I think that there is much more significance in feeling something in real life than just from a chat or live stream. Another important point we’d like players to feel is that from when we started the official service of the game, for however many years and months it continues on, we and the players are friends, connected by a very strong bond, so we can keep sharing the same excitement as when the game was just launched”.

Fan Festivals give the players of Final Fantasy XIV an opportunity to come together and share in the joy of celebrating with players and the development team in a way that very few other games offer.

It’s a thriving community of genuinely delightful people who want to share the thing they love with others. It’s a must that gaming has these types of events to keep the passion and demonstrate just how positive a force gaming can be.