Hidetaka Miyazaki, the director of Bloodborne, Dark Souls and Elden Ring, has been named one of Time Magazine’s most influential people of 2023. He has become the second video game developer to be given that honour next to Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto back in 2007. Miyazaki is also the president of developer From Software, which currently ranks as one of the highest-rated game studios in the industry.
Thanks to the massive success of Elden Ring which received massive sales and achieved the highest review scores of last year, Miyazaki was named a highly influential individual in the gaming world by Time Magazine. He was presented the award by Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann, who spoke very highly about Miyazaki’s work and his personal experience with playing From Software games for the first time.
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Druckmann wrote in his statement about Miyazaki and From Software’s games:
“The first time I played one of Hidetaka Miyazaki’s games, I was miserable. I kept dying on the first enemy over and over again. But when I slowed down my approach, paying attention to the details, it all of a sudden clicked. I managed to defeat the enemy and advance further into the game. I earned my progress and felt a sort of rush! And as I moved forward in the game, I was much more deliberate, careful in how I explored this world.”
Druckmann continued by praising Elden Ring as one of gaming’s great ambassadors as it rewards players who are patient and think smartly:
“And in return the world rewarded me with tension, beauty, and surprises. That’s why Elden Ring – his massively popular 2022 hit – is a great ambassador for video games and the unique feelings they can effect in the player, feelings that a passive medium like TV can never re-create. Miyazaki’s games make the player feel accomplished and smart – and its all thanks to his team’s uncompromising approach. He refuses to overexplain the mechanics or the lore, but rather puts his trust in the player to figure it out on their own.”
Miyazaki is currently hard at work on producing the next From Software game, Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, as well as the long-awaited expansion to Elden Ring, Shadow of the Erdtree.
Source: Time Magazine
