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 Bloodborne is a Playstation 4 action RPG co-developed by From Software (Demon's Souls, Dark Souls) and SCE Japan Studio. You take the role of a wanderer making a pilgrimage to Yharnam, an ancient city known for its healing remedies. Yharnam has been blighted by a horrific illness that causes its residents to become monsters, and the people that remain engage in nightly hunts to kill the beasts. The settings are Victorian in nature, and combat differs from the Souls games with the inclusion of rudimentary guns, and a more active approach to enemy encounters. Development began shortly after the completion of the Dark Souls "Artorias of the Abyss" DLC, with Hidetaka Miyazaki as director. Release Date (2015): March 24 (US), March 25 (EU), March 26 (Japan), March 27 (UK/Ireland) Official Sites: US | JP         Gameplay IGN 2015 - Story Trailer IGN 2015 - First 18 Minutes IGN 2015 - New Boss Spoiler IGN 2015 - Character Creation PSX 2014 - Chalice Dungeon TGAs 2014 - Co-op Gameplay (Boss Spoiler) Network Test Alpha 2014 - All Weapons Gamescom 2014 - Gameplay Trailer Gamescom 2014 - Demo Playthrough Pre-E3/TGS 2013 Leaked "Project Beast" Footage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G203e1HhixYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmnGHp-NXuk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Crk_GpxGQEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5o8jwqKsDE Watchword GOONHUNT Goonborne PSN IDs (post in thread with ID to get added) PSN ID [SA forum name] pelvispinata [a harpy] sjackson12 [actionjackson] joe124013 [alansmithee] SeeMoreBears [Annoying Reveler] Drunkenengr [Anti-Hero] Azubah [Azubah] richardgatsby [Bogart] BreakAtmo [BreakAtmo] MartianHideEgger [BugBlatter] UltimateZAR [CharlestonJew] Demicol [Demicol] Dialgadude [DialtheDude] dontaht [dontaht] Robotisize [DrCthulhu] Hidolfr [Dzus] NotECEC [EC] Nexypoo [ecavalli] Kaje1980 [Floridiot] LotusGramarye [Genocyber] AxeFace [HairyManling] HaitianDivorce94 [HaitianDivorce] ProfVideogames [Harrow] DoctorKinbote [InnercityGriot] KingleyZissou [jtr] Sacrelicious_ [koshmar] Lafwanda [Lafwanda] kittypoptart [LawfulWaffle] Halgreth [Mr E] MrLonghair [MrLonghair] TheOriginalZDog [MZ] foxmedik [Nostalgia4Butts] mrhorrifying [NotAnArtist] EffEmmEll [OxMan] Cbouncer [RatHat] mera_mendacia [Real hurthling!] RealSovietBear [RealSovietBear] silkhorn [redreader] DeathShiki [Sakurazuka] Seiferguy [Seiferguy] Nos3ySA [Stringbean] Theradis [Tamayachi] An1m3w33dL0rD [The Crooked Warden] bl_4u [TheMostFrench] acanthocybium [THE PENETRATOR] thePope [Tokyo Sex Whale] icyfuzz [turtlecrunch] PolypPaul [Watrick] yoyadota [Yoya] SpacePrez [Zaphod42] Pre-Release FAQ Q: Is this more like DMC/Bayonetta than a Souls game? A: No. Souls' tactical combat remains in full effect, and if you charge straight into enemies mashing buttons, you will die. Guns are accessory weapons that allow you to stun and stagger enemies, and melee weapons will still be your main source of damage. There are no signs yet that the player can use any form of magic in Bloodborne. Q: Is this coming to PC? A: No. Sony is co-developing, so Bloodborne is exclusive to the PS4 console. Q: What is the target resolution and FPS? A: 1080p/30fps. Q: Will there be DLC? A: Unknown. There will be no release-day DLC. Q: What editions are there of the game? A: In the US: standard and collector's (steelbook, artbook, digital soundtrack) only. Outside the US: standard, collector's (steelbook, artbook, digital soundtrack), Nightmare (steelbook, artbook, digital soundtrack, "Top Hat" Messenger skin, book tin, bell trinket, quill&red ink set, gothic notebook), PS4 bundle edition (black PS4 unless in Japan). Q: What are the preorder bonuses? A: Preorder bonuses seem to be exclusive to particular vendors and what bonus is available also varies by region. All bonuses are Messenger skins- a Messenger is a little agent you use in the game for asynchronous multiplayer functions, such as leaving messages and marking where you die. You can get the following Messenger skins for preordering:
