Yoko Taro, the creator of Nier and Drakengard known for wearing a round, smiley Emil mask, says he has essentially realized his creative vision as a game director and has considered retiring. According to a report from PC Gamer (via Eurogamer), Taro made the remarks last month at the Tokyo French Institute.
“With Drakengard, the first game I was given the opportunity to direct, I was actually able to do almost everything the way I wanted,” Taro said. “As a game otaku, I think the dream is to release something you’ve always wanted to create into the world. Having achieved that dream, I view everything after that as the remainder of my life.”
Taro said he continues working in games development despite having fulfilled his ambitions, noting that the money doesn’t hurt and that he fears how his mental health might degrade if he grows idle.
This is good for preventing dementia.
Yoko Taro
The IGN report notes it’s possible Taro does not literally mean he only works to stave off dementia. His comments, along with a statement that he hopes he can dodge the “flames” of competition from younger, AI-assisted generations before he dies, reflect how he views his place in the games industry.
Taro said he has always worked in games with the mindset of “filling in the gaps,” citing Ico and Ikaruga as examples of genres he felt he had no need to enter.
“That’s not jealousy, it’s the feeling of, ‘This gap has already been filled, so I need to fill a different one.’ I think the reason that my games are crude games full of terrible things is because the pioneers have already seized all the beautiful aspects.
Yoko Taro
1 comment