TheDemon’s Soulsremake has been announced as one of the headline launch titles for the PlayStation 5. The original game first released in 2009 and is considered the founding example of the popular Souls-like genre. After all, it wasDemon’s Soulsthat first bore the Souls name and prototyped the genre’s punishing difficulty.
However, although it spawned an impressive legacy,Demon’s Soulsdidn’t have an easy development. In fact, there were times when it seemed uncertain if the game would even reach western audiences. Looking back, the legacy ofDemon’s Soulsis not only an incredible series of games, but also one of thebiggest mistakes that Sony ever madein publishing. A mistake that it is now correcting, as the game’s long-awaited remake is given headline status on the PS5.
A New Kind of Difficulty
Demon’s Souls’developmental difficulties came from its unique nature, as developers From Software struggled to stray true to its goal of releasing a game designed to be difficult. The trend at the time, as it remains today, was for games to offer a range of difficulty options. This allowed skilled players to challenge themselves, without frustrating others.
The radical concept of a game designed to be frustratingly difficult was not an easy one for publisher Sony. In fact, after Sony president Shuhei Yoshida failed to get past the starting area within two hours of play, he dubbed it “an unbelievably bad game.” This feeling, along witha negative reactionfrom the Japanese press, caused Sony to lose all faith in the game’s success.
The Big Mistake
Not long after its launch, the decision was made that Sony wouldn’t publishDemon’s Soulsoutside of Japan. In fact, it took over eight months until the title reached the rest of the world, courtesy of third-party publisher Atlus USA. But, asDemon’s Soulsscored rave reviewsamong western critics, it became clear that Sony had made a major mistake.
Unfortunately for From Software, however,Sony still owned the IPforDemon’s Souls, making the developer unable to capitalize on the surprise success without approval. In the end, From Software designed a new game along the same lines and called itDark Souls. WhileDemon’s Soulswill always be remembered as the beginning of the Souls-like phenomenon, it wasDark Soulsthat propelled it into the limelight.
RELATED:New Demon’s Souls Screenshots and PS5 Box Art Revealed
Demon’s Souls Reborn
Sony’s failure to see the potential inDemon’s Soulscost it access to one of the most popular series of the past decade. It was a failure brought on by uncertainty, as well as a negative feeling among Sony’s employees. Now the company hasa chance to correct that mistake, and it seems as if it intends to grasp that chance with both hands.
Back in 2009,Demon’s Soulswas a risky, experimental product, certainly not the kind of game that Sony would consider as a launch title for a brand new console. Eleven years later, and the remake is exactly that, aheadline title for the PlayStation 5. But that’s not all, it’s also one of the few PS5 exclusives to be announced so far.
The remake, which is developed by Bluepoint Games, a Texas-based studio that specializes in remakes and remasters, will launch on November 12. It will arrive alongsidethe PlayStation 5 launchin North America, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea. The PS5 will be coming to the rest of the world a week later on November 19, though its Chinese release date is yet to be revealed. As such, Sony seems reliant on not repeating the mistakes of the past.
