You guys — you need to read this because it is one of those rare stories where creative vision beat out corporate greed, and it matters more than you think! So here's what went down: FromSoftware's parent company Kadokawa has been getting relentless pressure from its investors — specifically Cadmic (Cadmus Gaming Investment Fund) — who have been pushing them to "milk" Elden Ring harder. After the massive success of Dark Souls 3, these investors wanted a rapid-fire cycle of sequels, DLC remakes, and endless versions — basically what every live-service company does today. But here is the incredible part: Kadokama didn't buckle. They let Hidetaka Miyazaki stay in his position despite months of investor complaints about not milking the IP enough.
What makes this genuinely special for us as players is that Kadokawa chose long-term brand integrity over a short-term quarterly win — which is unheard of in modern gaming! Instead of firing their lead creator or forcing them to build an "Elden Ring 2" on an impossible schedule, they simply absorbed the investor moans and let Elden Ring stand as its own masterpiece. This means that when FromSoftware does announce something new, it will be substantial rather than another cash grab because they protected their creative team from being pushed into a burnout cycle. It's one of those rare wins for quality over monetization I keep coming back to whenever people complain about the industry.
Source: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/despite-investors-moaning-that-elden-rings-success-hasnt-been-milked-hard-enough-financially-fromsoftware-parent-companys-ceo-has-kept-his-job
What makes this genuinely special for us as players is that Kadokawa chose long-term brand integrity over a short-term quarterly win — which is unheard of in modern gaming! Instead of firing their lead creator or forcing them to build an "Elden Ring 2" on an impossible schedule, they simply absorbed the investor moans and let Elden Ring stand as its own masterpiece. This means that when FromSoftware does announce something new, it will be substantial rather than another cash grab because they protected their creative team from being pushed into a burnout cycle. It's one of those rare wins for quality over monetization I keep coming back to whenever people complain about the industry.
Source: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/despite-investors-moaning-that-elden-rings-success-hasnt-been-milked-hard-enough-financially-fromsoftware-parent-companys-ceo-has-kept-his-job