My kingdom for Sony and FromSoftware to do anything with Bloodborne. There's been no remaster, no PC port, and also no sequel. We do have an excuse for that last one, because apparently bureaucracy is constantly getting in the way.
At least, that's what Shawn Layden, ex-president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment America, suggests on The Trophy Room podcast when asked about why it's been all quiet on the Yharnam front. "Bringing back old games has a certain challenge to it," he starts.
"Can you do something that is not only respectful of the original, but can you recreate the phenomenon?" he ponders, responding to the notion of a Bloodborne remake. After the successful Demon's Souls redux from Japan Studio and Bluepoint Games, people have been hoping for other FromSoftware releases to get the same treatment.
Bloodborne doesn't appear to be a likely candidate from what Layden has to say, nor would a sequel be straightforward. "There's a lot of involved rights associated with it," he explains. "And it's something like that where Sony is in there, and [FromSoftware] is in there, and From's parent company is in there, I think just getting everyone to sign off on everything is probably the biggest challenge there."
Such things are major roadblocks in many creative endeavours. I'm going to guess the fact it was co-developed with Japan Studio is what's causing some of the complications here. The company was unfortunately closed in 2020, leaving its IP or stakes therein wherever.
But that's just speculation. The fact is, Sony likes making money, and Bloodborne would be an easy win, and I suspect if these hurdles didn't exist, we'd have seen activity there by now. Alas, the hunter's dream remains just that for now. Good thing the game is still just as satisfying to replay as it ever was.
