Hidetaka Miyazaki on Game Design

Summary

The video script delves into the influential role of Hidetaka Miyazaki, a renowned video game creator, featured in Time Magazine's Time 100 list of 2023. It explores his unique 'total direction' approach to game development, where he exercises full control over game design elements, fosters team synergy, and engages in philosophical discussions to align the team with his vision. The script highlights his hands-on involvement in every aspect of game creation, from writing and map design to character and weapon design, and his transition to a 'unified production workflow' to accommodate his dual roles as president and game director.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Hidetaka Miyazaki was included in Time 100, marking his significant influence in the gaming industry.
• 🎮 Miyazaki follows a principle called 'total direction' in game creation, which involves full control over various elements such as story, design, and music.
• 🛠️ He provides creative freedom to team members but maintains the final approval on all aspects of game design, including character and weapon designs.
• 🗺️ Miyazaki has a strong passion for map design, believing it to be the most influential aspect of a player's experience.
• ✍️ He personally writes all the text in his games, including item descriptions and character names, valuing the importance of names in world-building.
• 📖 Miyazaki assumes full ownership of the stories and lore in his games, with the exception of 'Sekiro' where he shared narrative development with a team member.
• 🤝 He actively engages in philosophical discussions with his team to align their vision with his, fostering a deeper understanding of the game's world.
• 🎭 Miyazaki takes a hands-on approach to animation, often acting out scenes for animators to better convey his vision.
• 🏆 Despite his detailed involvement, Miyazaki encourages creative synergy within his teams, allowing individual styles to contribute to the game's world.
• 🔧 After becoming the company president, Miyazaki adapted his 'total direction' approach to a 'unified production workflow', assigning co-directors to manage projects while he oversees creative aspects.
• 🔑 Miyazaki assures fans of maintaining a certain level of quality in his games as long as he is listed as the game director.

Q & A

Why was Hidetaka Miyazaki included in the Time 100 list of the 100 most influential people of 2023?

Hidetaka Miyazaki was included in the Time 100 list due to his significant influence and mainstream impact through his video game creations, marking only the second time a video game creator has been selected for this prestigious list.

What is the principle Hidetaka Miyazaki follows when working with his teams?

Hidetaka Miyazaki follows a principle he calls 'total Direction,' which involves full control of the game's direction, complete accountability for all decisions, and engaging the team in philosophical and conceptual discussions to align with his vision.

How does Miyazaki's approach to game direction differ from others?

Miyazaki's approach, known as 'total Direction,' is different because he maintains complete control over every aspect of game creation, including level design, background music, sound effects, and more, ensuring a unique quality and allowing his unique style to shine through.

What changes did Miyazaki have to implement in his total Direction approach after becoming the company president?

After becoming the company president, Miyazaki had to adjust his total Direction approach by creating a new management model called 'unified production workflow,' where he assigns a co-director for each game to handle administrative and project management aspects, allowing him to focus on creative aspects of development.

Why does Miyazaki take full control of the game's direction?

Miyazaki takes full control of the game's direction to ensure that every aspect of the game aligns with his vision and to maintain a unified and high-quality gaming experience for players.

What role does Miyazaki play in the creation of character names in his games?

Miyazaki assumes complete responsibility for creating character names in his games, enjoying the process and taking full ownership of the decisions, although he occasionally receives hints and recommendations from the team.

How does Miyazaki contribute to the writing of the game's text?

Miyazaki writes all the text in the game, including item descriptions, weapon, location, monster, and armor names, and even the text that shows in the menus, ensuring consistency with his vision.

What is Miyazaki's approach to map design, and why is it important to him?

Miyazaki enjoys designing the connections of the overall map and believes that map design holds the strongest influence on a player's experience, significantly impacting their enjoyment of the game.

How does Miyazaki handle the storytelling and lore in his games?

Miyazaki assumes full ownership of the stories and lore in his games, with the exception of 'Sekiro,' where he maintained primary authorship but delegated the task of fleshing out the details to a team member, allowing for a fresh approach and collaborative story building.

What is Miyazaki's involvement in the design of characters, monsters, and bosses in his games?

