Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu has left Square Enix and is set to found his own company. Reflecting on his busy recent schedule, which included a Final Fantasy concert tour throughout Japan this year, activities related to his rock band The Black Mages as well as composer duties for last year's Hanjuku Eiyuu Tai 3D and the upcoming Final Fantasy XII, Uematsu mentioned, it might be best for him to become a freelance composer. However, he mentioned that there is still a possibility his relationship with his former employer will continue. Looking back Uematsu said he really liked his compositions for Final Fantasy VI, VII and VIII and will never forget Final Fantasy VIII's main theme Eyes on Me.

Nobuo Uematsu's departure is just one of many high profile resignations that has hit the world's leading maker of RPGs in the last few years. Following the resignations of Seiken Densetsu designer and current Brownie Brown president Shinichi Kameoka, Xeno series creator Tetsuya Takahashi and composer Yasunori Mitsuda, Chrono series mastermind and Chrono Cross director Masato Katou left the company in 2002. Final Fantasy mastermind Hironobu Sakaguchi, who has not been involved in the game creation process since Final Fantasy VII, has set up his own company Mist Walker. The most recent departure came when scenario writer Kazushige Nojima, who has worked on Final Fantasy VII, VIII, X, X-2 and the Kingdom Hearts series left Square Enix for Stella Vista late last year. Despite working as freelance composers, Youko Shimomura (Parasite Eve, Seiken Densetsu Legend of Mana, Kingdom Hearts), Kenji Itou (SaGa series, Chocobo Mysterious Dungeon) and Hitoshi Sakimoto (Final Fantasy Tactics, Vagrant Story, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Final Fantasy XII) have continued to work for Square Enix on various projects.

• Square Dream