If you were lucky enough to experience even a single blissful summer playing Final Fantasy before the weight of the world began to bear down on you inexorably, you'd know it can be a beautiful, all-consuming thing. You aren't alone either; Square Enix's freshly minted top executive, Takashi Kiryu, would also regularly no-life RPGs to the detriment of friends, school, and exercise, thus proving his hardcore gaming credentials.
Speaking ahead of the Final Fantasy XVI event in Los Angeles, Kiryu spoke of his destiny to lead the legendary RPG factory, stating: "While my friends got into sports or other activities, I was focused on games. And yeah, I had more than a few teachers tell me, 'If you play games all the time, you are not going to succeed in life. But, [they'd] be very surprised to see me standing on this stage right now with you."
Kiryu took on the big job in 2022 and had big Main Character Energy when declaring his intent as chief executive: "As the new CEO of Square Enix, I will continue to cherish those childhood memories that instilled in me a gamer's spirit."