Video Game Tycoon in Tokyo-Chapter 863: The Time Is Ripe

"The time feels just about right, doesn't it?"

Takayuki glanced at the clock on his computer, silently doing the math. Then he opened the official Gamestar Electronic Entertainment website and navigated to the Final Fantasy section.

The Final Fantasy discussion board was one of the top five most active on Gamestar's forums.

Among them, Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy X were the hottest topics by far.

After that came Final Fantasy XII, which also gained massive popularity. But instead of continuing the main story arc with direct sequels, the franchise shifted toward spin-offs.

Later titles included Dissidia Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy Type-0, and other subtitle-bearing entries.

These games moved away from the classic turn-based mechanics in favor of more action-packed, real-time combat systems. With over a dozen releases, the Final Fantasy series remained widely loved and widely discussed.

Even now, players continued to share discoveries and hidden secrets from the games.

As games became larger in scope, it wasn't just graphics and sound design that improved—developers could now stuff them with tons of extra content.

Easter eggs had become a fan favorite.

Both Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy XII had loads of these carefully hidden extras, and hunting them down had become a beloved part of the fan experience.

"Final Fantasy VII's section isn't as lively as it used to be, huh?"

Takayuki clicked into the FF7 subforum. The most recent post was from over a week ago.

"Well, it is a game from over a decade ago. You can't expect the hype to last forever."

Ayaka Tsukino walked up beside him, placing a bento box in front of him.

"Here—your lunch."

Takayuki opened the lid. It was beautifully prepared, bursting with color and flavor, clearly crafted with care.

After she fell in love with him, Ayaka had thrown herself into learning how to cook—though not because she aspired to be a traditional housewife. Rather, she simply wanted the person she loved to enjoy something she had made with her own hands. It gave her the same satisfaction as completing a perfectly executed role-playing quest.

Takayuki savored the meal, visibly enjoying it while still watching his screen.

"But Final Fantasy VII still has a loyal fanbase. It's just that all these new titles are distracting people from the older ones."

"Hm? From the sound of it, are you thinking of doing another Final Fantasy VII project?"

Takayuki didn't give a direct answer. Instead, he turned to Ayaka and asked, "What do you think? If I did, would it still be popular?"

"Absolutely," Ayaka nodded firmly.

Final Fantasy VII was one of her all-time favorites too.

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In all of RPG history, her number one love would always be Dragon Quest—it was the first game that pulled her into the world of RPGs. But Final Fantasy ranked a close second.

She'd worked with Takayuki on the development of Final Fantasy VII, and during that time, she had begged him over and over to change the ending. She loved the story too much to accept how it ended. More than anything, she wanted it to have a happy conclusion.

She didn't want Aerith to die. She wanted the world to thrive.

Then, when Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII came out, she'd hoped—desperately—that Zack wouldn't die either.

She was a diehard Zack x Aerith shipper. Every time she saw the final letter Aerith wrote to Zack, her heart ached.

It was one of the rare game scenes that hit her with real, overwhelming emotion.

Now, hearing Takayuki's hint that the story might continue, her curiosity was instantly piqued.

"Alright then, tell me—who's going to die this time?"

Takayuki sighed, half-laughing. "Why do you always go straight to that?"

"Because it's not a Final Fantasy game unless you kill off a beloved character," she teased.

Takayuki shook his head. "Character death is a narrative device. But not all emotional impact comes from tragedy. I don't kill off characters just for the shock—I do it only when the story calls for it."

Ayaka nodded. "Okay, that I agree with. If it ever felt like you were just killing someone for cheap drama, I'd team up with Airi Hayasawa and beat you to a pulp."

Takayuki cringed at the thought.

Airi's iron fists were no joke—especially coming from a family of kendo masters.

"Remember what I once told you and Airi, back when we were first working on Final Fantasy VII?"

"You've said a lot of things. You'll need to be more specific."

"It was about the ending of Final Fantasy VII."

Ayaka frowned, trying to recall. Takayuki waited patiently.

Then suddenly, her eyes widened. "You mean what you promised us—about Aerith?"

"That's the one."

Back then, when both Ayaka and Airi were heartbroken by FF7's ending, Takayuki had promised them that Aerith's story wouldn't end with her death—that she would return in the future.

That promise had eased their pain.

When Crisis Core launched, Ayaka had remembered that vow and wondered if that was what Takayuki had meant. But when Aerith still died—and Zack too—the hope faded again.

"Wait, you weren't referring to Crisis Core?"

Takayuki smiled. "I never said I had fulfilled that promise yet. I told you Aerith's story wouldn't end so easily."

"Then you..."

He picked up a pen and scribbled something on a piece of paper, then handed it to her.

Ayaka read the words... and her eyes widened even further in disbelief.

Final Fantasy VII: Remake

The word Remake wasn't just for show—it meant a complete reimagining, not just an HD remaster of the original game.

"I'm planning to remake Final Fantasy VII using new technology," Takayuki said. "But it won't be a simple remake. I'm also planning to... slightly revise the story."

"You mean...?"

"Aerith—might survive this time."