4Gamer:
Miyazaki-san, I was very surprised to hear that you won’t be directly involved in the development of Dark Souls II.

Miyazaki:
That’s correct. Shibuya is working as the director for Dark Souls II. He’s worked on the Another Century’s Episode series--most recently R.

4Gamer:
With that being so, what’s going to happen to you?

Miyazaki:
Saying “what’s going to happen” makes it sound like a big deal (laughs). My official title is still “supervisor.”

4Gamer:
With Dark Souls really being your series—having developed Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls—I think a lot of fans are going to feel uneasy about your separating from it.

Miyazaki:
Hmm, I wonder…

Well, either way, I don’t think anyone needs to feel uneasy in that sense. The director—Shibuya—is far more experienced than me as a developer, and he understands the idea and delicate nuance of Dark Souls, so I think it’s OK to trust him.

4Gamer:
Why did you step away from the development of Dark Souls II in the first place?

Miyazaki:
That decision came from the company.

When it comes to Dark Souls, I have a lot of affection towards it and things to gain from it. Being so attached to the title, it would be a lie if I were to say I’m not a bit sad.

4Gamer:
Of course.

Miyazaki:
However, I don’t look negatively at the decision to change directors. While I hesitate to say this myself, I think that Dark Souls, as a game base, has immense potential, and a change in directors will give it a chance to be released from narrow frame or limitations that I imposed upon it. As someone who created the game base of Dark Souls, I would really like to see what that potential is.

At the same time, I’m also working as director on another project, so there’s that.

4Gamer:
Really? That’s some pretty huge news. Is it OK to put that in article?

Miyazaki:
Well, I don’t mind. It would be weird if I said I wasn't working on anything. With that said, we’re not at the point where I can speak to specifics about the project, and this interview is about Dark Souls II, so let’s leave it at that.

4Gamer:
OK. So, going back to Dark Souls II, you said that your title on the project is “supervisor.” What exactly does this role involve?

Miyazaki:
There are two main parts to the role. The first is deciding the more broad direction for Dark Souls II.

4Gamer:
So, kind of like a producer?

Miyazaki:
It’s a little different. In terms of a producer’s job, it’s more like I did only the first part. Frankly, what I did was make decisions about things that would be easier if I just decided them on my own. Things like making sure our budget is enough, and what our development schedule will be like, including testing. When it comes to things that are a bit closer to players, I decided that we should have our own game servers this time, and that we shouldn't sell individual items or weapons as DLC—stuff like that.

4Gamer:
What’s the other main part to your role?

Miyazaki:
It’s overall supervision, although I don’t like how important that makes me sound.

That involves making sure that I convey things like the core game mechanics that I feel should not be taken out of a sequel to Dark Souls, as well as what we (the development team of the previous title) learned from working on the game, and the many points that we felt could be improved. Also, if I feel things are getting a bit off course, I explain the concept again, and ask the team to consider making adjustments. In reality, there have already been a quite a few cases where I've done such things, and depending on the situation, I may need to re-think the boundaries of “supervisor” role.

4Gamer:
So rather than giving direct instructions, you’re in a more indirect role?

Miyazaki:
I don’t intend to interfere more than necessary. I think, in the end, a game should be created under a director’s coherent vision, and you end up getting better results when that happens. I mentioned core game mechanics earlier, and I think there are many elements that can be fixed, improved, or adjusted in that area. When it comes to the feel of the world, the story, and the artwork, all of that is rather subjective, and comes down to individual sense, so I try to keep my mouth shut as much as possible.

As I said before, Shibuya is a very experienced developer with many projects under his belt, and honestly not a whole lot of supervision is required, nor do I think it’s desired.

4Gamer:
However, is there no worry that, when the creator changes, the direction of the game and core elements might deviate?

Miyazaki:
In general, I understand the concern.

However, when it comes to Dark Souls, so many people in the media and so many of our players have given us very passionate and amazing reviews and impressions, as well as criticism and complaints, and the majority of these are all kind of pointing in the same direction. From a creator’s perspective, this makes Dark souls a very fortunate and rare title, indeed.

All of these things will prove to be valuable assets in ensuring that the direction and core elements of Dark Souls II don’t get off track, and with that in mind, I hope everyone will put their trust in the new director and the development team.

So, with that said, I think it would be good for Shibuya to get a chance to talk directly. I don’t want to inconvenience him and his team any more by just saying whatever comes to my mind (laughs).

4Gamer:
We just spoke with Miyazaki-san about how you came to be the director of Dark Souls II.

Shibuya:
Yes. Thanks for having me here today.

4Gamer:
I heard that you are quite the veteran director within From Software. What have you worked on lately?

Shibuya:
Most recently I led the development of our new graphics engine, and worked on testing out new middleware. Before that I worked as a director on series such as Another Century’s Episode.

