Hidetaka Miyazaki Draws a Line in the Sand Thanks to Elden Ring
The development of Elden Ring has taught the director some valuable lessons.
Although FromSoftware had created a reputation for itself over the years even before the massive release of Elden Ring, the 2022 action RPG took things up several notches for the studio, to a point that perhaps president Hidetaka Miyazaki would have never expected.
While titles like Dark Souls and Bloodborne made the developer a household name in the gaming industry, with a dedicated fanbase that loved to face overwhelming challenges, it was The Lands Between that truly showcased the huge potential that Miyazaki and his team were actually capable of.
Naturally, after such a high-profile launch that has reached unprecedented levels of success, the studio’s approach to its future projects has witnessed a shift, which could make or break the FromSoft experience for die-hard enthusiasts of the developer in the coming years.
The Elden Ring Director Calls the Action RPG a “Turning Point” for the Studio
Even after more than two years, Elden Ring has never really left the conversation among the gaming communities all across the world, and thanks to its one and only expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, the game has had a glorious resurgence in popularity, bringing it back to the industry forefront.
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Calling the 2022 action RPG a “turning point” for FromSoftware during an interview a few days after the DLC was officially released, director Hidetaka Miyazaki stated that the “difference” in the studio’s approach has been quite apparent thanks to the adventures of the Tarnished.
“Where FromSoftware is right now, in terms of scale, I would say Elden Ring is really the limit,” continued Miyazaki, claiming that the team went out of its way and utilized everything that was available to it in order to create its unforgettable magnum opus.
The FromSoft president believes that at least for now, the studio has accomplished something much grander than it originally set out to, and one has to draw a line in the sand somewhere to avoid getting overwhelmed with such gigantic projects. “Scaling it even bigger, I’d have my concerns,” admits Miyazaki, as the studio could be focusing on “multiple projects” from now on, as dedicating the entire workforce to just one title may not be the most effective approach.
Hidetaka Miyazaki Admits That “Failure” Is Not Exactly an Option With Such Massive Projects
For a studio that has built a name for itself based on presenting video games that really test their player base’s skills and patience to handle failing numerous times, FromSoftware does not exactly view “failure” as an option, especially after the launch of Elden Ring.
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“Budgets, scale, scope, everything has grown to a point where room for failure isn’t tolerated as much as I think it was in the past,” mentioned Hidetaka Miyazaki regarding the overall development process of his studio after garnering unfathomable critical and commercial success.
The FromSoft president also explained that when an external investor is putting in the money in a certain project, the situation becomes even trickier, considering that the studio absolutely has to deliver on all fronts to satisfy the financiers as well.
Miyazaki still believes that failure plays a crucial part in the growth and development of young developers and even established studios, and as his team looks towards the future for new projects, FromSoftware staying true to its roots and not letting the pressure of failing get to it could go a long way in the developer maintaining its spectacular winning streak.
