11 Sep, 2011
“The most important thing I want a player to experience when playing our games is a sense of achievement,” says Eiichi Nakajima, the Senior Managing Director of From Software. Wisely spoken words, as Nakajima is the man who gives fans a tour of Dark Souls’ birthplace.
In the latest studio profile, Namco Bandai released a short 5 minute video for the public to take a quick stroll through From Software. We’re introduced to the tiny 200-man team that is sure to cause a bigger impact on the gaming world in October, when Dark Souls drops into our laps.
Oft referred to as the spiritual successor to Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls is proving itself to be every bit as hard and worthy of its predecessor. It wasn’t all fun and games at first though, said Nakajima. “We put a lot of time and effort into [Demon's Souls], and in that sense we were very confident,” says Nakajima. “I didn’t think that Demon’s souls would become such a hit.
“But, to be completely honest, we had no idea it would have the success that it ended up having.”
Surprisingly, it did, and earned itself a cult following throughout Japan and elsewhere. Unlike Demon’s Souls though, Dark Souls won’t be a PlayStation 3 exclusive; Xbox 360 players will get a chance to experience the difficulties.
From Software’s approach to Dark Souls was one driven by making it better through community feedback, as Nakajima said that much of what was said was listened to. “As for how we’re approaching Dark Souls, we’ve received a lot of feedback and opinions from players, and we want to implement much of that in the game,” said Nakajima.
They’re not looking to make a huge blockbuster game, but Nakajima believes From Software’s basic principle of making what they want when they want to is what’s going to set them apart in this crazy release season. “From Software’s philosophy is not to get caught up chasing what’s popular, but rather to make games based on what we value. It’s our company’s most basic principle,” said Nakajima. “Instead of saying, ‘this other game is a hit so let’s copy it,’ we put enormous emphasis on simply making the kinds of games we want to make.”
A solid principle, and one that is sure to make From Software a superstar in the future. Ninja Theory had the same idea, especially with the lack of new game titles and IPs. Overall though, Nakajima says it’s fun and satisfying to be at From Software, even though they’re not as big in name as someone else like Square Enix. “It’s incredibly fun,” said Nakajima. “Well, ‘fun’ doesn’t paint the whole picture. There are plenty of hard times. But overall, I’m happy with all that I can do here, and very proud.”
Want to watch the whole studio tour? Check it out here:
Dark Souls will be taking you to Hell on October 4th for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Via Destructoid.
Recent Comments