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Gaming streams can be a sensitive topic for developers, particularly in Japan. Opinions remain divided on whether they serve as free marketing or hurt sales by allowing players to experience the game through streams instead of purchasing and playing it themselves.
One of Japan’s most famous YouTubers, Eiki Kano, who is well known for his funny yet chaotic playthroughs of the Resident Evil franchise, recently shared an interaction with Shinji Mikami, the director of the original Resident Evil.
As reported by Nikkan, Kano asked Mikami for his opinion on gaming streams and what he generally thinks about them. While Kano, of course, has explicit permission from Capcom, he admitted he was still anxious about whether spoiling the stories and puzzles of Resident Evil games would make the developers uncomfortable.
Although Kano was mentally prepared to stop streaming if Mikami wasn’t comfortable with it, the director replied that if viewers are satisfied with simply watching a game, then the game itself isn’t good enough.
Mikami stated:
If viewers watch a playthrough of a game all the way to the end and are satisfied with just that, then it was only that good of a game.
He went on to say that developers should create games that motivate players to experience them firsthand rather than settle for watching someone else play, stating:
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.
The comments show that Mikami believes players will still want to play a game if it is compelling enough, regardless of whether they’ve already watched it.
Rather than viewing gaming streams as a negative, he places the responsibility on developers to create experiences that attract players and make them want to play for themselves.