Q: Is there a strategy guide? A: Yes. Available only through Amazon, from Future Press. ENB and A German Spy are both contributors. Q: How long is the game? A: The "total game volume" is greater than Demon's Souls. Demon's Souls runs 25-40 hours depending on your skill and goals. In addition to the main game, Bloodborne includes an area of randomized challenges called the Chalice Dungeon. Inspired by rogue-likes, Chalice Dungeon configurations can be saved and shared with friends. Q: What kind of environment variety exists? Is there a day/night cycle? A: To quote an October 2014 interview with producer Masaaki Yamagiwa: quote:The question of whether the player would encounter more environments or settings in the released version of Bloodborne was also brought up. Mr. Yamagiwa mentioned that there would be more environments in the game such as forests and graveyards; and that the city portion that’s been seen in the demos is just the center of the very big city of Yharnam. Bloodborne has a contiguous world like Dark Souls, with warp points that you can unlock throughout. You access warp points you have unlocked through a hub, the Dream Refuge. Q: What kind of multiplayer does the game have? A: Bloodborne has co-op, PVP, and asynchronous functions (messages, bloodstains, player shadows). Co-op is no longer conducted through summon signs: a player who wishes to be summoned uses an item that grants them a passive "summonable" effect, a player who needs help uses a different item that makes their world permeable, and the game matches them by level. Friends will be able to use an 8-character "Watchword" to co-op with each other. Bloodborne's PVP mechanics are known as follows: if you wish to invade, you ring an Ominous Resonant Bell. The invader can send themselves home with Parting Shot. In some areas, a character called the Bell Maiden is present, and she lures invaders to your world. She may also appear when you attempt to summon co-op helpers or when you try to invade. Note that all multiplayer functions require subscription to PS+ (around $4/month) except for downloading of Chalice Dungeon configurations. Q: Is there character customization? Can I play a woman? A: Yes. Bloodborne has the same full character customization as prior Souls games, allowing you to choose build, hairstyle, eye color, gender, etc. It also has a few new features such as glasses/goggle accessories, body part dimensions, and hair physics. Q: Does armor come in full sets or pieces? A: As in the previous Souls games, armor comes as individual pieces (head/body/arms/legs) that you can FashionSouls with to your heart's desire. There is no heavy armor in the game, most sets are composed of leather and cloth. It is unknown how poise/other defensive benefits of armor may work in the game. Armor sets have physics effects and become soaked in blood as you fight. Armor is found either in the game world or via a merchant. Enemies do not drop anything besides items and upgrade materials in Bloodborne. Q: What kind of classes and stats are there? A: Bloodborne uses levels the same as the previous Souls entries. Classes are now called "origins", and only three have had their stats revealed. You can read more about origins and their stat allocations here. Bloodborne's stats are:
Q: What kinds of weapons are there? A: In Bloodborne you typically have a gun in your left hand and a melee weapon in your right hand. Your melee weapon (called a "trick weapon") transforms, giving it different possible attack styles. All trickweapons are customizable using "bloodgems", which allow you to apply effects to a weapon such as giving it poison attack, more physical attack, or increasing its scaling. Some of the demonstrated trick weapons:
Q: Are there shields? A: Yes, but it's implied they will be pretty awful. Rolling/sidestepping is Bloodborne's preferred defensive style. Q: Are backstabs/parries still in? A: Yes. Parries are now called "countershots" and conducted by shooting your gun at an enemy right before its attack connects. You can then riposte. Backstabs are now called "backstrikes" and are divided into two phases. The first step is to unleash a charged attack at your enemy's back. Charged attacks require you to hold down an attack button until your weapon gleams. The charged attack will cause the enemy to stagger, and after a certain window of time, using a regular attack on the staggered enemy will initiate a critical strike for high damage. The transforming strike of your melee weapon can also knock enemies back. Q: Is this a sequel to Demon's Souls? A: Umbasa. 
