@@Robahue sir I just passed high school. I needed to ask how can I get a career in game development? I have some coding background and love games. I am willing to learn whatever is required
Miyazaki is quite simply the greatest game designer of our generation. Once you play a Miyazaki game and have that “click” moment, nothing else compares. The fact that his background and story is so charming is just a 🍒 on top.
I agree! I disliked Dark Souls the first time I tried it and regretted buying Bloodborne (I bought them within the same week). However, when it finally clicked for me, I ended up buying a PS3 for Demon's Souls! :)
I've had this problem for a while too. However, I've found a solution for it. As long as the game doesn't feel like a Souls game, then it's okay. This approach has allowed me to truly enjoy games like Pokémon, Ori, Hob, BOTW, and the Diablo series.
I don't even consider it when I'm from software game comes out. I send them money. Absolutely one of the greatest game designers all time, and in my opinion the greatest.
Speaking of Nausicaa, I love how Hidetaka Miyazaki is a cheerful, supportive, and upbeat man famous for creating dark, opaque, and punishing media, while Hayao Miyazaki is a grumpy, stern perfectionist who's most known for bright, child-friendly, and instantly poignant stories.
@@dondonrv It's a Joker and Batman sorta situation. Batman is dark and brooding, gothic, and menacing but actually a really nice guy who wants to better the world. Joker is dressed in makeup, with an exaggerated smile, a clown. Yet he wants to watch the world burn.
Yes miyazaki is the greatest game designer ever. No game has touched and changed more lives than dark souls. Dark souls saved my life when I was trying to get clean. I was in a sober living home and could feel myself slipping backwards. One day I went to a flea market and bought a 360 and bought dark souls 2 because I thought it looked cool. I fell in love and idk, it refocused me, I took my recovery more seriously and ive been clean 4 years now. After dark souls 2 I picked up DS1,DS3, Bloodborne and I fell in love even more. And then sekiro and elden ring.. Miyazaki just does not miss
As a person who’s about to be 30 and hasn’t been able to do much to try to accomplish my dreams until very recently it’s very inspiring hearing Miyazaki wasn’t able to start on this path until he was 30.
I am at this exact same point in my life - Although my 20s were a rough time, I am grateful as to where I am right now, finally stable in every aspect of my life. Making the move he did at the same age I am now, hits differently to what I was expecting. Just the sheer amount of work, dedication, passion and also all the luck we needed to have the chance to be in the same timeline as the debut of the term 'souls-like' is amazing. What were the odds of this? He says Ico changed him; well Mr. Miyazaki, your work has had the same impact on my person, to the deepest part of my soul and I can never thank you enough for that!
The biggest roadblock for people 30 and up going after their dreams or taking a chance on a big move is mindset. It's not a simple thing either. Responsibilities and people depending on you can be another major roadblock later in life as well.
I don’t know if he is the best, as there are some absolute gods still creating great games today. We’re talking about people who built the systems of inspiration and design that have become common law in game design. That said, the fact that his genius is even entertained at all in such a conversation alongside these legends is staggering when you think about how short a time he’s been even making video games in comparison.
@@justaway6901it has to do with Japanese culture, a big part of being Japanese is being a workaholic who doesn't waste time on unproductive things like video games.
I love the way Miyazaki answers. You get the clean impression of someone in full control of their ego. Someone intelligent and thoughtful, but also one whose feet are firmly on the ground, openly acknowledging the roles luck and outside circumstances have had to his rise, alongside a clear grasp of his own abilities.
Knowing his influences, Miyazaki must have felt right at home when got into From Software. They already had a penchant for vague and indirect story telling. Never get tired of his story, it's really heartwarming to see another human not only achieve their dream. But it gets taken further in that his dream is a medium that he can use to bring so many of us a long for the ride.
