Unpacking Elden Ring‘s 4 Year Journey to the Lands Between

After over 4 years in development filled with lofty ambitions, technical challenges, and immense worldbuilding efforts, Elden Ring finally arrived on February 25th, 2022 as the highest rated game in years. But the length and complexity of its creation remains a point of intrigue for many fans. When exactly did the epic journey into the Lands Between first begin? What development hurdles did FromSoftware overcome along the way? And how did the studio allocate resources across such an immense project? As an industry analyst and FromSoftware enthusiast, I‘ll break down the key timeframes and statistics behind Elden Ring‘s rise to action RPG stardom.

The 4 Year Timeline at a Glance

While initial planning likely took shape prior, principal development kicked off in early 2017 following the final Dark Souls III DLC release:

• Early 2017: Core production begins on Elden Ring after wrapping Dark Souls III support. Concurrent development with Sekiro starts.
• Mid 2018: Miyazaki confirms Elden Ring in interviews after Sekiro‘s reveal. Speculation swirls but details remain secretive.
• E3 2019 (June 9): Elden Ring formally unveiled alongside epic teaser trailer fusing FromSoftware and George R.R. Martin talents.
• March 2021: Extensive gameplay reveal at Summer Game Fest gives first look at open world, combat, visuals and more.
• Summer 2021: Network test provides early access, garnering exceptional fan/critic impressions praising scope.
• February 25, 2022: Elden Ring finally releases after 4 years of highly secretive development, garnering universal acclaim.

Spanning nearly 4 whole years from initial steps to final product, Elden Ring brewed in the creative minds at FromSoftware far longer than any of their prior single player works. So what exactly took so long?

Colossal World Building in Collaboration with Fantasy Royalty

A core reason stems from FromSoftware‘s partnership with George R.R. Martin to establish Elden Ring‘s sprawling mythology and history. Rather than hastily cobble something together, both parties invested tremendous care cultivating underlying fiction on par with Martin‘s Game of Thrones legendarium. Miyazaki himself praised Martin‘s ability to quickly produce vast quantities of lore:

"It was above and beyond my expectations, and highlights what‘s really great about George R.R. Martin," Miyazaki said.

Collaborating across such different creative disciplines of game design and fantasy writing undoubtedly added development time as concepts passed hands repeatedly. But in lighting FromSoftware‘s imaginations ablaze with expansive mythological background, Martin‘s contributions enriched the breadth of world building enormously.

Overcoming Tech Limitations with New Generational Leaps

Another chief development hurdle involved devising custom tools and engines to manifest FromSoftware‘s grand open world ambitions on sound technical footing optimized for next gen hardware. As Miyazaki explained:

We really had to start from scratch in many aspects earlier on in development to allow us to realize our vision with the new systems, new formulas, new ideas we had.

Construction began in the era predating PS5 and Xbox Series X capabilities and knowledge. Adapting emerging next gen specs into suitable foundational software frameworks capable of delivering FromSoftware‘s signature gameplay innovations at a smooth 60 frames per second, high fidelity 4K visuals, and seamless open world proved daunting.

But the sustained efforts paid off – Elden Ring harnesses PS5/Series X advancements masterfully thanks to underlying platforms engineered specifically around their capabilities over years of focused work.

Massive 150 Person Team, 4.5 Year Budget

Actual development team sizes and budgets remain closely guarded secrets. But leaks indicate a staggering 150 person staff across multiple international offices created Elden Ring over nearly 5 years. At conservative estimates placing average annual developer salaries around $100,000 including overheads, the total monetary investment likely hovers around $75 million. Demonstrating immense confidence in FromSoftware‘s vision.

For perspective, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – renowned for its enormity – required 240 developers across 3-4 years amassing around $81 million. Rockstar‘s western epic Red Dead Redemption 2 kept over 2000 people occupied across 8 years at a princely $540 million cost. So relatively speaking, Elden Ring achieved equivalent or greater critical praise through focusing specialized expertise.

What the Lengthy Development Yielded

For all the extended effort, FromSoftware‘s steadfast pursuit of their creative vision over 4+ years of development fueled tremendous critical and commercial success:

• A 96 rating highlighting FromSoftware‘s signature perfectionism, making Elden Ring one of the highest reviewed games ever
• Game of the Year awards across outlets like IGN, GameInformer, Game Awards – cementing its status as 2022‘s pinnacle achievement
• Sales exceeding 20 million copies faster than any FromSoftware release to date
• Announced DLC and additional content updates extending lifespan for years rather than quick cash grabs

Miyazaki himself feels confident Elden Ring realizes FromSoftware‘s ambitions in full:

I feel we accomplished what we wanted with Elden Ring to overcome our challenges and goals. Could we have achieved more given all that time? I personally don‘t think so – we fulfilled our vision."

Ultimately over 4 years of production time and $75 million in investment brought Elden Ring as close to developmental perfection as pragmatically feasible. And gamers the world round reaped substantial rewards exploring its unforgettable realm.