Miyazaki actively participates in all design activities, working with individual designers, providing feedback, and making revisions until the output matches his vision. He also takes part in designing specific elements, such as the headgear of the Old Monk boss in 'Demon's Souls.'

How does Miyazaki ensure the quality and consistency of designs in his games?

Miyazaki reviews all designs, including armor, weapon, and location concept art, and none gets into the game without his approval. He looks for a certain quality in the designs that convey feelings or emotions and aligns with his criteria for elegance and refinement.

How does Miyazaki's hands-on approach to game design affect the creative process within his team?

Miyazaki's hands-on approach ensures that his vision is fully realized in the game, but he also fosters and encourages creative synergy within his teams by granting them ample creative freedom, allowing them to enrich the game's world with their individual styles and ideas.

Outlines

00:00

🎮 The Influence of Hidetaka Miyazaki

In this paragraph, Time Magazine's recognition of Hidetaka Miyazaki, a video game creator, is highlighted as he is listed among the 100 most influential people of 2023. This marks a significant milestone, as he is only the second game creator to be included after Shigeru Miyamoto in 2007. The script introduces Miyazaki's role in game creation and his unique approach called 'total direction,' which encompasses full control over various elements of game development, including story, music, and design. The video promises to delve into Miyazaki's creative genius and his significant impact on the mainstream gaming industry.

05:00

📜 The Art of Naming and Writing in Game Design

This paragraph focuses on Hidetaka Miyazaki's personal involvement in the intricate details of game development, particularly the art of naming and writing within games. Miyazaki takes full responsibility for creating names for characters, items, and locations, finding the process enjoyable and integral to world-building. He also writes all in-game text, including item descriptions and menu text, despite the challenges of character limits. The paragraph highlights the importance of names and the creative process behind them, as well as the changes in Miyazaki's approach when he became the company president, necessitating a shift in his direct involvement in text writing.

10:01

🗺️ The Significance of Map Design in Game Creation

The third paragraph emphasizes the critical role of map design in shaping a player's gaming experience, according to Hidetaka Miyazaki. Miyazaki's passion for map design is showcased, with his belief that it is the most influential aspect of game design. The paragraph details his hands-on approach to creating interconnected game worlds, starting with a rough map and refining it through collaboration with artists. It also touches on the evolution of Miyazaki's approach to storytelling and lore, with a shift towards a more collaborative process in his later works, such as 'Sekiro,' where he delegates some narrative responsibilities while maintaining the core vision.

15:01

🎭 Direct Participation in Game Design and Concept Realization

This paragraph delves into Hidetaka Miyazaki's active participation in the actual design process, from conceptualizing characters and monsters to reenacting scenes for animators. Miyazaki's hands-on approach extends to working closely with individual designers, iterating on ideas until they align with his vision. The paragraph also discusses his personal involvement in researching and designing elements like Gwynn's character attire, reflecting his commitment to creating a cohesive and immersive game world. Additionally, it highlights his unique method of acting out motions for animation, which sometimes leads to humorous and enlightening outcomes.

20:02

🤝 Balancing Creative Freedom with Quality Assurance

The fifth paragraph explores the balance Miyazaki strikes between maintaining a high standard of quality and elegance in game design while encouraging creative synergy within his teams. Despite practicing 'total direction,' Miyazaki fosters an environment where team members have the freedom to contribute their ideas and personal styles. The paragraph discusses his management style, which involves providing guidance and setting a standard for designers to meet, while also being open to their creative input. It also touches on the adjustments made to his management approach following the acquisition of FromSoftware, leading to the development of a 'unified production workflow' that supports his dual roles as president and game director.

25:03

🏆 Maintaining Integrity and Quality in Game Development

In the final paragraph, the focus is on the transparency of changes within the company and the trust that players and fans place in Hidetaka Miyazaki's ability to deliver high-quality game creations. Miyazaki assures his audience that his commitment to quality and integrity remains unwavering, regardless of his additional responsibilities as company president. He discusses the new production workflow and how it supports his work, allowing him to continue to obsess over the details of game design, art, story, and music. The paragraph concludes with Miyazaki's guarantee of quality, as long as he is listed as the game director, reflecting his dedication to meeting the high expectations of his fans.