turtlecrunch fucked around with this message at 03:21 on Mar 23, 2015 |
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Jun 10, 2014 05:14
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The Taint Reaper posted:I'm kinda hoping that the dude took the dog corpse to augment special dog powers to his body. I'd love a souls type game where you could switch out your own parts and have an array of abilities to get past a barrier. Re: the dog carving - my current feeling is that blood is the avatar of souls in this game, or to put it another way zenny is just another word for a dollar. But the name "Project Beast" also suggests that there might be some kind of inheritance from various beasts... Sony's description also claims there is an illness running amuck, and it's
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Jun 10, 2014 05:49
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Kotaku guy (I'm sorry) says he will be seeing Bloodborne this week, just in case you need more word that gameplay is possibly hopefully coming. https://twitter.com/jasonschreier/status/476217796943024128 e: Also coming out in Spring 2015 according to the official Japanese twitter - https://twitter.com/Bloodborne_PS4/status/476210736599818240 turtlecrunch fucked around with this message at 07:13 on Jun 10, 2014 |
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Jun 10, 2014 06:50
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Release date: March 31st, 2015 per Sony Store
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Jun 10, 2014 07:13
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Nice close-up of the stock character from the cinematic Japanese blog reports the following (from Famitsu coverage):
There will be a Famitsu interview with Miyazaki published this month. turtlecrunch fucked around with this message at 14:42 on Jun 10, 2014 |
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Jun 10, 2014 14:39
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A (very small) extra piece of art from Famitsu There will be a 60-minute presser on the game at E3 today according to some guy on Neogaf.
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Jun 10, 2014 15:51
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The reddit thing is almost certainly fake. quote:I was at a Sony conference a while back where they showed this game, been dying to talk about it! It really is a spiritual successor, with bonfires and fog doors making a comeback. HUD looks exactly like souls. It also doesn't really match gothic survival/fight for your life themes, imo. But not enough is really known about the gameplay yet. turtlecrunch fucked around with this message at 18:46 on Jun 10, 2014 |
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Jun 10, 2014 18:40
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Based on the translation of highlights of Famitsu coverage and the cramped space implied by it being set in a city. It's just a feeling, not a fact.
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Jun 10, 2014 18:51
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Producer is a tease
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Jun 10, 2014 19:24
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I am thinking it is all private viewings for the press. So far I know Kotaku and Fextralife are both getting an hour. But I am looking for any other signs that they might let us plebs take a peek.
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Jun 10, 2014 19:35
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2/4chan translations of Famitsu stuff (consider this about as valid as the reddit rumor):quote:>・基本的にはソウルシリーズの外伝、パラレルワールド的な世界の話だと思っていい quote:>>247524374 quote:>>247524858
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Jun 10, 2014 19:49
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 ps people who don't tag their twitter posts should be fired
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Jun 10, 2014 21:04
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pics from blog and twitter    
turtlecrunch fucked around with this message at 21:17 on Jun 10, 2014 |
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Jun 10, 2014 21:14
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Updated OP with the blog post and new pics.
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Jun 10, 2014 21:26
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nm
turtlecrunch fucked around with this message at 21:48 on Jun 10, 2014 |
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Jun 10, 2014 21:45
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Sorry, twitter tricked me.  turtlecrunch fucked around with this message at 21:53 on Jun 10, 2014 |
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Jun 10, 2014 21:48
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I try to pay back with a few more tidbits about the real demo, though the person he chose to answer asked a dumb question.
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Jun 10, 2014 21:53
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Gameplay impression: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJtzLXg9AB0
turtlecrunch fucked around with this message at 22:17 on Jun 10, 2014 |
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Jun 10, 2014 22:15
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more 4chan translationquote:OKAY THIS IS WHAT I GATHERED FROM DENGEKI AND FAMITSU I don't know what meaning there is in forbidding magic when your city is wrecked or if they are just saying the gamedevs never wanted magic in at all.
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Jun 10, 2014 22:27
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Dynamic lightning and torches needed for some areas = yes.
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Jun 10, 2014 22:40
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Twitter is saying the demo has some framerate issues. 
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Jun 10, 2014 23:42
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From E3ers posting on Neogaf:quote:Enemies had chatter behavior and reacted to the player like shielding once they saw the player. They also showed npcs that looked like players themselves fighting monsters. You got the choice of helping that npc or using them as a distraction. quote:Garbage [mobs] would stagger character a little bit, while the stronger enemies would inflict a longer hit stun. The miniboss and boss for the area knocked down the character outright. One thing to note was that the character got up more quickly than demons souls quote:One cool part that I saw was that the mobs sent dogs after you once they were alerted. Was pretty intimidating. Those dogs were quick.
