10 Video Game Developers Who HATE Their Own Creation
5. Shinji Mikami - Resident Evil
Shinji Mikami is an undeniable gaming industry legend, best known for co-creating the Resident Evil franchise as well as directing the original 1996 game.
After the first game's mammoth success, Capcom appointed Mikami as a producer who oversaw development of all mainline Resident Evil games up to and including Resident Evil 4, as well as an abandoned Resident Evil game that was reworked into the original Devil May Cry.
After spending eight years as a producer, Mikami left Capcom following completion of Resident Evil 4, and in more recent interviews has stated that working on Resident Evil was the unhappiest period of his career, due to his inability to work on other new, creative projects. He said in an interview last year:
"I was away from the scene for eight years while I was in my thirties, when I was the most fat. It was very frustrating to be a producer in my 30s when I was at my peak as a game creator."
Mikami added that he considered resigning much earlier, but due to his respect for his superiors and their suggestion that he oversee the franchise, he stuck it out.
As much as Resident Evil made Mikami an industry rock star, it sure sounds liked he wishes he could've just directed the first game and immediately washed his hands of it.