A sequel to Sony Interactive Entertainment and FromSoftware’s 2015 action role-playing game, Bloodborne, didn’t happen due to complications associated with rights, according to former PlayStation president Shawn Layden.
During an interview on The Trophy Room podcast, former PlayStation president Shawn Layden discussed the possibility of bringing back the beloved PlayStation exclusive and explained some of the challenges involved in revisiting older games. While he praised Bloodborne and the work Sony Interactive Entertainment did with FromSoftware on the Souls series, he suggested that getting all the involved IP rights together would make a sequel a major challenge.
“Bloodborne’s great and the work we did with From[Soft] on, like, the Souls series were fantastic,” Layden said before explaining that bringing back older games comes with its own set of complications. He questioned whether a new release could respect the original while recreating the phenomenon surrounding it.
However, the biggest obstacle is the rights associated with the franchise. “There’s a lot of involved rights associated with it, and in something like that where Sony’s in there and From[Soft] is in there and From[Soft]’s parent company is in there, I think just getting everyone to sign off on the same thing is probably the biggest challenge there,” he explained.
The former PlayStation president also discussed Sony Interactive Entertainment’s approach to reviving older franchises, pointing to the 2016 Ratchet & Clank remake for PS4 as an example of a successful return. He recalled facing resistance from the company’s marketing department, but argued that there was an audience for older properties, noting that approximately 80% of PS4 owners had never played a Ratchet & Clank game.
Sequel aside, Bloodborne didn’t even receive a remaster despite fan anticipation. Ultimately, the ShadPS4 emulator for PC delivered a significant milestone, allowing it to run at resolutions and frame rates far beyond its original limits. Read about it here.
