Miyazaki and the Pendant

This is a quote from a article in The Guardian which is a british newspaper. Weird I know.

The full article can be found here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2012/apr/17/dark-souls-pc-dlc-news

Finally, we asked Miyazaki about the mysterious pendant that players of
the console version can select as a gift at the start of the game, but
which seemingly has little use in the subsequent adventure. Is there
more to this controversial trinket? "Oh, the pendant?" he laughed. "I am
aware that many people are wondering about the meaning of it ... but
let's keep it as a secret. I can't answer the question now. I won't
answer it for the rest of my life."

I think the pendant is a red herring, or perhaps became one.

One of the strongest features of Dark Souls is how it provides enough information to inflame the imagination without actually providing many solid answers. I consider the pendant to be the ultimate expression of this -- a red herring specifically designed to imply a purpose without having one, ensuring that players never feel as if they've completely understood Dark Souls or found all of its content.

I'm sure many of us played Pokemon when we were younger, or still do. The primitive, buggy nature of the original Red and Blue editions (or Green for the Japanese) fed our imaginations beyond belief back then. Who remembers Missingno? Or the rumours about finding Mew on the Western release versions, which was impossible beyond promotional events? And, most importantly, does anyone else still feel that pressing Down + B helps them capture a Pokemon?

Miyazaki is a clever man, and I think he intentionally tapped in this kind of "gaming folklore" to empower the Dark Souls experience. Even those of us who have completed the game dozens of times over still don't know everything about it. It doesn't answer us, but it does say, "Well, what if..." and we become enthralled. Some questions are best left unanswered, and this holds especially true for fantasy and horror works of fiction, of which Dark Souls is obviously the former and holds elements of the latter.

This might have been an act of opportunism on Miyazaki's part, too. It's clear that a lot of the Prepare To Die Edition content was conceptualised and some of it even in early stages of development by the time Dark Souls was released, probably being planned content that was cut due to time restrictions. It might be that the pendant was always meant to be the Silver Pendant, the Broken Pendant or both. But since that content was cut with no indication it would ever get made, perhaps Miyazaki had a good thought and decided to deepen the mystery of Dark Souls.

We'll never know for sure, I suppose, but these are my thoughts on the matter.

Siegfried. wrote:I think the pendant is a red herring, or perhaps became one.

One of the strongest features of Dark Souls is how it provides enough information to inflame the imagination without actually providing many solid answers. I consider the pendant to be the ultimate expression of this -- a red herring specifically designed to imply a purpose without having one, ensuring that players never feel as if they've completely understood Dark Souls or found all of its content.

I'm sure many of us played Pokemon when we were younger, or still do. The primitive, buggy nature of the original Red and Blue editions (or Green for the Japanese) fed our imaginations beyond belief back then. Who remembers Missingno? Or the rumours about finding Mew on the Western release versions, which was impossible beyond promotional events? And, most importantly, does anyone else still feel that pressing Down + B helps them capture a Pokemon?

Miyazaki is a clever man, and I think he intentionally tapped in this kind of "gaming folklore" to empower the Dark Souls experience. Even those of us who have completed the game dozens of times over still don't know everything about it. It doesn't answer us, but it does say, "Well, what if..." and we become enthralled. Some questions are best left unanswered, and this holds especially true for fantasy and horror works of fiction, of which Dark Souls is obviously the former and holds elements of the latter.

This might have been an act of opportunism on Miyazaki's part, too. It's clear that a lot of the Prepare To Die Edition content was conceptualised and some of it even in early stages of development by the time Dark Souls was released, probably being planned content that was cut due to time restrictions. It might be that the pendant was always meant to be the Silver Pendant, the Broken Pendant or both. But since that content was cut with no indication it would ever get made, perhaps Miyazaki had a good thought and decided to deepen the mystery of Dark Souls.

We'll never know for sure, I suppose, but these are my thoughts on the matter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkF7Xjxn9jc
AHEM... worked for me. >u>;

something that esoteric is likely, considering froms history with pendants... in kings field series there was an item whose description you had to view 250 times to ulock its function (and for those of you who don't know dks and Des are spiritual successors to kings field(from what i've heard))

Shindori wrote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkF7Xjxn9jc
AHEM... worked for me. >u>;

And my mind is forever shattered.

Excuse me while I go reflect upon my life.

Siegfried. wrote:

Shindori wrote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkF7Xjxn9jc
AHEM... worked for me. >u>;

And my mind is forever shattered.

Excuse me while I go reflect upon my life.

Siegfried. wrote:

Shindori wrote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkF7Xjxn9jc
AHEM... worked for me. >u>;

And my mind is forever shattered.

Excuse me while I go reflect upon my life.

You can always just download an emulator for your phone and try again

Sooo.... back on the topic of the pendant eh?

The pendant has been confirmed to do nothing except the known uses. Also that thing about "best gift" was a mistranslation. Miyazaki said that: "From a role-playing perspective, the best gift would be either nothing or the Pendant." Which makes sense considering it's description.

