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Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida has revealed that FromSoftware chose not to partner with Sony for Dark Souls due to disappointment over Demon’s Souls’ publishing treatment. In a recent appearance on the Sacred Symbols podcast, Yoshida shared insights into the relationship between the two companies during this crucial period in gaming history.
According to Yoshida, while Sony was interested in collaborating on a Demon’s Souls sequel, FromSoftware had already made the decision to work with Bandai Namco instead. “FromSoftware was already working on the sequel, but they were so disappointed with how PlayStation treated them, we wanted to work with them again but they passed on it,” Yoshida explained.
The disappointment stemmed from Sony’s handling of Demon’s Souls’ global release. Despite initial plans for worldwide publication by Sony, the company’s concerns about the game’s difficulty and negative early playtests led to a fragmented publishing approach. While Sony maintained publishing rights in some regions, Atlus handled the US release, and Bandai Namco managed European distribution.
The relationship between the two companies would eventually improve, leading to a successful collaboration on the PlayStation 4 exclusive Bloodborne. Yoshida expressed satisfaction with this later partnership, noting, “We have huge respect for Miyazaki and we were able to work with them again. Bloodborne is one of his best games.”
This revelation provides interesting context for one of gaming’s most influential series, showing how early publishing decisions impacted the development of what would become the highly successful Dark Souls franchise.