It's incredible how a single person can drastically change a company and generate so much value around themselves. In the case of Miyazaki, he is undoubtedly a man with exceptional talent. Beyond the notoriety and economic success that his leadership has brought to FromSoftware, he has also propelled the industry forward, promoted the creation of quality entertainment, and debunked the notion pushed by major companies that video games are only enjoyed as a service where you constantly pay for worthless content. It's also important to consider the value he has promoted solely through the discussion of his ideas, enabling content creators to engage in profound conversations and allowing numerous enthusiasts to explore artistic, cultural, and philosophical aspects through the analysis of his work. Only exceptional ideas and the dedication invested in them can achieve that level of admiration.
You expressed it so eloquently that I couldn't improve upon it even if I tried! I agree, and I believe that most of us fans here feel the same way, even if many are unable to articulate it; the sentiment is there.
I’d argue Miyazaki did not really change From Software much. If you see the games From Software made before he arrived they were already ripe with Gothic Themes and dark indirect storytelling. I feel far more that Miyazaki’s success comes about because his creative style is so in sync, so synergetic to the company he works for. He makes games that the people at From Software just seem uniquely capable of making.
Stumbling upon Ash Lake in Dark Souls 1 was such a majestic and terrifying experience. I felt like I immediately understood the bleak history of the area without really knowing anything. I felt this again almost a decade later in Elden Ring after finding an elevator in the middle of the Mistwood..
I am a self-taught piano player and am currently recording my first album. This is my first experience doing this and now i understand why art can kill you. Since every song has to be perfectly played, playing one single wrong note means starting again from the beginning . So I decided I would see every song as a boss in a Fromsoft game, because these games taught me that it doesn't matter how many times you have to go again, all that matters is not giving up. So thanks Mr Miyazaki and all the people who brought these beautiful games into existence. I'll beat the fuck out of this final boss.
This is such a great video. I just started playing Dark Souls and Sekiro this year and i had no idea heow inspired he was. His backstory really hits close to me, even the part about working hard to support his sister in college. As a kid in Nigeria in the 2000s, i had no access to the internet or much of current entertainment media partly due to my family's financial situation but also the developing status of my country. My dad and mom would instead buy VHS tapes of animated literature classics like Treasure Island and the original Star Wars. They also bought me adventure novels like Three Musketeers and others. So growing up, i always had a preference for reading books and i love fantasy fiction and adventure stories. Even cartoons i watched like Dexter's laboratory, featured references to Dungeons and dragons. Now, i want to write my own fiction books and create stories like Miyazake does.
I love his story so much. It’s very much a rags to riches situation; yet he never lost his vision and passion along the way, even now with the sheer amount of success he has. I am extremely happy that he went with fromsoft and not like Nintendo; however I would love to see a Miyazaki directed Zelda game. Wouldn’t that be amazing?
He is one of the few people alive today that inspires me a lot. And I will be very excited with that Zelda game as well! Many consider Dark Souls as a darker Zelda.
This is the type content only passion breeds. Thank you! This is inspiring to me and I consider Miyazaki a master level creator. I started my own publishing company focusing on fantasy and science fiction. Eventually I will do a table top rpg based on the worlds im creating in hopes that one day they can be transformed into the video game format as well. I aspire to accomplish alot and im 32 with a family but I know its possible.
Thank you for the kind feedback and for sharing some of your background. I wish you all the best! I'm glad that Miyazaki inspires many of us, especially during difficult times, be it in our work or personal projects.
miyazaki being sheltered from games growing up makes so much sense why his game design is so different from the norm, although his upbringing could also have nothing to do with it
What I love about Miyazaki is that his creativity comes from vague, often complex feelings he got from situations in his life. While it is often difficult to explain these feelings, he understands that studying their building blocks is what recreates them. For example, the multiplayer in Souls is based on an experience he had when he was stuck in the snow with his car. Strangers came out of nowhere to push him out and disappeared into the night. They never spoke a word. Another thing is the feeling he got from difficult fantasy books he read in his youth, in which he had combine puzzling, filling in the blanks, and making things up to make sense of them. We feel that feeling too when we're trying to make sense of the story of a Souls game.