Keywords

💡Hidaka Miyazaki

Hidaka Miyazaki is a renowned video game creator who has been recognized for his significant impact on the gaming industry, as evidenced by his inclusion in the Time 100 list of the most influential people of 2023. His influence is underscored by the fact that he is only the second video game creator to be selected for this prestigious list, after Sharu Mamoto in 2007. The video discusses Miyazaki's role and contributions to game creation, highlighting his creative genius in game design.

💡Total Direction

Total Direction is a principle followed by Miyazaki in his collaborative work with his teams. It involves three main aspects: full control over the game's direction, complete accountability for decisions while promoting team synergy, and engaging in philosophical discussions to align the team with his vision. This concept is central to understanding Miyazaki's hands-on approach and his commitment to ensuring that every aspect of his games reflects his unique creative vision.

💡Game Director

As a Game Director, Miyazaki assumes a wide range of responsibilities, from overseeing the game's direction to being the final decision-maker on character designs, weapons, armors, and combat mechanics. His role is pivotal in shaping the game's narrative, aesthetic, and mechanics, ensuring that they align with his creative vision. The video emphasizes the extent of Miyazaki's involvement in every facet of game development, from conceptualization to execution.

💡Creative Freedom

Miyazaki promotes creative freedom within his team, allowing individual designers to contribute their unique ideas and interpretations. This approach is evident in the development of characters, monsters, and game environments, where team members are encouraged to iterate on concepts until they align with Miyazaki's vision. The video illustrates this by discussing how Miyazaki's guidance and feedback help refine the team's work while still incorporating their personal styles.

💡Map Design

Map design is a key area of focus for Miyazaki, who believes it significantly influences a player's experience and enjoyment of the game. He is personally involved in designing the connections of the overall map, emphasizing the importance of creating a sense of achievement and flow in the game world. The video provides examples of Miyazaki's passion for map design, such as his work on the interconnected world of Dark Souls and the detailed layout of areas like Anor Londo.

💡Story and Lore

Miyazaki takes full ownership of the stories and lore in his games, creating rich narratives that immerse players in the game world. His approach to storytelling is unique, often involving abstract concepts and philosophical discussions with his team to flesh out the game's universe. The video mentions that Miyazaki shared primary authorship of the story in 'Sekiro' with a team member, a departure from his usual practice, demonstrating his adaptability and willingness to evolve his creative process.

💡Unified Production Workflow

The Unified Production Workflow is a management approach Miyazaki adopted after becoming the company president of FromSoftware. This model assigns a co-director for each game to handle administrative and project management tasks, allowing Miyazaki to focus on the creative aspects of game development. The video explains how this new approach maintains the essence of Total Direction while adapting to Miyazaki's dual roles, ensuring that his games continue to meet the high standards he is known for.

💡Elegance

Elegance, as described by Miyazaki, refers to a certain level of refinement and sophistication that he strives to maintain in all designs, from character concepts to game environments. It is a quality that he believes should permeate the entire game, reflecting his commitment to creating aesthetically pleasing and thematically consistent experiences. The video highlights how Miyazaki's pursuit of elegance shapes the visual and thematic elements of his games.

💡Philosophical Discussions

Miyazaki engages in philosophical discussions with his team to delve deeper into the game's elements and align their objectives with his overarching vision. These discussions cover abstract concepts and themes relevant to the game, such as the meaning of life, death, and the nature of beauty. The video illustrates how these conversations inform the game's design and narrative, contributing to the depth and richness of the game world.

💡Quality Assurance

Miyazaki's commitment to quality is a hallmark of his work as a game director. He demands a high standard of quality from his team and is personally involved in reviewing and approving every aspect of the game, from design to gameplay mechanics. The video emphasizes that Miyazaki's assurance of quality is a key factor in maintaining the trust and loyalty of his fans, who expect a consistent level of excellence from his creations.

Highlights

Hidaka Miyazaki's inclusion in Time 100 list signifies the mainstream influence of his video games.

Miyazaki's role as a game director involves 'total direction', encompassing all creative aspects of game development.

He assumes full control over game direction, including story, lore, and level design, providing creative freedom while maintaining final approval.

Miyazaki's hands-on approach includes direct work with individual designers and a focus on unique style and impact.

