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GAMES

Shinji Mikami Says If Watching a Playthrough Is Satisfying Enough, the Game Wasn't Good Enough

Resident Evil and Dino Crisis creator Shinji Mikami shared his philosophy on game design in comments relayed by Japanese comedian and streamer Eiko Kano, who had asked Mikami whether he was comfortable with playthrough videos of his games. Mikami responded that if viewers feel fully satisfied just watching someone else play, the game itself wasn't compelling enough — implying a truly great game demands to be played firsthand.

First seen Jun 19 ago2 sources covering

Sources (2)

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How sources are framing this

Both sources cover the same anecdote; Kotaku's headline frames it as Mikami criticizing viewer satisfaction more directly, while AUTOMATON's framing is slightly softer ('wasn't good enough').

What we know

  • Shinji Mikami expressed his view that a game people can be satisfied watching rather than playing reveals a weakness in the game's design.
  • The comments came via Japanese comedian and streamer Eiko Kano, who had personally asked Mikami about his stance on let's-play and playthrough content of his games.
  • Mikami's position frames interactivity and hands-on engagement as a core measure of a game's quality.

Referenced titles

Resident Evil