Along with Hironobu Sakaguchi, Hiroyuki Ito, Yasumi Matsuno, Chris Avellone and Raphael Colantonio, Hidetaka Miyazaki is amongst my greatest inspirations to become a game creator. His artistic and aesthetic vision can be felt throughout every single of the games he has done, and the soulslike and sekiro aren't the only thing he has produced, he also did Déraciné, a little VR adventure game for PlayStation and his creative mark can be felt there. His themes involving alchemy, gnosticism and other occult and philosophical texts is exquisite, and the way the gameplay and the exploration deliver such concepts is one of the greatest experiences in recent memory.
I'm 25 year old, unemployed. graduated college since 2019. I came here to just learn about miyazaki but damn. this is so inspirational. Thank you for the video. You gave a spark in me again to pursue my passion.
Miyazaki is my favourite person in the gaming industry and I think he deserves more recognition than the one he already has, but it seems that he likes to have a low profile despite all the masterpieces he created for the gaming industry.
Amazing video! Thank you for taking the time to make a video on Miyazaki, he is truly one of the most brilliant minds in video games history. An inspiration for everyone.
I dream of being a video game creator, and just like him I want to make some of the greatest games of all time. I feel like I’ve worked so hard in preparation to become knowledgeable and such, regarding storytelling and game design, but even now, after years of learning, and even when I’m about to go to college I still feel as if I lack the teachings of a true master, to truly make it in the industry. I only hope I can make the games I want, and I get the teaching I need to do so.
From Software has become the modern golden standard in gaming, and it's majorly thanks to him. It shows just how important it is that the CEO and the lead game designer of the company are the same person, and creative ideas are never compromised for the sake of increased profitability. An important thing to also mention is I'm pretty sure the loyalty From Software fans have towards the studio and especially towards Miyazaki himself is unprecedented in the gaming industry. The only way to earn such a high degree of trust where people would blindly buy any game you make, and have such an insanely widespread positive word-by-mouth reputation is to ALWAYS set the bar very high and ALWAYS manage to jump it. Armored Core 6 shows this so well. A hardcore mecha game becoming mainstream in 2023 is simply absurd. The only studio that could achieve that is From Software, simply because people have unquestioned faith in their games, regardless of their genre at this point.
Agreed! Thanks for sharing such insightful message! Few gaming companies have a very loyal fanbase, similar to what Blizzard and CD Projekt Red have before they faced backlash for various reasons. From Software currently have that trust and hopefully they keep it for years to come (It was really a wise move to elevate Miyazaki into the company president).
Miyazaki is hands down the greatest game director working, and in contention for greatest of all time. He brings a deep trust to players that is exceedingly rare in modern design, and has self reflection to see that they can improve on their philosophy of design if players are stuck from an unintuitive design, such as getting to DLC being simpler in Bloodborne and Elden Ring over DS1 and DS3. The stories he and his teams tell are much richer and deeper than most games are doing, since they’re obsessed with sociological storytelling through world building and environment. Power, violence of power structures, and the fact that the player character isn’t really unique makes it a fundamentally different experience. So many people have stories of how Dark Souls saved their lives, because the games teach you to never give up, that practice makes progress, and persistence is to be lauded in its own right. I’ve seen many people say “don’t go hollow” became a mantra for their lives the way the first oath of the Knights Radiant in Stormlight does. That’s just some of his brilliance.
I’ve been waiting for years to a video or book with this kind of information. AMAZING JOB !! I cant wait to see all the videos from this series finished ❤
i love how you slowly play the demons souls intro drums leading into the discussion of demons souls, like the dragon god himself is approaching. Excellent editing
this was really well done. really good quality and digestible context as always. :) . so much i never knew, it was interesting to see his journey. some very wholesome moments, a lot of respect for putting dreams on hold for family. i'm sure Miyazaki would be proud and embarrassed to see this video haha. i hope he sees this video. it's already changed how i see Miyazaki's and his work. always speculated on boardgames and very old classic almost dnd type inspirations. i also love dragon pass and sorcery. this would've been a lot of research and effort. thank you DondonRV.