Map design is a particular passion for Miyazaki, who believes it significantly impacts player enjoyment.

Miyazaki's creative process involves philosophical and conceptual discussions to align the team with his vision.

He takes an active role in reenacting cutscenes and character actions to guide animators.

Miyazaki's early career as a game director was characterized by a more direct involvement in all design activities.

Becoming the company president required adjustments to his 'total direction' approach due to increased responsibilities.

Miyazaki's new management approach, 'unified production workflow', assigns co-directors to maintain his creative essence while handling administrative tasks.

He retains a hands-on role in game design, art, story, and music, ensuring a consistent level of quality.

Miyazaki's dedication to his vision and creative synergy within his teams is a key factor in his success.

The 'unified production workflow' allows for better communication of concepts and aims within the development team.

Miyazaki's creative genius is evident in his extensive involvement in all aspects of game creation, from names to lore to gameplay mechanics.

His approach to game direction is unique, focusing on a unified vision that permeates every element of the game.

Miyazaki's commitment to quality is assured by his active involvement as a game director, even with increased managerial responsibilities.

The changes in Miyazaki's approach due to his dual roles have been transparent and well-received by the gaming community.

Miyazaki's games are characterized by a high level of integrity, quality, and consistency, which he continues to uphold.

Transcripts

on April 13th 2023 Time Magazine

revealed the time 100 a list of the 100

most influential people of 2023 one

fascinating aspect of this list is the

inclusion of hidaka Miyazaki marking

only the second time a video game

creator has been selected for this

prestigious list following the 2007

inclusion of sharu mamoto much more than

the prestige that the list represents

miyazaki's inclusion proves how far he

has come and validates how mainstream

and influential his games have become

however even until now many people still

don't know what Miyazaki actually does

what does he contribute to his games as

a game director in this video we're

going to explore and find out the answer

to this question join me as we delve

deep and discover miyazaki's role in

Game creation and understand his

creative genius in game

[Music]