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Jun 11, 2014 00:15
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From the Eurogamer E3 coverage: Miyazaki - "One of the core concepts that I've had even with Dark Souls and Demon's Souls is my mission and my goal is to make a very beautiful game. I know a lot of people have a hard time believing it when I say those words, because that's not the first thing that comes to mind. I always believe that there is beauty in darkness. And so with Bloodborne, I feel like the darkness is darker, which means the beauty is going to rise - and you'll be able to really see that beauty out of the darkness." quote:The diseased villagers that patrol the city have broader behaviour patterns - a mob of them may converge in a town square, working together in a hunt, before the familiar ring of a town bell will send them back out again on their own individual paths. It makes for a more organic, more emergent place to explore - enemies no longer simply spawn, it seems, but rather patrol the city according to their own internal logic. quote:As to how exactly the process of fighting alongside other players will work, Miyazaki's coy. "The key concept, or phrase, that we have right now is it's an open explorative community," is all he'll give away. There's also a Dengeki article up, but google translate does not suggest anything particularly new out of it except another of "three themes" Miyazaki is applying to the game. There is mortal combat, and this new one "search of the unknown" which I feel is probably a bad translation. The world is mysterious - surprise!
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Jun 11, 2014 05:09
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Couple more things:
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Jun 11, 2014 15:48
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From the GameTrailers impression: There was not a fog door upon entering the boss fight, but there was one after the fight began. Something (possibly souls? same sound effect) came out killed enemies and was absorbed by the character.
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Jun 11, 2014 16:27
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http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/06/09/playstation-at-e3-2014-watch-it-live/ The game has a segment on Sony's stream at 3:15 PDT today. Also check the e3 topic for some other streams that I think have it on.
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Jun 11, 2014 19:32
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I wasn't going to say anything so that people might hold on to the dream.
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Jun 11, 2014 19:40
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http://blog.us.playstation.com/2014/06/09/playstation-at-e3-2014-watch-it-live/ Bloodborne coverage (of some kind) starts in a couple minutes
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Jun 11, 2014 23:13
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Wow they didn't even bring anybody that made the game. I'm sorry everyone.
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Jun 11, 2014 23:21
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neetengie posted:Why do you keep failing us turtlecrunch? It's unsettling. :/ Here's part of it e: changed to link because it's 22MB  http://a.pomf.se/whhetq.gif It's missing the ladder to heaven section Also the player is an r1 spazz turtlecrunch fucked around with this message at 23:39 on Jun 11, 2014 |
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Jun 11, 2014 23:36
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EC posted:I know this is a joke, but I can't tell you how happy I am that this isn't Dark Souls 3. I like Dark Souls 2, and I'm excited about the DLC, but I can't help but feel a bit done with the game's lore for awhile.  in Bloodborne.But besides that yeah.
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Jun 12, 2014 04:09
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As I recall the only evidence that he is from Carim is that he uses a sniper crossbow which is "favored in Carim" or something like that. It's one of those completely-up-to-you things, rather than a real confirmation. He does say he was grabbed by a shadowy limb and dragged off to the past, like the player, though.
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Jun 12, 2014 04:57
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An interview with Miyazaki from the EU PS blog does not show much new - http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2014/06/12/11-things-need-know-bloodborne-ps4/ The only interesting bits quote:Players that have experienced the other games I have directed are going to see some familiarities, but this is not a sequel…you’re going to find something new in Bloodborne…your gameplay experience is going to be more intense…it will be heightened. quote:...the citizens around are unaware that they too are afflicted [by the disease]. e: Vaati claims insiders have told him the game will have a four-player co-op mode, which also suggests this reddit quote was not fake. turtlecrunch fucked around with this message at 18:54 on Jun 12, 2014 |
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Jun 12, 2014 18:43
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Couple new concepts from the JP Bloodborne Site -  These images are appearing on the cover of Dengeki magazine while Famitsu is using the first concept (the one for the box art). Tweet from the producer:  Amazon now has the Dengeki and Famitsu Bloodborne cover issues for sale, but there is no electronic version so I assume you have to be in Japan - Famitsu turtlecrunch fucked around with this message at 04:54 on Jun 13, 2014 |
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Jun 13, 2014 04:49
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Equilibrium posted:Everytime I see how sick this guy's hat is I feel like watching some Brotherhood of the Wolf. Everyone who wants to play this game should really watch Brotherhood of the Tricorne Badassery.
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Jun 13, 2014 06:06
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Dengeki put either their entire interview or most of it online for some reason. Whip out your favorite translator since I do not have time to attempt to cherrypick points through googletranslate right now - http://dengekionline.com/elem/000/000/865/865467/
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Jun 13, 2014 07:06
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SLOSifl posted:Medium You are the best. So is everyone that preserved the trailer leak. So is Ekster for translating. Looking pretty hype!
