Thank The OG PlayStation For Bringing Us Bloodborne
By Levi Winslow
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Auto-posted by TMGClan NewsBot
By Levi Winslow
Former Sony executive Shuhei Yoshida has suggested that it was the original PlayStation that brought us From Software as a developer and Bloodborne as a game.
Speaking to Simon Parkin on the latest episode of his My Perfect Console podcast, Yoshida said the industry's jump from cartridges to CDs enticed From Software to transition from a business software company to a game software company. As Yoshida recalled, Sony, a newer entrant in the console-making business, was attempting to court the likes of Atlus and Namco to bring their games to the OG PlayStation system. Cartridges were expensive and small in data capacity. CDs, Yoshida said, were much cheaper, quicker to manufacture, and capable of storing larger sets of data. From Software thus saw an opportunity to try something new.
"They didn't have to wait for two or three months to restock their games," Yoshida said. "If the game is successful, the CD-ROM can be delivered [within] three or four days. So one of these companies was From Software. From Software was a business software company. But when they saw a CD-ROM game system like PlayStation, they [said], 'Oh, we can become a video game publisher.' So that's how they invested, they entered into the video game industry.”
Parkin interjected to say that we then got Bloodborne "eventually." Yoshida agreed, stating that "eventually," yes, this all led to the masterpiece that is Bloodborne.
However, Yoshida wasn't shy about the games that paved the way for Bloodborne to come into existence. He said it wasn't easy to convince companies like Atlus to take a chance on the fledgling PlayStation console, but the CD's powerful 3D capabilities did all the talking.
"The industry people were saying that between PlayStation and Sega Saturn, probably Sega Saturn will become more popular because of Sega's experience," Yoshida said. "However, it was a combination of the 3D graphics capability of PlayStation and the CD-ROM's new business opportunity. Of course, the Sega Saturn offered the same kind of opportunity in terms of CD-ROM. However, Namco provided a really good library of 3D games, starting with Ridge Racer. But other companies, like Capcom, came up with Resident Evil, and eventually, you know, Squaresoft released Final Fantasy VII. That was the most critical title."
Yoshida explained that producer Hironobu Sakaguchi, who wanted to create cinematic experiences, grew frustrated with Nintendo for sticking with cartridges between the SNES and Nintendo 64 generations. This helped Sony convince Squaresoft to bring Final Fantasy VII to PlayStation, which Parkin noted was originally planned for the SNES or N64. However, Sakaguchi and other Squaresoft folks saw an opportunity with CDs.
“The combination of, from a creative standpoint, Sakaguchi-san wanted a cinema movie like Final Fantasy," Yoshida said. "And also, from a business standpoint, they saw the attractiveness of the CD-ROM medium. And between Sega and Sony, I don't know how they decided, but we had a really good schmoozer, my boss from Sony Music Entertainment Company."
When asked about his reaction to acquiring Final Fantasy VII on PlayStation, Yoshida said it was "amazing." He couldn't remember Nintendo's response but noted that the company "must've been pissed."
This is all well and good, but unfortunately, Bloodborne doesn't appear to be making a comeback anytime soon. According to industry insider Jeff Grubb, a PC port of the Lovecraftian-RPG--or a remake or remaster or anything pertaining to Bloodborne--has made zero progress. Anything is possible, of course, but for right now, we'll have to wait with bated breath to see if From Software brings the cult favorite back from the PS4 grave, as Yoshida theorized in January 2025 that creator Hidetaka Miyazaki may be too busy to focus his attention there.
From Software is hard at work on a Nintendo Switch 2 port of Elden Ring (which was delayed to 2026 for additional polish) and the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive The Duskbloods. The team is also continuing to mess around with Elden Ring Nightreign, with the roguelike/souls-like's upcoming DLC, The Forsaken Hollows, launching on consoles and PC on December 4.
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