Elden Ring has transcended the realm of games and become a pop cultural phenomenon, as aside from being a certified Game of the Year, it has also ventured into other worlds such as the luxury fashion industry. Hidetaka Miyazaki’s magnum opus brought more global recognition to FromSoftware and the Soulslike genre, but there could’ve been a what-if scenario in which the creator didn’t pursue a career in gaming.
In an alternate timeline, Miyazaki could have still been working at an information technology company, and gamers would have never gotten blessed with the Soulsborne series.
Elden Ring Creator Miyazaki Reveals the Reason Why He Got Into the Video Game Industry
During a conversation with The Guardian nearly nine years ago, in 2015, the Elden Ring creator briefly talked about the life he used to have before joining the video game industry and the actual motivation behind doing so. Claiming that he was never really “ambitious,” Miyazaki stated that he did not have an exact professional aim, so he started to study social science at Keio University.
But there was always something within him that kept giving the FromSoftware boss thoughts about creating games, as, near his graduation, he wanted to apply to a game development studio.
It was not time for those thoughts to bear fruit just yet, as after graduating, Miyazaki found himself working in the information technology industry at Oracle Corporation, where he stayed for several years. But, of course, the Elden Ring director’s true untapped passion revolved around gaming, which was a potential that got triggered when he reunited with old friends from college and discussed new games that they should check out.
One of these titles was Japan Studio and Team Ico’s PlayStation 2 exclusive from 2001 called Ico, and FromSoftware fans owe a lot of their enjoyment to the action-adventure game.
The 2001 PlayStation 2 Exclusive Ico Changed Everything for Hidetaka Miyazaki
Ico has become a cult classic title among the gaming community, and the game holds a lot of significance in Hidetaka Miyazaki’s heart, as it actually played an important part in shaping his career. “That game awoke me to the possibilities of the medium,” said the FromSoftware boss, and its influence on the type of video games that Miyazaki makes becomes absolutely clear.
For those unaware of what Ico revolved around, it required the characters to escape from a massive castle as shadowy creatures tried to capture them, and after getting that experience, Miyazaki said, “I wanted to make one myself.”
FromSoftware came through when it was not exactly smooth sailing in the industry for Hidetaka Miyazaki, and the Soulslike genre creator’s tale showcases the level of impact that artful video games like Ico can truly have.
What is your favorite game that was directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki? Let us know in the comments!
