Shinji Mikami Challenges Game Creators To Make Games Good Enough To Be Enjoyed, Even After Watching It Streamed
The creative mind behind Resident Evil endorses content creators, yet wants to see game designers raise the bar on fun factor
"ColonelFancy" Mike Lind
6/28/20262 min read
Content creation and video game culture have been joined at the hip since the mid 2000's. It has played a large part in copyright protection laws among video game developers. Some publishers and studios look down on the view that it's portrayed as trans-formative content, while others have more lenient takes on it, seeing it as free promotion.
Shinji Mikami, game directing legend and one of the main creative minds behind the Resident Evil franchise, had a chance to weigh in on the topic, and his take was a surprising one. During an interview with YouTuber and Japanese internet personality Eiko Kano, the entertainer asked Mikami his thoughts on the sensation that is game streaming. Kano, who streams video games, including Capcom titles like Resident Evil Requiem, has rather checkered takes on the medium. Despite this, Mikami obliged, and instead of grilling content creators, his placed the onus on game studios and development teams to craft software that is enticing enough to indulge, even after watching someone play through it.
"If viewers watching the game stream are satisfied just by watching it through to the end, then it's not that great of a game. Our job is to make games that make people want to complete them themselves, even after seeing someone else complete them", Mikami reportedly stated, according to Nikkan Sports. "Our job is to make games that leave people wanting to clear them with their own hands, even if they’ve watched someone else do it, so keep streaming.”
Kano states that he has heard similar sentiment from Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii. Initially thinking Mikami wouldn't want to share his beliefs, Kano was hesitant at first, before being encouraged to continue.
What are your thoughts on game streaming? Do you believe Shinji Mikami is out of line with this belief, or does he have a point? I feel he's perhaps onto something. Companies like Nintendo have long maintained a rigid stance against game streaming, viewing it as detrimental to their business ventures. It's hard to tell if Nintendo still believes this, given the Switch 2 launched with a webcam and microphone. They cancelled their YouTube Partners program back in 2018, but you can do so via the standard Nintendo Game Content Guidelines on YouTube. Sony currently holds a cross-platform spoiler block service, that is reported to prevent gamers from seeing content that ruins a game experience for them.
I'm more inclined to believe the climbing prices of the hobby do more considerable damage, rather than game streamers. Video games may remain a popular pastime, but game streaming serves as more of an outlet that can positively influence its appeal. How does one look at Five Nights at Freddy's and not say Markiplier's play of the game swayed people to experience it for themselves?
SOURCE: Nikkan Sports