Elden Ring’s release was a pivotal moment for Hidetaka Miyazaki and FromSoftware. Their decision to develop Elden Ring marked their first adventure into the open-world genre. The game came out two years ago and is one of the most ambitious ventures the studio has taken. The studio is already reputed for linear, challenging games like Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro.
Elden Ring was FromSoftware’s opportunity to combine their signature difficulty with the freedom of exploration and wonder that would set a new benchmark for the studio.
Miyazaki and FromSoftware Took a New Venture With Elden Ring
In a recent interview with GameSpot, Miyazaki looked back on the journey of creating Elden Ring. He talked about how working on such a large-scale project was a new experience for him and his team. The scope that they took on with Elden Ring was far beyond anything they had previously undertaken.
A few things. First, Elden Ring, for us, we’ve never made a game of this caliber and scope before, so it’s an experience that I think myself and the entire team has not experienced both in terms of volume as well as the success itself.
Miyazaki sees Elden Ring as a foundational step for the studio. The game’s development allowed the team to grow significantly. They developed completely new in-house talent which has set the stage for their future projects.
Miyazaki believes that the experiences and results of Elden Ring’s development will shape the evolution of From Software.
While Elden Ring was a massive success, Miyazaki is cautious about defining future projects just by this fact. According to him, the growth of new directors and designers within the company, advocating for an open-minded approach to game development.
FromSoft and Elden Ring’s Future
According to Hidetaka Miyazaki, seeing players form this deep connection with Elden Ring and its world was one of the most rewarding aspects of making it. The world of Elden Ring is harsh and challenging, but many players have come to know it and view it as somewhere they belong.
The sense of achievement and connection that players get is what Miyazaki finds deeply satisfying about its design.
In the process of making the Shadow of The Erdtree DLC for Elden Ring, Miyazaki says the studio had to find new ways to tackle the challenges presented by the sheer volume and content they had to produce.
He talks about how the two-year development period was necessary to ensure the expansion lived up to the adventure and exploration that the base game offered.
With time, Miyazaki sees From Software’s identity evolving. He wants the studio to be known for more than just its difficult games and dark fantasy settings. He points out the bigger picture that they want to paint for their players.
Going forward, the studio could be molded by completely new perspectives and values due to the new talent. Miyazaki himself remains dedicated to creating games that challenge and engage players, but he acknowledges that the studio’s direction will be influenced by its emerging voices.
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