Isomura: During development, was the whole team thinking on how the player would die with a smile?
Miyazaki: That's not the case. I sometimes get this question from foreign media, and I answered with a no. I was "why are you so sadistic?"
Miyazaki: I don't know about the other staff members, but I'm actually a masochist.
Miyazaki: I'm a huge masochist, so when I make games like these... this is how I want to be treated!
Murohashi: Ooh...
Miyazaki: "I want to be killed this way!" That's how I make it!
Isomura: Amazing! That's some really extreme masochism!
Miyazaki: It's just that sometimes other people don't understand it; it's for my pleasure.
Murohashi: Really? You want to be killed deep in the forest, getting punched by a huge mushroom?
Miyazaki: Yes, yes. And the curse area... When I get cursed...
Isomura: You want to die from a barrage of arrows?!
Miyazaki: It's gratifying. I like that, I just wanted to emphasize it!
Murohashi: Incredible!
Miyazaki: I don't know about the other staff members' fantasies, but I'm not making it from a sadistic stance, but from a masochistic one. I want this done to me!
I finally feel validated after all my friends say I just don't get dark souls when I tell them it is a game series explicitly designed for masochist to beat their head against, not for the average gamers to have a fun experience.
This is coming from someone who hated Dark Souls up until Elden Ring
I honestly didn't play the game until after 3 came out. I disclosed a kink to an acquaintance in a drunken state. The next morning I had a text message that simply said, "You should play dark souls" the rest is history.
I've attempted to play DS1 about 5 times, each time I make it farther, but each time I hate the game more. I think the most recent time will be my last as it really just left me with nothing but anger and frustration and not a single moment felt fun or gratifying. Because of that I've never tried any other games in the same vein, and even when ER came out it just looked like a new prettier DS game to me, so I haven't bothered to even try it.