Despite the fact that the internet has facilitated learning, we do not have as many interdisciplinary artists as in the past—artists who easily transition between different mediums. This is probably related to the absurd budgets that circulate in virtually all creative industries, making it practically impossible to move between them. But that doesn’t mean it never happens. Occasionally, an artist makes the leap between mediums.
That has been the case with Hiro Mashima, who is creating his own video game. The creator of Fairy Tail, Edens Zero, and more recently, Dead Rock, is developing a video game and documenting his progress in a YouTube series. He is progressing, albeit very slowly, through his journey of learning the tools used by game designers.
Having now released the third season, he has made the first two seasons available on YouTube. In the first season, we can see Mashima learning to create 3D environments and levels using Unreal Engine 5. Meanwhile, in the second season, he focused on creating 3D characters using the program Blender. All of this showcases a clear evolution that demonstrates that, with patience and interest, anyone can learn.
In this third season, available on the Kodansha Creators’ Lab YouTube channel, Mashima has begun the actual development of his video game. While it’s true that the video only has Japanese subtitles, it is possible to follow along as he works, even if few may understand what he is saying.
In any case, this is not Mashima’s first video game. In December 2021, he started developing an Edens Zero game with RPG Maker called “Rebecca to Kikai no Yōkan,” which he released for free on PC on March 16, 2022. This is likely a similar fate for whatever results from the current game he is developing.