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Jun 13, 2014 15:20
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Just to make a note of it, likely dates for the next demos: Gamescom: August 14-17 TGS: September 18-21 Until then, suffering probably.
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Jun 16, 2014 01:04
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4gamer interview with Miyazaki Translation via Neogaf: It Was Never Demon’s Souls 2 Thanks for your time today. I’d like to start by asking how Bloodborne became a completely new title instead of being simply Demon’s Souls 2? Since it’s another collaboration between SCE and From Software, and you are the director again, it just seems natural that the project would be a sequel to Demon’s Souls. This project actually started out with the proposal to make something new on new hardware. It was SCE that came to you with that proposal? Yes. I think it was around the time that development for Artorias of the Abyss Edition of Dark Souls settled down, and it was still before the initial PS4 announcement, but the idea of working on new hardware was very appealing to us, so we eagerly agreed. So the whole thing never even started as Demon’s Souls 2. That definitely sounds like SCE, even if it’s a little crazy. Yes. Those of us actually working on the game never even considered making it Demon’s Souls 2. Even looking at it objectively, it does seem like a very SCE-like decision. How about yourself? Were you interested only in creating something new? That’s a difficult question and I can’t really say for certain. Working on an all new game is definitely appealing, but on the other hand—and I felt this way while working on Artorias of the Abyss Edition—but there is a unique kind of fun when you’re working on a sequel. You can make lots of straightforward additions to what you’ve already built, and there are a lot of things you can take for granted, allowing you to really expand on the scope of the game. Partially because development on Artorias of the Abyss Edition and Dark Souls II was going on simultaneously, I was kind of removed from the development of Dark Souls II and then I began work on Bloodborne. As it turns out, I’m having a ton of fun working on it, too. One thing that’s always seemed strange to me is that you removed yourself from the development of Dark Souls II. How did that happen? I assume that since Dark Souls was so successful, a decision was made to develop a sequel. Not only that, but the sequel would be a big title that could ultimately decide the fate of the company and yet you decided to put someone else in charge of the project. That seems like a pretty crazy business decision for the company to make. I understand what you’re saying. I’m not in a position to say what kind of decision the company made at the time, but my personal thought on that matter was that the Dark Souls II project could be a huge chance for even someone other than myself. I had already received plenty of chances, and if someone else in the company could take that same chance and make good on it, then From Software could grow as an organization. Also, speaking as a developer—and I’ve already said this in previous interviews—but I also wanted to see what kind of possibilities awaited when the base concept of Dark Souls was unshackled from myself. The Three Concepts of Bloodborne I’d like to talk in a bit more detail about what kind of game Bloodborne is. The format of the game is very close to Demon’s Souls. It’s in the action RPG genre and it features a behind-the-back camera. From there, however—the setting, story, various gameplay elements, etcetera—will go in their own direction for this game. So the concept of being a challenging action RPG for gamers remains unchanged? Definitely. That concept won’t change. From the very beginning of this project, the whole premise was to make a serious game for people who like games. On top of that premise, we have a multiple themes throughout the various layers of the game, but three big ones would be “exploring the unknown,” “the feeling of fighting for one’s life,” and “new online elements.” Those are some intriguing keywords. Would you mind explaining each of them? First, in regards to “exploring the unknown,” we wanted to make it fun to explore the environments, but we’re not limiting it to just that. We’re using the phrase to apply to a broader range of concepts. For example, it applies to both the setting and story, too. We want to create a mysterious space for the players to explore. Speaking of which, the setting of this game isn’t all “swords and sorcery,” and appears to be a bit more modern. That’s correct. The concept for the general feeling of the era is very much based on the Victorian era. However, the first thing most people think of when they hear “Victorian era,” is probably London. The setting for this game is not based off London, but more on the remote towns that may have existed in the era. Towns that would feel really old and gloomy. The setting we created takes these old gothic towns and layers more Victorian era elements, such as street lamps, on top of them. Watching the video, the gothic horror atmosphere definitely came across. Yeah. To start off I wanted to convey a similar atmosphere to Bram Stoker’s Dracula. We have this old city in an outlying region, and it was a town long known for its medical community, but now there’s a disease spreading called the “plague of the beast—“that kind of setting. What made you want to go with that kind of setting? I have a few reasons, but first and foremost, the setting really matched the new gameplay I had in mind. What kind of new gameplay? That ties in to the second theme I mentioned—“the feeling of fighting for one’s life.” In Demon’s Souls, the battle system was really defined by swords and shields, particularly shields, and it ended up feeling a bit passive. Yes, I remember hearing that you wanted