Few developers in the games industry can even hope to match the consistency of FromSoftware, a studio that has put out a string of games that have enjoyed widespread critical and commercial success over the last decade and a half. However, according to FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki, in spite of all the roaring success it has enjoyed, the studio itself never operates on the assumption that it is going to enjoy similar success with any of its future projects.
Speaking in an interview with The Guardian, Miyazaki acknowledged the unprecedented acclaim that Elden Ring enjoyed, before adding that the studio ever makes internal decisions based on the assumption that it will enjoy similar acclaim going forward. That, interestingly enough, is something that Miyazaki says gives the team “room to fail”, which “results in better games and better decisions”.
“Elden Ring was in a league of its own in terms of the success and critical acclaim that it has seen, but what we try to do as a company is never assume that will happen again with our future games,” Miyazaki said. “No decision is based on any assumption that, hey, we did it once, it’s going to happen again. Allowing for this rather conservative forecast gives us room to fail – and that in turn results in better games and better decisions. In a roundabout way, I think that assumption of not making another hit, that conservative outlook, is fuelling and aiding our game design.”
Of course, FromSoftware has very much enjoyed widespread acclaim once again with the recently-released Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. The expansion has become the best-reviewed game DLC of all time, while also attracting players in massive numbers. It has, however, also provoked some backlash due to complaints over its difficulty.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Read our review of the expansion through here.