Game development, as Shimaguni Yamato eloquently argues, is a balancing act between chaos and control—a process that sometimes feels more like a battlefield than a creative endeavor. In his blog, Shimaguni Yamato no Dochikusho (Shimaguni Yamato’s Unfiltered Truth), he dives into the messy, often absurd dynamics of creating games in today’s sprawling industry. His latest musing on the eternal debate between autocracy and democracy in game development doesn’t just hit close to home—it kicks the door open and invites itself in for tea.
The crux of Shimaguni’s argument is refreshingly blunt: in game development, democracy often means death by committee. It’s not that the democratic process is inherently bad—who doesn’t love the idea of everyone’s voices being heard? But in practice, democracy in development tends to dilute responsibility and prioritize compromise over vision. When everyone has an opinion, decisions take forever, and the resulting product often ends up so smoothed out and unremarkable that it risks being forgotten before it even launches.
Consider his example: a team of ten developers with wildly different gaming preferences. One loves Dragon Quest, another lives for Final Fantasy, and someone else hasn’t touched a game since the days of Tetris. How do you get all these people to agree on what makes a good RPG? The short answer: you don’t. The longer answer: you end up with a lukewarm game, a mishmash of conflicting ideas that pleases no one.

For Shimaguni, the antidote is clear: a strong, decisive leader. Enter what he calls the Wise Dictator, the rare individual who listens to the team’s input but takes full responsibility for making decisions. This isn’t about being a tyrant—it’s about having the courage to cut unnecessary features, prioritize resources, and, most importantly, shoulder the blame when things go south. It’s the kind of leadership that keeps projects from spiraling into chaos and ensures that a vision—any vision—stays intact.
Contrast this with the Foolish Dictator, who makes decisions without listening to anyone, and the dreaded Democratic Development, where no one dares to take responsibility. Both models, as Shimaguni humorously points out, often lead to disaster. The former results in a train wreck of bad decisions, while the latter creates a stagnant mire where nothing meaningful gets done.
One of Shimaguni’s sharpest insights is how democracy can unintentionally serve as a shield for weak leadership. When a leader avoids making hard decisions by constantly deferring to the group, they create a false sense of inclusivity while evading accountability. The result? A bloated, directionless project where everyone works hard but no one knows what they’re working toward.

Shimaguni doesn’t argue against collaboration or diverse perspectives—far from it. His point is that someone has to steer the ship, make the hard calls, and sometimes say, “No, we’re not doing that.” Without this, the project risks becoming a runaway train of compromises, delays, and wasted potential. It’s not about stifling creativity; it’s about channeling it in a way that produces results.
His observations also extend to the industry’s increasing complexity. Modern game development isn’t just about a handful of designers and programmers brainstorming in a room. It’s a sprawling ecosystem of specialists—each with their own expertise, priorities, and egos. While this diversity is a strength, it also makes communication and coordination a Herculean task. When everyone’s pulling in different directions, having a leader who can cut through the noise and unify the team is more crucial than ever.

Ultimately, Shimaguni’s message is a call for balance: between creativity and pragmatism, between listening and leading, and between ambition and focus. The best games, he suggests, are born not from endless debates but from decisive action tempered by expertise. Whether it’s a solo indie developer with a clear vision or a AAA team led by a competent, confident director, the magic happens when someone takes responsibility and steers the ship.
Game development may be a chaotic, unpredictable journey, but Shimaguni Yamato reminds us that with the right leadership, even chaos can be molded into something extraordinary. In an industry where the stakes are high, the competition fierce, and the pressure unrelenting, it’s a message worth heeding.
Source: https://www.4gamer.net/games/095/G009575/20250117048/
Follow Shimaguni Yamato (Japanese) at: https://x.com/shimaguniyamato
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