ChizFreak wrote:The pendant has been confirmed to do nothing except the known uses.

How?

Knight Alundil wrote:

ChizFreak wrote:The pendant has been confirmed to do nothing except the known uses.

How?

EpicNameBro is one of the guys that confirmed it to be a mistranslation.

ChizFreak wrote:

Knight Alundil wrote:

ChizFreak wrote:The pendant has been confirmed to do nothing except the known uses.

How?

EpicNameBro is one of the guys that confirmed it to be a mistranslation.

Ok, but, still... The effects are only for roleplay, nothing that changes anything, isn't it? In other words, it does nothing, right?

The pendant is also a covenant item. It is used to upgrade as a Darkmoon via Snuggly. On my main character I'll soon be able to go DM+3 without ever having invaded or farmed.

And you know, the dlc could've solved the 'mystery' of its original intent. Since the new content was obviously intended to be part of the game at release it's VERY possible the original pendant was supposed to do what the new one does.

*edit* and if Miyazaki recommended it as the starting gift for the player's 1st playthrough before he knew it wouldn't be included it could also explain that.

Siegfried. wrote:I think the pendant is a red herring, or perhaps became one.

One of the strongest features of Dark Souls is how it provides enough information to inflame the imagination without actually providing many solid answers. I consider the pendant to be the ultimate expression of this -- a red herring specifically designed to imply a purpose without having one, ensuring that players never feel as if they've completely understood Dark Souls or found all of its content.

I'm sure many of us played Pokemon when we were younger, or still do. The primitive, buggy nature of the original Red and Blue editions (or Green for the Japanese) fed our imaginations beyond belief back then. Who remembers Missingno? Or the rumours about finding Mew on the Western release versions, which was impossible beyond promotional events? And, most importantly, does anyone else still feel that pressing Down + B helps them capture a Pokemon?

Miyazaki is a clever man, and I think he intentionally tapped in this kind of "gaming folklore" to empower the Dark Souls experience. Even those of us who have completed the game dozens of times over still don't know everything about it. It doesn't answer us, but it does say, "Well, what if..." and we become enthralled. Some questions are best left unanswered, and this holds especially true for fantasy and horror works of fiction, of which Dark Souls is obviously the former and holds elements of the latter.

This might have been an act of opportunism on Miyazaki's part, too. It's clear that a lot of the Prepare To Die Edition content was conceptualised and some of it even in early stages of development by the time Dark Souls was released, probably being planned content that was cut due to time restrictions. It might be that the pendant was always meant to be the Silver Pendant, the Broken Pendant or both. But since that content was cut with no indication it would ever get made, perhaps Miyazaki had a good thought and decided to deepen the mystery of Dark Souls.

We'll never know for sure, I suppose, but these are my thoughts on the matter.

+1 for an awesome explanation of your point which I agree with. Also, you invoked the legendary Missingo which deserves extra rep for that alone

callipygias wrote:The pendant is also a covenant item. It is used to upgrade as a Darkmoon via Snuggly. On my main character I'll soon be able to go DM+3 without ever having invaded or farmed.

What? That would mean you are in NG++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
as you can only trade once per playthrough.

ChizFreak wrote:

Knight Alundil wrote:

ChizFreak wrote:The pendant has been confirmed to do nothing except the known uses.

How?

EpicNameBro is one of the guys that confirmed it to be a mistranslation.

Just because that one comment was a mistranslation doesn't mean that the pendant does nothing. I really dont see how you can call that "confirmation".

Whats this about the pendent levelling up DMB? Is that just another joke use....

Dante_000 wrote:Whats this about the pendent levelling up DMB? Is that just another joke use....

Sounds like it, yeh

It's misleading as written but it's true. Snuggly (aka Muninn to explain the real use of the pendant) will give a souvenir of reprisal for it which can be used to level up.

He's also not saying this is his only source, he's saying that it adds an additional souvenier per playthrough. That's it.

skarekrow13 wrote:It's misleading as written but it's true. Snuggly (aka Muninn to explain the real use of the pendant) will give a souvenir of reprisal for it which can be used to level up.

Ahh yeh, you're right. Derp.

ICEFANG wrote:

callipygias wrote:The pendant is also a covenant item. It is used to upgrade as a Darkmoon via Snuggly. On my main character I'll soon be able to go DM+3 without ever having invaded or farmed.

What? That would mean you are in NG++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
as you can only trade once per playthrough.

Afraid it's worse than that, as I didn't start going for this till a little while ago. My main guy is somewhere between NG+90 and100. I get 2 per playthrough now though, 1 from Snuggly the crow and 1 from Snuggly the Lautrec.

In case anyone's wondering the time counter per character stops at 999:59:59.

And yes, in my post I should've said the Pendant is an indirect covenant item.

... and I thought I played this game a ridiculous amount..

Dayum.