design Miyazaki follows a principle he

calls total Direction when working with

his teams which can be divided into

three categories firstly Miyazaki

assumes full control of the game's

Direction encompassing elements such as

names text story lore background music

sound effects cutcenes artwork map

design and level design secondly he

takes complete accountability for all

decisions providing creative freedom to

team members and promoting Synergy

within the team however every aspect

must receive his approval and he has the

final say on character designs weapons

armors boss fights and combat thirdly

Miyazaki engages the team in

philosophical and conceptual discussions

to flesh out the game and align them

with his vision there are a few games

where Miyazaki didn't adhere to certain

aspects of total Direction which will be

covered in the next section regarding

total Direction Miyazaki shared I am

aware that my approach to game Direction

during product development is a bit

different from others I call it total

Direction it means I get complete

control of how a game is created not

only with regard to level design but

also on background music sound effects

and everything else I believe that gives

it a unique quality honestly I truly

enjoy the game director role because

it's like being the overall designer of

a game Miyazaki takes control of as many

factors in game development as he can he

would rarely put another level of

manager or team lead between him and the

people who actually do the work Mia

explained in game design our approach is

not to have Team lead designers but

instead to have the game director work

directly with the individual designers

this of course has both benefits and

disadvantages the benefit is that you

don't lose sight of what you are set to

create and it's easier to make an impact

and have your Unique Style shine through

however there are physical limitations

in as much as the method allows you to

really stay on target it's also easy to

be

immobilized the context of Miyazaki as a

game director differs significantly

between when he was creating demon souls

and Dark Souls compared to his work on

sakiro and Elden ring this is one of the

main reasons why I chose to exclude any

information from the Elden ring era in

this video opting instead to feature it

in a separate video dedicated to the

making of Elden ring the way to think of

Miyazaki as a game creator is that if

something is needed to advance the game

and make progress he will do it himself

provided he has the time and skill the

main question you might have is what is

the scope of these activities the answer

is extensive as you will soon discover

however this approach ceased to work

during the kakawa era when from software

was acquired and Miyazaki became the

company president to maintain his active

involvement in the games he directed

there had to be a change in the way he

implemented total Direction a topic we

will cover in this video as well to

reiterate Elden ring will not be covered

in this video because it represents an

Advan Advanced stage in his career if

you're just starting as a game designer

your context will likely align more

closely with miyazaki's earlier stages

during bloodborne and preceding Works

rather than sakiro and Beyond you might

not find yourself as a company president

overseeing multiple games simultaneously

or leading a team of co-directors

chances are you'll be working on an

indie game or within a startup wearing

multiple hats and collaborating with a

small team regardless of your situation

I hope this video will inspire you and

all butting game creators with that said

let's now delve into the specific

activities Miyazaki engages in when

directing a new

game Miyazaki assumes complete

responsibility for creating names in the

game finding this task immensely

enjoyable while he encourages

suggestions and welcomes input from the

team ultimately he takes full ownership

of the decisions Miyazaki explained I

occasionally get hints and

recommendations from everyone on the

team and from frog Nation the company

that handled the English translations of

our games since Demon Souls however in

the end I choose all the names this has

always been the case for all the games

that I have directed names are an

incredibly important part of the world

you want to depict but even more than

that I truly love coming up with them

I'm kind of a naming nerd I think it's

always fun for me I enjoy the whole

process things like word origins how it

sounds and expressions Regional

variations the whole thing The Only

Exception here is the title of my games

I am really terrible at that and so far

I have never had a good experience with

it Miyazaki writes all the text in the

game not just character names this

includes item descriptions weapon

location monster and armor names and

even the text that shows in the menus

regarding his experience writing the

menu text for Dark Souls Miyazaki shared

actually the text is so small that I

can't write anything decent three lines

of text with that character limit it's

impossible I kind of gave up on them

it's a bit cheap but I also think it's

more interesting with that charm so it's

good enough but that wouldn't be nice in

a big title or a serious game but for us

good enough as expected this level of

involvement for Miyazaki is not

sustainable and will be the first to get

changed when he gets promoted to company

president in the future Miyazaki

explained honestly the reason I'm

writing the texts is that it prevents

the game development from falling behind

or having more pressure due to also

having to write the texts professionals

could write those texts together with

the dialogues and the screenplay and

that would result in much better quality

but we kept tweaking the game till the

very end which resulted in the need to

fix items and

scenarios among all of M asaki's

activities as a game director there is

one specific area he loves most map

design he firmly believes that map

design holds the strongest influence on

a player's experience of the game and

significantly impacts their enjoyment of

it it Miyazaki expressed I personally

enjoy designing the connections of the

overall map it is actually how the

majority of the areas were constructed

