Endo & Itoi on the asceticism of game developers, 1985.
Source: Shmuplations
PEOPLE:
Masanobu Endo, age 32. Creator of Tower of Druaga (1984), which likely influenced The Legend of Zelda (1986).
Shigesato Itoi, age 37. Author. Later: Creator of Earthbound (1989) and editor for the Ishinorimori A Link to the Past manga.
QUOTE: Endo: When you talk to game developers, they'll often say, "working at the foot of Mt. Fuji would be perfect."
Itoi: … [laughs] That kind of asceticism isn't limited to the digital field. … There was even an era when "suppressing consciousness" was considered beautiful. … Those who suppressed something until it burst out and killed them were called "those who died young." Those who persevered until death were called "those who stubbornly stuck to their principles their whole lives." It's a kind of stoicism.
But that kind of repressive power cannot create things that appeal to people. It's very handy for leading people in the wrong direction though. It's incredibly useful for steering people down dangerous paths.