This video is the greatest I found on the internet about Miyazaki. It’s funny because I had the same passions and the same younger path than him. I found a lot of myself in him. That’s explained why I love so much his games. Sadly I think I had not the same intellectual capacity, work dedication and also self confidence to succeed as him. Not I’ve failed my professional life (I’ve a good job) but I would loved have worked on the same type of creating job processes… I believe that he succeed because he did what he loved to do and play. Also reinventing himself each time with a new universe. Great man, I wish I could meet one day..
Thank you for sharing such an inspiring message, not just about the video but also about yourself and Miyazaki. I wish you all the best in your work and personal projects. Cheers! :)
Never played a from software game until elden ring and after playing and beating elden ring I’ve become OBSESSED with every fromsoft game. I’ve played and beaten every dark souls game multiple times over. Played and beaten Sekiro multiple times over. Since elden rings release date I’ve played nothing but souls games or difficult games like dark souls. After tasting that difficulty and overcoming it I have never enjoyed anything like this in any other game
@@dondonrv that’s an understatement for sure. Never felt so many emotions from a game series in my life. My favorite game is Sekiro and would love to play a 2nd one
This happens every time they release a game. The new fans play it, then go to the rest. It happened with me with Sekiro first. The fromsoft catalogue never dies.
if you are into challenging games now after souls games like me you should try ninja gaiden 2 vanilla on master ninja or ninja gaiden black, also reAdy for armored core 6?one of from great IPs🙌
i'm shocked you have only a couple thousand followers. I would have never guesses. your vids truly deserve more attention. i'm recommending you everyone i know. your content is such a blast
I always had my own theories about how Miyazaki's social science studies influenced his design, especially when it comes to multiplayer and worldbuilding, but I never read that interview where he outright confirms it. Very interesting!
Glad you liked it! I was actually surprised to find out that Yui Tanimura (DS II director) also had a Social Sciences background like Miyazaki (Yui had a Pscyhology degree).
I love your channel and everything you’ve done to put these amazing essays together. Hopefully this channel will continue to grow and fans of Dark Souls/Miyazaki realize how lucky they are that this channel exists. Always excited to watch anything you put out. Keep it up !
I won't put one game creator above the other, but Miyazaki surely has made his mark on what games are, you cannot take that from his. Reinventing what games is what legends do, and that's what he did. I thank you Hidetaka Miyazaki for blessing us curious people to what the medium can be
This video is really great, I love hearing more about his background before he started making souls games. I think it's very cool how grateful he was to fromsoft for giving him a chance and now he has nearly single handedly made them one of the most successful game development companies today. I'm also grateful that they gave him a chance because now my favorite games of all time exist 😁
Listen to the part about Miyazaki's experience reading books. He had to imagine the parts he couldn't understand and fill in the gaps and he wants to replicate that experience for players, so they can go on journeys of their own. That is why I don't like those annoying Lore youtube channels, pretending they have "discovered" the "hidden" story in those games, when in reality it is about your interpretation of the story. You are not supposed to find a story, you are supposed to imagine it, no one has the best interpretation, you don't need a guide to understand the story, there's nothing to understand, analyze or deduct. It is amazing how even to this day, many people still don't understand this.
This is why I love these games. I never watch lore videos on Miyazaki games because so much of the story and characters are intentionally left vague with hints so you can form your own idea of what happened. I agree with your statement.
@@kevo300 Yeah, I mean you could assume they are just sharing their interpretation of the story but I've seen those videos and the overall tone and vibe I get is: "Gather round everyone, I've cracked the code, this is it, I'll explain the dark souls story for you".
