Hajime Tabata, director of Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core, talks about developing the long awaited PSP prequel to the PlayStation classic, Final Fantasy VII.

This interview contains spoilers so dont read further if you dont want to spoil some of the Crisis Core story.

Q. How much freedom did you have with CRISIS CORE in expanding the FINAL FANTASY VII world? Did you feel restricted in any way by the sheer fame and popularity of the characters and story?

Tabata: For the canonical FINAL FANTASY VII lore and characters, we were careful to remain faithful to the original, but we generally had free license for the new material. As for the huge fan support that FINAL FANTASY VII enjoys, we felt it was more of an inspiration than a restriction.

Q. Did you see any conflicts between the storyline in CRISIS CORE and the explanation of events in FINAL FANTASY VII? What was the challenge behind developing a prequel to one of the most beloved and well-known FINAL FANTASY titles?

Tabata: For any new elements to the lore, we avoided contradictions by introducing new characters. In any case, the CRISIS CORE storyline was overseen by Mr. (Kazushige) Nojima, who also handled the original FINAL FANTASY VII story, so we did not encounter many problems.

Q. During Chapter Five of CRISIS CORE when Zack, Tseng and the rest get in the helicopter that transports them to Modeoheim, who or what shoots them down?

Tabata: Zack (and the others) do not know, but Genesis’s army was responsible for the attack.

Q. What is the Gift of the Goddess that’s being mentioned in CRISIS CORE? Do you mean those Dumbapples?

Tabata: It does not point to one specific thing. It varies according to people’s perceptions and desires.

Q. CRISIS CORE ends with the words “To be continued.” Is the Compilation of FINAL FANTASY VII complete, or are there more projects in the works?

Tabata: The “To be continued” at the end means that the story of CRISIS CORE will continue in FINAL FANTASY VII. At the same time, it does not signify the end of the FINAL FANTASY VII saga.

Q. Given the amount of success that the FINAL FANTASY VII franchise has attained, what is the likelihood of another FINAL FANTASY VII-related movie to be produced?

Tabata: I would not discount the possibility.

Q. How has the FINAL FANTASY VII franchise affected your life?

Tabata: The initial impact of FINAL FANTASY VII upon its release in Japan affected me greatly. Since that day, it has been my goal to create a game with as huge an impact as FINAL FANTASY VII. It also instilled within me a great amount of respect for the talent and innovation of the people at Square Enix, which is why I work here today. My first experience working on an FINAL FANTASY VII series title came 10 years after the release of the original game, but I was stunned to discover how large and loyal the fanbase still is. It is this kind of remarkable support from the users that continually inspires us to work on and expand the series.