Shinji Hashimoto

Shinji Hashimoto has been with Square Enix for around 27 years — and today he's announced his retirement. the 64-year-old has been the brand manager for Final Fantasy for over a decade, having previously worked as a producer on all kinds of games, from the original Front Mission to Final Fantasy IX, Kingdom Hearts II, and even 2019's Left Alive. Quite the storied career.

Of course, those unfamiliar with the inner workings of Square Enix might know Hashimoto as the guy who appeared at Sony's PlayStation Meeting back in 2013 and, rather than actually announce any new games, simply exclaimed, "please be excited". The quote quickly became an internet meme that's still used today.

We wish Hashimoto a very pleasant retirement.

[source twitter.com]