Let's face it, Matsuno is most likely gone and his "illness" may have been used as a ploy to cover up him leaving Sqeenix. I know that Sakeguchi is probably sad cause it was he himself that got Matsuno working for Square in the first place at least if I remember correctly.

It's regrettable he won't at least play XII some more though. I felt it was a good game and one of the better ones in the series.