4Gamer:
A new graphics engine! Does that mean Dark Souls II will be using it?

Shibuya:
Yes. Separate from Dark Souls II’s development, engine research and development had been ongoing. We knew that, in order to more seriously set our eyes on the global market, we would have to improve our graphics, so the decision to implement a new engine was made.

4Gamer:
The graphics engine from Dark Souls was too old, then?

Shibuya:
That’s not what I meant. We used the same engine for Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls, but we decided to change the feel of the graphics [for Dark Souls II], so what’s why we decided to change the engine.

4Gamer:
I see. And since you came from that background, that’s why you were chosen as the director this time?

Shibuya:
With Dark Souls II, we need to face new technical challenges, so in that sense, perhaps I fit the role since I was working on the new graphics engine.

4Gamer:
In any case, with a new engine, is it safe to assume that the graphics will be greatly improved?

Shibuya:
I think the shading and lighting tech will allow us to create a more natural atmosphere, and we have a lot more expressive capabilities when it comes to the characters and monsters.

4Gamer:
Is the development team the same as that of Dark Souls?

Shibuya:
It would be more accurate to call it a “hybrid team.” Of course some of the team members worked on Dark Souls, but we also brought in a lot of highly capable members.

4Gamer:
I’d like to talk more about Dark Souls II. Is there any connection to the original in terms of the feel of the world?

Shibuya:
It’s not a sequel in terms of story, but that doesn’t mean the feel of the world is completely different. The game is set in the same world as the previous title, but the story takes place in a different location and with different humans (players).

4Gamer:
Might we expect to see some characters returning from the previous game?

Shibuya:
I can’t go into details about that, so I’ll leave it up to your imagination for now.

4Gamer:
Can we expect any changes in direction, such as making the game world a more wide open field?

Shibuya:
In regards to the map, we plan on adhering to the style established in Dark Souls (where the world is split up into areas). We aren’t really considering making it more of an open-world style.

4Gamer:
Miyazaki-san said that he’s leaving the overall concept up to you. Can you talk about the overall direction of the game?

Shibuya:
Dark Souls is a title that already has a very large fan base, so first and foremost, I think it’s important to make sure we don’t let those players down. As such, we don’t plan on changing the framework for Dark Souls II. On the contrary, we are focusing on really highlighting the best parts of the previous game and going in that direction. The concept is to give the game a major upgrade while leaving the good parts of Dark Souls as-is.

4Gamer:
Is there anything you are you focusing on in particular.

Shibuya:
It’s really hard for me to put it into words, but one aspect is the visual scene and atmosphere of each location. I really want to give those things more depth. Above all, what I want to do most is to incorporate a lot of “ideas that utilize the player’s attentiveness.”

4Gamer:
What are some examples of that?

Shibuya:
For example, if the player sees blood flowing towards them, they’ll think “what is this blood?” “Where is it coming from?” Situations like that. I want to create more situations that bring about doubt in the player—make them think “why?”—or give them a sense of foreboding death wherever they go. I want to focus on creating really elaborate environments that may look like nothing special at first, but may contain paths for players who are look closely enough.

4Gamer:
In Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls there were situations where you could see some treasure up ahead, but knew that there was something wrong or dangerous. Do you mean to improve how situations like those are staged?

Shibuya:
By using visuals, movement and sound, I hope to create situations and scenes like that.

4Gamer:
Should I interpret that as “increasing the sense of exploration?” I feel like I may be getting it wrong, so I want to ask.

Shibuya:
It’s a little different. When you say “increase the sense of exploration,” some people may interpret that as “oh, so the map got bigger,” or “the map got more complex, then,” but what I’m talking about is more about the elaborate creation of localized or individual environments and scenes.

4Gamer:
Could you give me an example that makes it easy to imagine?

Shibuya:
Let’s see. For example, say there’s a well. An enemy might jump out of it, or if you take a look inside, you might find treasure. When the player finds a well they’ve never seen before, they’ll stop to take a look at the well and think “I wonder which it will be this time.” That’s the kind of situation I’m imagining. By making the player more aware of the well, I want them to use their imagination and think about it. That’s the kind of thing I really want to work on in Dark Souls II.

4Gamer:
Whenever I hear talk about “intentions to make a blockbuster” or “focusing on the global market,” I usually think that developers are going to steer in the direction of something like God of War or Call of Duty and make really bombastic and straightforward productions, but hearing you talk today, it sounds like the areas you’re focusing on are much more subdued, and, if anything, that’s what makes it sound interesting.

Shibuya:
With games today, you’re really able to express anything you want. That can be a good thing, but it can also spoil the fun of making players think for themselves. We want to continue providing that kind of fun (the fun of imagination), so that’s one of the concepts this time around.

4Gamer:
What about the content volume this time around? Is it going to be increased dramatically?

