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What Inspired Hidetaka Miyazaki to Design the Summoning System in the Dark Souls Series?

Hidetaka Miyazaki is a Japanese creative director, designer, scriptwriter, and executive for the video game company FromSoftware, but did you know that he was inspired to design a summoning scene in one of his games by his car breakdown?

Hidetaka Miyazaki, the creator of the Dark Souls series, was inspired to design the summoning based on his experience when his car got stuck in the snow on a hill, and a group of strangers came to help push his car to the top before disappearing.

All About Dark Souls

From Software, Inc. created the video game Dark Souls. Namco Bandai Games released the game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was previously developed under the codename Project Dark and is the spiritual successor to Demon’s Souls. It also employs an updated variant of the engine from the previous game.

Dark Souls was released on September 22, 2011, for the PlayStation 3 in Japan, October 4, 2011, for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in North America, and October 7, 2011, for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in Europe. (Source: Darksouls Fandom)

How Does the Dark Souls Gameplay Go?

Dark Souls focuses on dungeon exploration and the tension and fear that arises when players encounter enemies in this environment. The game is regarded as a spiritual successor to Demon’s Souls, which is regarded as a spiritual successor to the King’s Field games. The game takes place in an open world with a third-person perspective. 

The player fights with various weapons and strategies to survive in a dark fantasy world. Online features allow players to share their gaming experiences without requiring direct communication. (Source: Darksouls Fandom)

What is the Elden Ring?

On February 25th, 2022, Elden Ring was released for all platforms. The original release date of January 21st, 2021, was announced during the Summer Game Fest 2021, and the delay was announced on Twitter on October 18th, 2021. (Souce: Eldenring Wiki)

Elden Ring is a dark fantasy RPG in which you play as one of the Tarnished’s descendants. As an outcast, you must travel to the Lands Between to re-enter society as an Elden Lord. To do so, you must unravel the mystery of the legendary Elden Ring. Your adventures in the Lands Between will be fraught with peril and filled with the unknown.

There are two worlds to explore: the main Overworld and the Underworld of dungeons, catacombs, and caves. (Souce: Eldenring Fandom

What was the Inspiration for the Summoning System?

A new interview with Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki reveals the origins of the concept of summoning players.

Just as Elden Ring was released worldwide. In an interview with The New Yorker, Miyazaki revealed what inspired the summoning mechanic found in FromSoftware’s games. 

Miyazaki revealed that years ago, while driving in the snow, his car became stuck on a hill, and a group of strangers appeared and helped push him to the top, only to vanish silently.

According to Miyazaki, this inspired the creation of Dark Souls’ summoning. Players can summon allies worldwide to help them battle through challenging gauntlets or brutal bosses throughout the Dark Souls trilogy, Bloodborne, Demon’s Souls, and now Elden Ring, before soundlessly vanishing into the digital aether after the fight is won or lost. (Source: Games Radar )

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