Hidetaka Miyazaki, the President of FromSoftware, is a man of few words but a lot of action. With a portfolio of genre-defining games, the lead of the Elden Ring has cemented his place in gaming history. With a massive DLC planned for their latest release, people are wondering what could be next from the studio that has yet to miss the mark.
Well, a previous interview with Miyazaki sheds light on his thought process and may offer some hints at where he wishes to go from here. Not only can we speculate on what new projects may be on the horizon, but we also know some existing titles Miyazaki may want to work on.
Hidetaka Miyazaki Wants to Take Over Two Specific Game Franchises
The GameSpot interview from 2015, right before the release of Dark Souls 3, gives us a rare glimpse at the thought process of Miyazaki. As one of FromSoftware’s biggest franchises comes to a close, the interview questions go from speaking about Dark Souls 3 specifically to what the President has planned for the future.
When asked which game franchise he would like to “take over” with an unlimited budget, Hidetaka Miyazaki is, expectedly, a bit confused as to what answer to give. Further prompts from the interviewer state it could be a past or present franchise. Miyazaki then asks if he can get his development team, and on being told yes, he drops two names: Ultima Online and EverQuest.
Ultima Online is a fantasy-themed MMO released in 1997 and is still active to this day with two clients. The game was known for its extensive PvP system and received several expansions throughout its lifetime. EverQuest is another fantasy MMO released in 1999, receiving a sequel in 2004, and the community is still active even in 2024.
Neither of these games is anything close to what FromSoftware has created so far and veers more towards the live service category than a game with multiplayer as a component. Miyazaki would have been in his late 20s when both of these titles were released, and he joined FromSoftware soon after in 2004.
Miyazaki’s Answers Could Point to the Future of FromSoftware Games
While FromSoftware has not yet commented on the live service model or indulged in creating any MMOs, the day may not be far away when they do finally decide to do so. Tencent’s idea to get Elden Ring on mobile could be one of the steps in this direction.
Live service games are a mixed bag; when done right, they provide an incredible amount of content for players, but there are a lot of challenges that can hamper the journey. Titles like Elden Ring and Dark Souls also thrive on their rich narratives, something that could be challenging to achieve in an MMO.
The interview also touched on some key aspects of Miyazaki’s thought process when creating a game. such as his inspirations. He also spoke about the state of RPG games at the time and the legacy Souls would leave behind.
Do you think Miyazaki’s next game might be an MMO? Let us know in the comments.