to recreate the feeling of sword fighting that was in the movie Excalibur—that sense of deflecting the opponent’s attack with your shield, and using that opening to counter attack. That’s right. With Demon’s Souls, we had that more passive feeling in mind when creating the battle system, but with this game, we want to make it more active—make it more of something where you’re fighting your way out of a dangerous situation. Taking the angle of active vs. passive definitely seems interesting. When I thought about how we could express this idea of more active battles in the game, I thought that guns could be effective. However, I didn’t want to turn the game into a shooter. I wanted the guns to show their true usefulness in close quarters combat. That’s why an era in which guns existed, but they are still more like old-timey guns really worked for this game. At the same time, the elaborate designs of the Gothic and Victorian eras, and the images and atmosphere that can be created by layering those designs on top of each other, are things that we can now make a reality with the power of the PS4, and that kind of direction is something we really wanted to pursue. So it’s from both a gameplay and visual standpoint that brought us to this setting. So, with this more active direction you’re taking with the gameplay, does that mean we can expect to quickly dispatch tons of enemies as we make our way through the game? No, that’s not what I meant. One of the other themes is “the feeling of fighting for one’s life,” so I definitely think the feeling of the gameplay and the challenge that people have come to expect from us will remain intact. I see. That puts some of my fears to rest. Going back to the theme of “exploring the unknown,” we want to apply that concept to the various gameplay elements, too. The tactical aspect of having more active battles is part of that, but we also want to include a variety of unknown elements in the other facets of gameplay, such as character builds and the routes and strategies that players take through the game. We want players to enjoy groping their way through the game and exploring. One example I can use to explain what I mean would be the weapon contraptions that, in addition to the gun, kind of defines the weapons of Bloodborne. In the E3 version of the CG movie, we showed the saw machete weapon. This weapon has a very unique shape and it can also transform. Its abilities also change depending on which transformation it is in. How you use these different transformations becomes part of the gameplay, and there are even unique attacks with their own traits that can be performed only while the weapon is mid-transformation. I think players will find a lot of room for exploration when it comes to mastering the different weapons Interesting. I can’t wait to see more. New Experiences Brought by Fighting for Your Life Could you talk a little more about the second concept, “the feeling of fighting for one’s life?” That concept is applied both to the presentation of the game and the game’s systems. On the presentation side, we want players to fear the enemies and feel like they are fighting for their lives, so we are putting a lot of effort into the expressions and interactions in the game to accomplish this. A very straightforward example would be blood splatters. However, the goal isn’t to simply be grotesque or to make people feel revolted. We want the players to feel scared of the enemies and for the combat to feel deadly. That way, when they emerge victorious, there’s a very strong sense of joy, or relief. We want players to feel like, “That was crazy! I can’t believe I won…” Interesting. With Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls, we always wanted players to feel a sense of accomplishment. That’s the only reason we went with a higher difficulty. That makes sense. And in this game, too, we want players to feel that sense of accomplishment. In order to make that feeling even stronger than before, we needed another pillar other than just a high difficulty. To allow for players to feel that sense of accomplishment, the difficulty must be set at a level that players can overcome. Difficulty isn’t something that you can just endlessly raise. No matter the game or genre, getting that balance right is always a difficult problem. Indeed. So, our way of thinking is that we have the high difficulty on one side, but on the other side we have this feeling of fighting for your life to help bring about that sense of accomplishment. You encounter an enemy and know it’s going to be a tough battle. You start fighting and your hands get sweaty, and you feel like you barely scraped through by the end of the encounter. We knew we wanted elements to make players feel that way other than just numerical difficulty settings. That makes a lot of sense. What are some of the actual systems in the game that you used to express that feeling? The more active battles I just explained are one part of that. We’re also thinking of certain elements that entice players into engaging in these deadly battles. Unfortunately, I can’t talk in detail about this right now. This applies to Demon’s Souls as well, but I’m always impressed with how you can take certain themes and concepts and really express them within the game by implementing them into the game systems. I’m really excited to see how this “feeling of fighting for one’s life” concept is expressed in the final game. Yeah. We hope to effectively convey that feeling both from the presentation side of things and the game systems. Approaching Network Systems from a Social Science Perspective The third concept I mentioned, “new online elements,” is something I can’t talk in detail about right now. The key phrase would be “free sharing of exploration,” but I can’t say any more about it, so please wait for future announcements. New online elements, you say? Yes. Just like with Demon’s Souls, we want to do something