Today marks the 10th anniversary of Bloodborne, and fans are celebrating by organizing another "Return to Yharnam" community event. FromSoftware's PlayStation 4 masterpiece, which launched on March 24, 2015, not only solidified the Japanese developer's reputation as one of the greatest in the industry but also garnered both critical and commercial success. Given its impact, a sequel or a remastered version seemed inevitable, yet fans have been left waiting.
The question on everyone's mind is: why hasn't Sony followed up on Bloodborne with a current-gen remaster, a sequel, or even a next-gen update to bring the game to 60fps? Despite the fervent requests from the community, Sony's silence on this matter remains one of the most baffling business decisions in the gaming world.
Earlier this year, Shuhei Yoshida, a PlayStation legend who has since left Sony, offered a theory during an interview with Kinda Funny Games. Yoshida emphasized that his thoughts were purely speculative and not based on insider information. He suggested that Hidetaka Miyazaki, the visionary behind FromSoftware and creator of Bloodborne, might be the reason for the lack of updates. Yoshida theorized that Miyazaki, who has been extremely successful with projects like the Dark Souls series and the recent hit Elden Ring, might be too busy to work on Bloodborne himself and unwilling to let others touch his beloved creation. Yoshida believes that Sony respects Miyazaki's wishes, which could explain the absence of new developments.
Miyazaki's busy schedule is evident from his work on Dark Souls 3, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Elden Ring, with a multiplayer spin-off of the latter on the horizon. In interviews, he often avoids questions about Bloodborne, citing that FromSoftware does not own the IP. However, last year, he acknowledged that the game could benefit from being released on more modern hardware.
In the meantime, modders have stepped in to enhance the Bloodborne experience. However, their efforts have faced resistance from Sony. For instance, Lance McDonald, known for his 60fps mod, received a takedown notice from Sony Interactive Entertainment four years after its release. Similarly, Lilith Walther, creator of projects like Nightmare Kart and the Bloodborne PSX demake, faced copyright claims on her old YouTube videos.
Recently, advancements in PS4 emulation, highlighted by Digital Foundry's coverage of the ShadPS4 breakthrough, have allowed Bloodborne to be played at 60fps on PC. This development might have prompted Sony's aggressive response, though Sony has not commented on the matter when approached by IGN.
With no official updates in sight, fans have taken it upon themselves to keep the spirit of Bloodborne alive through community events like "Return to Yharnam." Today's event encourages players to start new characters, summon cooperators and invaders, and leave in-game messages to signify their participation in this community-driven celebration.
As fans continue to celebrate and honor Bloodborne, the future of the game remains uncertain, leaving the community to wonder if these grassroots efforts will be their only connection to Yharnam moving forward.
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