FFXIV producer/director Naoki Yoshida criticizes a Japanese internet service provider over connection issues

Japanese internet service provider NURO Hikari posted a notice on Twitter stating, “On 8/23 (Tue), there is the possibility of connection difficulties or other troubles due to the large amount of data traffic that results from things like updates to online games.”

While no games are specifically mentioned, the notice is likely in reference to patch 6.2 for Final Fantasy XIV that was released on the same day. The tweet was met with harsh criticism, mainly from a number of NURO users who expressed their longstanding dissatisfaction with connection speeds.

This isn’t the first time that NURO Hikari has posted a tweet pointing out online game updates, and similarly worded tweets began appearing in 2021. These notices are particularly common on days when Apex Legends receives updates, including for the recent Season 14 update on August 10.

While no definite reason was given regarding NURO Hikari’s latest notice, a number of gamers believe that it may have something to do with comments made by the producer and director of Final Fantasy XIV, Naoki Yoshida. During FINAL FANTASY XIV Letter from the Producer LIVE Part LXXII, which was broadcast on August 12 (JST), Yoshida criticized a certain Japanese internet provider. While he did not provide the name, Yoshida expressed his opinion about this provider, wondering if it had not invested enough in infrastructure or is deliberately dropping data packets.

Many FFXIV players in Japan have encountered connection troubles beginning around the time that patch 6.1 was released. On April 26, a news topic showing players how to check and share information regarding network latency and packet loss was posted on the game’s website. A form was also provided so that players could share this information with the developers.

During the FINAL FANTASY XIV Letter from the Producer LIVE Part LXXII broadcast, Yoshida expressed his intention to combine the data collected from the form with his own data and deliver his thoughts on the issue directly to the internet provider in question.

When considering these details, it is understandable why many believe that NURO Hikari’s latest notice may be in response to Yoshida’s comments. At the beginning of FFXIV’s official live stream on August 23 (JST), Yoshida touched on the tweet, saying, “I can’t say it only happens with FFXIV, since these notices also appear for games like Apex Legends,” while giving a wry laugh. As they finished up the broadcast, he commented, “Hopefully there won’t be any issues with congestion or packet loss.”

NURO Hikari is currently holding a campaign to entice users of other providers to make a switch. The special campaign includes a variety of perks, including cheaper monthly fees over the first year. However, you can see a number of replies to the campaign tweet questioning whether the ISP’s infrastructure is stable enough to take on an influx of new users.

The situation is not limited to FFXIV and Apex Legends, as these days, a great number of games require an online environment. Having to deal with an unstable connection is no doubt a source of great stress for many gamers, and NURO Hikari users are likely hoping that they can enjoy stable internet connections in the future.

© SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.

Written by. Marco Farinaccia based on the original Japanese article (original article’s publication date: 2022-08-23 19:02 JST)