map design is what really dictates

everything else once we have determined

what needs to happen in an area we would

immediately prepare a rough map and then

once the basic layout of the area was

created we would work on the finer

details by using the rough map I could

convey the requirements appearance and

structure of an area to the artists and

let them velop these ideas through

collaboration if you recall from our

bloodborne video Miyazaki shared his

love for map design saying outside of

the Chalice dungeons I personally laid

out all the maps in bloodborne something

I like doing a lot that connects to the

sense of achievement I talked about too

adding flow and meaning to the map

structure helps provide a sort of Joy to

the player the fun of drawing up a map

of the land in your mind that adds value

to player actions along those lines it's

a really game likee design I think I

really like that kind of thing

miyazaki's passion for map design dates

back to his work on demons souls he

places significant emphasis on this

aspect of game design which influenced

his approach when starting work on Dark

Souls reflecting on this Miyazaki shared

during the later development stage of

demon souls I began to think of creating

a vast connected map for a future game

so it was not planned to be adopted for

demon souls and so during the start of

De velopment for Dark Souls I prepared a

plan to implement the vast seamless map

Miyazaki has publicly confirmed that he

assumes full ownership of the stories

and lore in his games with a notable

exception in sakiro where he maintained

primary authorship but delegated the

task of fleshing out the details to a

team member explaining this approach

Miyazaki stated as someone who has

written the Dark Souls and bloodborne

games I would not like to repeat that in

sakiro I feel that users are going going

to get bored or tired of this approach

so we opted for a Fresh Approach here

sharing the narrative internally and

letting other staff contribute their

interpretations and organize this wealth

of data between characters and plots is

refreshing it allows the company to gain

a better understanding of the story in

case you are wondering how much of the

story of sakiro came from Miyazaki he

shared that he created the overall plot

he explained yes I came up with the

foundational ideas and worked with

another staff member to refine them

while I'm looking over their work

closely I've left most of the actual

writing to that developer while this is

the first time I've directed The Plot

but not done the writing I think it'll

be a good and fresh perspective for this

work especially given the idiosyncrasies

of my writing style while the new

approach assists in saving time and

effort for Miyazaki it requires some

adjustment on his part as he had become

accustomed to handling it independently

he shared it's pretty tough actually to

step back back it doesn't necessarily

give me more time to focus on other

things I have to divide my time in

different ways of course but previously

I could have just written some stuff

down as part of the text or dialogue at

home nowadays for sakiro I have to

communicate this to staff and be really

quite forthcoming about it that's quite

tough in itself but then to see them

reinterpret this into their idea of what

that means or that implies this is

enlightening for me and it allows me to

see this different interpretation and

then to have this collaborative story

building

together as shared earlier Miyazaki does

not put an extra layer between him and

the people who actually do the work

instead he actively participates in all

design activities for the game Miyazaki

provided more details about this in the

context of Dark Souls saying we followed

two significant approaches when

designing Dark Souls in the initial

concept stages I provided each of the

artists with a few simple image words

that they could utilize as a starting

point and freely develop in whatever way

they wished we then collected the images

we liked enhanced them where necessary

and use them to create the world for

example the egg carrier gaping dragon

and gravelord Neo all emerged during

this stage and moved almost unchanged

into the final game in cases where I

have a clear idea of what I want we use

a different approach for example if

something is meant to be used to perform

a function or an area is designed in a

way to satisfy a particular condition

specific examples would be the mimic and

the Gargoyles regardless of which of the

two approaches we use rather than

appoint a staff to own and take charge

of each concept I took the designs and

discussed them with everyone and

developed them in that

way for character designs Miyazaki works

with individual designers and they will

keep doing iterations until the output

matches the vision that Miyazaki has

regarding the design of one of the

iconic characters in Dark Soul Souls Big

Hat Logan Miyazaki shared I really like

Logan as an NPC I spent a good length of

time on his design he is a wise man a

sage but I really wanted to make him

unique so I had quite a few designs made

for him once we decided on the idea of

his big hat the design came together

however that part was not there from the

start and only emerged after continuous

revisions not only does Miyazaki review

and improve the output of his artists

and designers but he also does actual

research as well below is a glimpse of

this activity where Miyazaki shares the

kind of work he did for the creation of

Gwynn's character design Miyazaki shared

we wanted gwyn's clothing to look

ancient as he is an Old King after all I

studied a lot of old clothing but I

could not find anything that looked cool

as an example short pants would not

create the image we wanted to create for

the character I'm happy with the final

design

though in creating the monsters for the

boss fights Miyazaki begins with the

design rather than focusing on the move

sets he then works with the artists in

polishing the concept art regarding this

approach Miyazaki shared first comes the

design however when I have more or less

pinned the concept down I ask the

designer to do the art then I will

already tell them what they need and

what kind of Boss it will be I describe