Shibuya:
We don’t plan on increasing the volume by a large amount from the previous title. It will probably increase somewhat, though. The time it takes to complete the game will probably be about the same as that of the previous title. I plan on spending most of our resources on creating more elaborate scenes and situations as I discussed a moment ago.

4Gamer:
The focus is on quality over quantity, then?

Shibuya:
That’s right. I think part of the allure is the “sense of adventure.” I really want to convey the feeling of advancing one step at a time and groping your way forward.

4Gamer:
You spoke about already having a large fan base, but how are you planning to adjust the difficult in Dark Souls II? To be honest, I can’t help but think that the needs of your existing fans and that of new players might be conflicting.

Shibuya:
Just as you say, it’s a difficult proposition. That’s why we plan on making the early parts of the game comparatively less difficult to ease new players in, and then at a certain point, we’ll tell them “this is where the real game begins.”

4Gamer:
So, a “The real Demon’s Souls starts here.” type of thing?

Shibuya:
Exactly. In reality, I’m sure we’ll get quite a few new players with Dark Souls II, but existing players will probably represent the majority, so we need to make sure we satisfy their needs.

4Gamer:
Speaking of which, Miyazaki-san said that you will run dedicated servers to support the online system for the game. Will multiplayer aspects be a focus in Dark Souls II?

Shibuya:
Yes. At the center we have the gameplay of a strong standalone game, and from there we focus our efforts on adding online elements and multiplayer elements that utilize the dedicated servers.

4Gamer:
In terms of online elements, in previous titles you had the blood stain system, the messaging system, and the concept of “loose connections.” Do you plan to change the direction at all for Dark Souls II?

Shibuya:
We plan to retain those concepts and expand upon them, too.

4Gamer:
I see. Allow me to get off topic for a moment. Is there anything you’re into right now outside of games?

Shibuya:
Recently, I’ve really been enjoying the western drama series called The Walking Dead (laughs). There’s a certain indescribable sorrow to it that I really like…

4Gamer:
Yeah, The Walking Dead is great. I think there’s something about zombie stuff that really stimulates a kind of fundamental emotion in humans. I feel that Dark Souls may also have something in common with that.

Shibuya:
I’m not really paying attention to the survival or action aspects of The Walking Dead. I’m more focused on the transition of the characters’ thoughts and feelings, and how scenes are shown when people get taken. At certain intervals, there are these really tense moments woven into the otherwise ordinary story, and seeing them play out, I can’t help but think “this is really well done.”

4Gamer:
How far have you made it into the show?

Shibuya:
I’ve watched up until the end of Season 2. There are so many heartrending scenes. I’m really enjoying it… Anyway, enough about The Walking Dead.

4Gamer:
Sorry. The reason I asked is that I wanted to know a little bit about what kind of things you think are important when creating something. I feel like a creator’s perspective on things is often reflected in what they make.

Shibuya:
To speak on that point, we had “feeling of loneliness” and “despair” as keywords for Dark Souls, and in the sequel I plan to add “sorrow” (note: “setsunai” is the word used in Japanese that can mean “sorrow,” “sadness,” “heartache,” or even “bittersweet,” etc. depending on the context) as one of the keywords.

4Gamer:
I’m having trouble imagining what you mean.

Shibuya:
For example, the kind of sorrow that is conveyed by the subtle scenery, or the sense of sorrow that that wells up after defeating something… That’s the kind of thing I want to include in the game.

4Gamer:
Are you talking about how to create new experiences or stimulate new emotions?

Shibuya:
That’s right. When playing Dark Souls, one of the experiences was to feel that sense of loneliness or despair.
In Dark Souls II, those aspects will definitely be there, too, but if that’s all we had we wouldn’t be able to create new experiences. That’s why when we create Dark Souls II, it’s our job to figure out what kind of new experiences and emotions we can put into the game.

4Gamer:
In that respect, it’s often said that Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls sold well because of the word-of-mouth it received, but the word-of-mouth surrounding those games was really unique and interesting.

Shibuya:
What do you mean by that?

4Gamer:
How can I say this… The word-of-mouth surrounding Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls was all about each player’s personal experience. For example, where the player died, or where they fell into a trap, or where they gave up… It wasn’t about the story, or whether the game was fun or boring. I feel like everyone was talking directly about their experiences with the game.

Shibuya:
I see. I think that’s actually very important.

4Gamer:
With Dark Souls II, you plan to have a lot of “sorrowful” experiences in the game, then?

Shibuya:
Yes. Also, one other concept of Dark Souls II is that of “time.” (note: the word he’s using—“刻toki”—is probably more accurately described as “a specific moment in time.”)

4Gamer:
Oh. What’s an example of that?

Shibuya:
Umm… (while eyeing the PR representative in the room) it looks like I can’t actually talk about that, so let’s just say that “time” is one of the keywords (laughs).