Overview
- Katsuhiro Harada, writing publicly this week, called Hidetaka Miyazaki a “unique” developer with a “mad scientist” side who studies other games obsessively and treats design seriously.
- Harada recalled a 2016 Summer Lesson playtest where Miyazaki quietly analyzed the build and immediately imagined how he would redesign it, a moment Harada says revealed Miyazaki’s intense creative process.
- Harada argued that Dark Souls’ lasting influence comes more from its layered world, lore, and level design than from unusually complex mechanics, saying the action is relatively simple.
- Recent reports say Miyazaki pushed back on investor calls for safer sequels and that FromSoftware is moving toward new projects, with one outlet reporting an unconfirmed Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive called The Duskbloods.
- Harada noted Miyazaki’s late entry into games and the studio’s slow build to success which suggests that FromSoftware’s choice to accept creative risk could lead to more original titles but may keep financial pressure on the company from some investors.