I wasn't really into it at first since I already watched the 6 minutes trailer you released the other day. But you still managed to absorb my attention with your storytelling. I also like the montage of the video. Thank you.
Incredible video! Thank you for doing the research to make it possible, and thank you Miyazaki for having the balls to chase your dreams under such stressful conditions
I am at the age of 46 so inspired by his masterpiece games that I started my on RU-vid channel focused on darksouls games. From all my heart thank you Miyazaki 🙏.
Watching that visual description about the references from Berserk and seeing how the reflective imagery that mirrors what we all experienced… magnificent! His games are so much more deep than they are given credit for. You start to see how life & the multiplicative interactions that come from it will often blossom throughout - it’s so beautiful. I believe that Elden ring is the greatest game ever created (so far) and that it, personally, helped me in overcoming my recent trauma - getting paralyzed.
What a genuinely great documentary this was, I was expecting to lose interest somewhat quickly, but the presentation was engaging! I’m super excited to watch the Demon’s Souls video and the subsequent entries that you release!
I hold Miyazaki in the highest artistic regard, up there with cinema director icons like Stanley Kubrick, and the great artists and storytellers of any medium. All of the most daring and interesting storytelling is being done in video games these days. And Miyazaki is one of the figures leading the revolution.
Miyazaki completely changing career paths at 30 and his life and going on to become one of the greatest game directors of all time and also president of the company he worked for is such an inspirational tale. No matter how old you are, there's always a chance to completely change your life.
I will never forget the Zelda comic I saw in an old Nintendo Power where a Zora gives Link a mask to infiltrate a dungeon. Pretty sure it was before Ocarina of Time was released, but the moon had a face like in Majora's Mask! The thing is, I had only played a bit of A Link to the Past at my cousin's, so I was just filling in the blanks. By the time I ended up getting an SNES the N64 was coming out! I would read reviews of games in Nintendo Power just imagining what the N64 was capable of, and it sounded like what modern hardware is capable of now. Anyways, I can see how his imagination was able to create such masterpieces! He literally nailed everything you'd expect from a video game that you'd expect about reading about a great video game, if that makes sense.
Great video. Good script, well researched and very clear audio and narration. One small detail; Elder Scroll IV Oblivion came out in 2006, not 2004. I went "WAT?" when you said that, because I remember going to Game Stop with a good friend to pick up our copies of Oblivion to play on our new Xbox 360s.
Thanks for sharing... I was aware I made a mistake, my intent was to say "announced" for the Oblivion, instead of "release". I corrected it in the next video after this one.
@@dondonrv It's all good, just a small thing. It just stuck out because of how good the video was man. I can tell a lot of work went into the video, lots of research, nice edits and killer audio and narration. You have a good voice and very clear articulation. Good audio is so key. I'm going through your videos at the moment, good stuff.
Agreed! And now he is the president of the company! There are many "tragic" stories of talented game creators who didn't bloom as much as Miyazaki, like the creator of Plants vs. Zombies and the creator of Diablo 2. We're fortunate Miyazaki's growth was not stunted by either company politics (Plants vs. Zombies) or company greed (Diablo 2).
as a person who gave up on trying to find my true passion and to just get a job to pay the bills and to just live till the next day this inspires me to keep looking for something i truly love and would like to contribute to the world rather than just living till the next day. but great video and i look forward to the development of ds1 video❤️
This video and the Demon's Souls making of deserve like a million views. Miyazaki's journey was truly extraordinary and is a great story all on it's own.
Miyazaki's background is really inspiring tbh, he was kinda lucky to find FromSoftware and I'm really happy things happened that way. A legendary figure in modern times of videogames and in all forms of art in media... Maybe the most important right now, imo at least. His games are really important because his kind of direction is something I wish it was in all games. I'm glad that his games are little by little getting more recognition through the years. Excellent, informative and enjoyable video, I love this format. Hugs to everyone from Chile 🦙🐹🐝🐻