cool with the network features. I wondered this when I first interviewed you about Demon’s Souls, but do you come up with these new network features all by yourself? Yeah. I mean, I like to bounce ideas off trusted members of the team, and I get a low of new ideas by doing that, but when you’re first thinking of network features, it can be very conceptual and abstract, so I spend a lot of time, comparatively, thinking of them by myself. This may apply to all aspects of my games, but especially with the network features, it can be very hard to get other people to understand my ideas (laughs). Interesting… So, do you have a pretty deep knowledge of how network services are designed? No, not really. But you always come up with features that really use the network features in a good way. In Demon’s Souls, you had the bloodstain system that showed how other players died, and the more seamless cooperative and PvP gameplay. Those types of systems have become more commonplace now, but when Demon’s souls came out, and especially when you were still in the planning stages, I don’t think most people would have been able to come up with those ideas. You’re definitely right that it was hard for people to understand at the time. I have a lot of bitter memories from that time. The online multiplayer systems and features of the day tended to come from a much simpler way of thought—like, “this would be much more fun if we could play together!”—but that’s where a lot of those ideas seemed to stop. A lot of games didn’t seem to fully take into account the merits and demerits of those systems. But you, on the other hand, even a long time ago would say that “playing together is fun, but playing together at the same time can be a pain.” I remember you saying, “There has to be more possibilities with asynchronous mutliplayer gameplay.” Those words left a strong impression on me. Yeah, I remember saying that. I’m the same way now, but at the time—and this may sound a bit pretentious—I was thinking about network systems in video games from more of a social sciences standpoint. Social sciences? Yes. When I was in university and later graduate school, I was interested in studying social sciences on the side. At the time, the Internet had really just entered the world. Looking back, it was a very interesting era—a time that really made me think about a lot of things. Of course, I was always playing video games and wasn’t a very serious student, so I don’t mean to say I’m some kind of expert, but I think I was influenced in a way. Interesting. So that formed the backbone for your later work. Nothing so grandiose as that. I just had academic leanings in that direction. I think a lot of people from my generation will know what I’m talking about. Hmmm… I find network systems to be very interesting, both in general and when applied to games. Whether it’s an experience in a game or some kind of value, it can be expanded across a multitude of layers. This may sound a bit dramatic, but I feel that I’m very lucky to be able to create games in an era like this. Well, I don’t know what kind of network systems we’ll find in Bloodborne, but in terms of it being a new challenge for you, you certainly have me excited. Creating Something Special Another question I had was if the teams working on Bloodborne and Dark Souls II are completely different or not. They are totally separate teams. At From Software, we have the development resources to work on two so-called “high-end” games simultaneously. Bloodborne is one of those titles, and we’ve been working on it in parallel with Dark Souls II. In terms of games being developed domestically in Japan, I feel that Bloodborne is definitely one of the bigger projects. At the same time, people are always talking about how Japan has a tough time competing head-on with the so-called triple-A game studios overseas, and that Japanese developers have to approach things from a slightly different angle. Are you conscious of that at all when developing games? That’s a tricky topic. Speaking strictly about Bloodborne, the project has become quite large, but at the same time, I think that our particular style is still very much intact. It’s not so much a conscious decision that we keep our unique style intact, but more that it just happens naturally. Either way, the result is that we probably do end up approaching things somewhat differently. When you say it naturally ends up that way, is that because the development team structure ultimately has you making the decisions? That’s not necessarily always the reason, but it may be one. When it comes to game design, our style is to not have a “lead designer,” but instead have the director work directly with the individual designers. That, of course, has both a good and bad side. The good side is that you don’t lose sight of what you set out to make, and it’s easier to make your unique style shine through, but on the other hand, there are physical limitations. For as much as the structure allows you to you really stay on target, it’s also easy to become immobilized. It also heavily depends on who is the director. That’s right. In the end, you have to find the right team structure for the people creating the game. For example, we adopted different styles for Bloodborne and Dark Souls II. However, regardless of all that, for us at From Software, the base premise is always to make a good game--we all want to make something special. We’re always conscious of that. You can call that our unique style, or being “From-like,” but whatever it is, it comes down to being something special. I don’t intend to define what “something special” means, but I think it’s something that has value, and I want From Software to continue being a company that has it. Staying Involved in Game Development There’s another thing that’s been on my mind that I’d like to ask you about. Recently, it was announced that you would be taking on the position of president