the bare minimum a boss needs and leave

the rest to the designer because I

believe this adds even more to the

originality since if I intrude too much

we will end up focusing on on the game's

development logic I just let the

designer work on whatever comes up in

his imagination I think this way our

results will be more exciting and unique

though Miyazaki is no graphics artist he

also takes active participation in

designing monster elements like in the

case of the boss old monk from demon

souls he himself designed the headgear

of this boss Miyazaki shared I have a

lot of favorite enemies and bosses from

each game as for this title I think I

will hold off from going into boss info

to avoid spoilers let me weed it down

into one the old monk this boss used a

unique and somewhat experimental

multiplayer system I remember facing a

lot of opposition to realizing the idea

I also designed the boss's head collar

myself overall I have a very personal

bond with this

character Miyazaki reviews all the armor

and weapon designs prepared by the

artists and none gets into the game

without his approval when doing the

review he looks for a certain quality in

the designs that satisfy his criteria

Miyazaki shared this might sound a

little abstract but I really like

equipment that conveys feelings or

emotions I reviewed all the designs with

that in mind and though I could not get

that from every one of them I felt I was

not entirely unsuccessful of course this

does not only apply to the Aesthetics

but the game mechanics must also be

constructed around this idea it is

something I always strive for a theme

that carries through everything that I

do in addition to taking full ownership

of the map designs Miyazaki also takes

active participation in the creation of

a location's look and feel similar to

his review of armor and weapon designs

he meticulously examines all location

concept art here is Miyazaki sharing how

Blight Town was designed saying for

Blight Town I began with several images

that I wanted to include but due to the

size and complexity of the area it would

have been challenging to try and design

all at once so instead we began with

significant features like the water

wheel elevator and with the help of the

designers and artists we gradually built

the area from there it should be clear

by now that Miyazaki has a very Hands-On

approach even with location designs he

shares the information below on how he

and the team created one of the most

popular locations in the game an Orlando

Miyazaki shared there was a lot that I

wanted to include in an Orlando I wanted

it to be like a player's reward after

surviving Sen's Fortress also I wanted

it to be an area with no clear roads

where the player has to walk in places

that you would not normally walk like

the buttresses then we also have the

image of the Setting Sun and how the

area changes once nightfalls I truly

like the way your eye gets drawn to

different features like the revolving

staircase

elevator one of the many things that

make Miyazaki unique and different from

other game directors is that he takes

active participation in reenacting

cutcenes and character actions in the

game he will typically act a cut scene

or character action himself so that the

animators have a better idea of how he

envisions the scene in his mind often he

succeeds but sometimes he does not

leading to frustration on his side here

is an Insight during the creation of

Dark Souls CGI trailer in which dauk

satake shared his experience working

with Miyazaki satake shared we used

motion capture for the pre-rendered

movie but in the scenes where it

differed from miyazaki's Vision he would

act it out himself for example in the

part where Neato opens his hand we have

had to reshoot that many times also in

the scene where the maiden takes the

fire initially she just takes it in her

hand but miazaki wants it to appear as

though she is in prayer we had to

re-shoot that part multiple times too

and here is Miyazaki sharing his

experience with the animation involving

the dragon torso Stone he said one

animation that I will always recall is

when the player activates the dragon

torso Stone and transforms I actually

acted the motion for the animators to

see but when they showed me the finished

scene I did not like it I told them he

would not move like this to which they

replied but this is how you showed it to

us we are sure of it well everyone

agreed with them I was a little

embarrassed but that awkward jerky

motion actually conveyed what it would

be like if a human were trying to force

himself to become a dragon in the end

after some adjustments I gave it the

okay there are more instances of

Miyazaki working as an actor for scenes

here is the final example this time one

of his team members shares his

experience related to the soul drain

attack satake shared I will always

remember the dark hands Soul drain

attack it was the first thing Miyazaki

wanted to show to me and the first time

I experienced being on the receiving end

of his acting he said I want it to look

like this while acting out the motion of

course I had no clue what he was

doing Miyazaki invests time in

discussing abstract Concepts and

philosophical topics with his teams this

practice allows team members to delve

deeper into the game's elements and

align their objectives with his

overarching vision he explained if we

simply focused on what was required

rather than innovating I don't believe

something like this would have been

created in order to achieve this with my

designers I discussed with them all

sorts of things for example I Converse

at length with Nakamura regarding

philosophy we spent a lot of time

discussing the core concept of art

design our game focuses a lot on death

but what is death what does it look like

what does death mean in this world what

does it mean to live and to die these

are topics we discussed very closely

people have a multitude of definitions

for what beautiful means we had deep

discussions about what beautiful should

mean for the game reflecting on the

importance of discussing various

Concepts in the context of bloodborne

Miyazaki shared we covered topics like

what is deep in inside of a beast or

what is it like to become one as always

