When a few weeks ago, Square Enix released another trailer, about his next blockbuster Final Fantasy XVI some users have noticed that there are no characters that have connotations other than Caucasian, and some have moved the question to the production.
The explanations of Yoshida, the main developer of the game, were not long in coming: according to him indeed Enlightenment (the game world of Final Fantasy XVI) was thought out to be confined to medieval Europe, restricted both geographically and culturally to that area.
Valisthea would never realistically have been as diverse as a modern Earth. We felt that while incorporating ethnic diversity into Valisthea was important, over-inclusion in this single corner of a world could end up causing a breach of those narrative boundaries we initially set for ourselves.
Basically, the game director explained that although inclusion is important to him, it must not interfere with creativity and the boundaries that have been introduced, then continuing with:
The story we are telling is fantasy, yes, but it is also rooted in reality.
With this sentence suggests that in fact if a work of fantasy is inspired by a historical period and intends to remain realistic, it is unlikely to see people of color or Asians on typically European thrones. Concluding, Yoshida said:
It can be difficult to assign distinctive ethnicities to the antagonist or protagonist without triggering audience preconceptions, inviting unwarranted speculation, and ultimately fueling controversy.
Font: Kotaku