at From Software. Yes, that’s correct… So I think there’s a bit of concern, or should I say "worry," among fans about just how much you can be involved in the day-to-day development while also serving as the president of the company. You are definitely the director on Bloodborne, right? Not a producer or anything? Yes. On Bloodborne, I am 100% the director. Oh, that sure is a relief! But are you able to keep up your presidential duties at the same time? Yeah, I’m getting by. I learned a lot from developing Dark Souls, so I have another person at the director level supporting me on this project, and I’m finding a way to make things work. Since this interview is about Bloodborne, I’d rather not talk too much about my role as president of From Software, but simply put, one of my conditions for taking on the role of president was that I would be able to remain involved in the day-to-day game development. Conditions? Yes. It might not have been the best idea to set conditions when they were offering me the position of president, but my personal goal has always been to create games. I think I understand how you feel. The previous president, Jin, was really understanding in this regard. Anyway, I am definitely the director of Bloodborne, and my becoming president will not lessen my involvement in any way. This is a bit of a tangent, but your first project to work as a director was Armored Core 4, right? That’s right. I started as the lead planner on the project, but became the director mid-way through the prototype phase. As the lead planner, I was in charge of the setting, story, design, and the game systems. One of the more distinctive features I worked on was the Quick Boost mechanic. Oh, really? I remember feeling that Armored Core 4 and the sequel Armored Core for Answer felt even more video gamey than previous Armored Core titles, so I guess that was due to your involvement. But with Armored Core for Answer, we were working on that in parallel with Demon’s Souls, so there were quite a few challenges. When Demon’s Souls was in the initial planning stages, and right around the time it was entering the prototype phase, I came on as the director, and at the time, it was a completely different and very difficult project compared to what it ended up becoming. Is that so? Yes. One thing I remember was that the camera perspective was completely different. At the time, the plan was to make it first-person, or more specifically, a game in which you switched between first and third-person perspectives. Wow, really? Yeah. At the time, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was a really big deal, and I think SCE wanted a game similar to that. From my perspective, though, I didn’t think we could compete by taking the same approach as Oblivion, so I wanted to focus more on gameplay elements like battles and exploration, and had to do a lot to convince everyone that a third-person camera was the way to go. What did you say to convince them? I started by explaining the direction of the game. I just mentioned the focus on battles and exploration, and in order to facilitate those, I knew that a locked third-person camera was the best way to go, so I explained my logic. Whether you take the environment layout, the object and enemy placement, or the back-and-forth action in battle, I knew we couldn’t do our best work unless the camera perspective was set. Even talking about the multiplayer elements and other facets of gameplay, I believed a third-person perspective was best. I said a lot of stuff like that, and whatever came to mind to convince them (laughs). Making It Exciting I think we’re running out of time, but is there anything you’d like to say to our readers and your fans? Sure. To kind of summarize what we’ve talked about, I’d like to say that Bloodborne is a game that’s been full of challenges for us—it’s an all-new game that we’re developing on new hardware. However, the underlying philosophy of the game is the same as the projects we’ve worked on up until now—we want to make games with satisfying gameplay that are fun for people who like games, for example. Being able to talk to you today, and seeing the game in motion has really put some of my fears to rest. I can only hope that fans will also rest at ease, but at the same time get excited for all of the new stuff we have in the game. I feel like there aren’t a lot of games these days that people can get excited about just from reading about them, but I think people might be quite excited for this game! If that’s true, I couldn’t be happier. As a gamer myself, I love getting excited for games. Just to be completely sure, allow me to ask one final time, but your becoming president of From Software won’t have any negative effect on Bloodborne, right? Definitely not. Even when Jin was in charge, From Software was never a company where the president couldn’t be involved in game development. So I guess the roles of president and game director aren’t entirely conflicting then. Perhaps that’s especially true at From Software. That’s right. Of course, there are duties I need to take care of as president, but everything comes back to making a good product and a good game. If that’s the case, then of course it’s also a good thing for me as a game creator. Is that the case? It sure hope so (laughs)! Anyway, although the release is still a ways out, I hope everyone will look forward to Bloodborne. Thanks for your time today. Thank you! turtlecrunch fucked around with this message at 06:44 on Jun 19, 2014 |
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Jun 18, 2014 20:42
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Added the last part of the translated interview to this post - some discussion of B Team, From Software as a whole, and how SCE wanted Demon's Souls to be like Oblivion. 
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Jun 19, 2014 06:47
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