I talked to the designer passionately

about many random topics and in the

context of Dark Souls Miyazaki said we

discussed about the world life and death

the game World the meaning of fire and

the role of the Four Kings by discussing

these with the artists I found that it

not only aided them in developing their

ideas but it really helped me flesh out

my own ideas of the world I wanted to

create m offers guidance to the team

setting a standard for all designers and

concept artists to adhere to he Demands

a specific level of quality that must be

achieved and consistently upheld

throughout the game creation process he

elaborated saying you may not believe

this but I always try to maintain a

certain level of refinement and elegance

in all designs I often tell the artists

that being muddy or messy is definitely

not good I believe this carries through

the entire game if you ask me to

describe what this Elegance means I

think you only have to check the designs

and judge for yourself but it truly is

one of the most important factors in

everything I

oversee even though Miyazaki practices

total Direction he actively Fosters and

encourages creative Synergy within his

teams he grants his team members ample

creative freedom necessary to bring his

Visions to life Miyazaki explained if I

don't receive the results I expected I

begin giving more specific descriptions

and might even start drawing things on a

whiteboard but even then I would never

go as far as to say it has to be this

specific color or shape I do not intend

for the designers to become my tools

things do not always go as I want but I

believe that's probably due to me not

getting the most out of the artists this

is one of the things I want to get

better in the future I am never

satisfied with design works that just

follow the design brief so I often

request the artists and the designers to

add some of their own ideas I think that

these ideas can enrich the area if not

the whole game

although this can lead to more work of

course upon examining the different

aspects of total Direction it might seem

like

micromanagement however this level of

involvement is often anticipated from

someone deeply passionate and obsessed

with realizing their Vision nevertheless

Miyazaki adeptly balances this by

granting his team members a significant

amount of creative freedom Miyazaki

explained as I have shared before I took

charge of all of the designs and was

ultimately responsible for their

Direction since they all went through me

I believe there is some degree of

unification having said that I aimed to

bring out all of the artists individual

Styles because I think working closely

with the designers to develop their

ideas while still encouraging their

personal Styles creates a deeper more

organic feeling to the game's world in

the

end following kakawa acquisition of from

software adjustments were necessary for

total Direction certain aspects of this

approach were no longer sustainable due

to miyazaki's roles as both president

and game director total Direction

involves meticulous oversight and an

obsession with details without adjusting

the structure of project management

Miyazaki would no longer be able to

perform such tasks now that he has dual

roles he created a new approach to

management called unified production

workflow under this model Miyazaki

Remains the head director overseeing

major projects however he assigns a

co-director for each game game

responsible for administrative and

project management aspects in this way

he can still maintain the essence of

total Direction where he can obsess and

give complete attention to detail in

Creative aspects of development such as

game design art story and lore music and

soundtrack regarding the application of

the unified production workflow in the

context of bloodborne Miyazaki shared I

would not say that our development

process has changed much but two

particular points come to mind the first

is that the director level staff in the

company now all participate in a unified

production workflow one thing we need

from the start of a project is the

ability to convey our Concepts and AIMS

in words when I was doing all of the

work before by myself I tended to

verbalize the bare minimum necessary

that would not work in our new

development process I believe a lot of

positive things came out of this new

Arrangement communicating ideas to other

people made me notice a lot that I would

have missed otherwise

and in the context of sakiro Miyazaki

shared the overall development process

has been the same as it was in sakiro I

assigned co-directors to each project

with me taking Direction Over the

various game design art and musical

aspects of the titles we managed our

development time so the Peaks are

distributed however being able to share

a vision with the co-directors and the

development staff has enabled us to

build a trusting relationship that makes

this development style achievable I'm

incredibly thankful for them and their

support Miyazaki also referred to this

new production workflow when asked about

his time management between presidential

and directorial duties he mentioned if

we put it in percentages I would say

it's around 20% in a typical 5-day work

week I would need to dedicate a little

over a day to these duties however it's

not as if I was able to devote 100% of

my time to directorial duties even

before I accepted the new position after

I learned that we would build the

current company structure I had the

director level staff prepare a new

production workflow that supports my

work when I'm running short on time

hence I would not say that I'm

dedicating less time to game design

now all the changes within the company

remain transparent to the players and

the loyal fan base who hold a high level

of trust and belief in Miyazaki

ultimately what matters to them is that

Miyazaki delivers his New Creations in a

way that aligns with his already

established reputation for high

integrity

quality and consistency and for them

Miyazaki gives this assurance saying as

long as I am listed as game director on

the end credits there's a certain level

of quality the game needs to meet I can

guarantee that the game quality will

reach

[Music]

that