The Bloodborne PSX demake, a fan project inspired by the beloved PlayStation 4 game, has recently encountered a copyright claim, following in the footsteps of the Bloodborne 60fps mod which was hit with a similar issue last week. Lance McDonald, the creator of the well-known Bloodborne 60fps mod, shared that he received a takedown notice from Sony Interactive Entertainment requesting the removal of links to his patch, which he complied with. This action came four years after the mod's initial release.
Lilith Walther, the creative mind behind Nightmare Kart (formerly known as Bloodborne Kart) and the visually striking Bloodborne PSX demake, reported that a YouTube video showcasing the demake was targeted with a copyright claim by MarkScan Enforcement. McDonald further clarified that MarkScan is a firm employed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, the same entity that had previously issued a DMCA against his 60fps patch page. He expressed his confusion and frustration over the situation, questioning the motives behind these actions.
Bloodborne, developed by FromSoftware, remains a significant enigma in the gaming world. Despite its critical and commercial success upon its PS4 launch, Sony has not revisited the title for updates, remasters, or sequels. The gaming community has been vocal about their desire for an official next-gen patch to boost the game's performance to 60fps from its current 30fps, alongside calls for a full remaster or sequel.
Recent advancements in PS4 emulation have allowed fans to experience a version of Bloodborne on PC that resembles a remaster, running at 60fps. Digital Foundry highlighted this "breakthrough in PS4 emulation" using ShadPS4, which enables the game to be played from start to finish at the higher frame rate. This development has led to speculation about whether it prompted Sony's aggressive copyright enforcement. IGN reached out to Sony for comment, but as of now, there has been no response.
In the midst of these events, McDonald proposed a theory suggesting that Sony might be preparing to announce an official 60fps remake of Bloodborne. He speculated that Sony's takedown actions could be aimed at clearing the way for such an announcement, ensuring that searches for "Bloodborne 60fps" and "Bloodborne remake" do not lead to fan projects. He humorously referred to this as his "copium theory," hinting at his hopefulness despite the uncertainty.
Despite these recent moves by Sony, there is no concrete evidence that the company plans to revisit Bloodborne. Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida offered his perspective on the lack of updates for the game, suggesting that FromSoftware's director, Hidetaka Miyazaki, might be protective of the title and unwilling to let others work on it due to his busy schedule and success with other projects. Yoshida emphasized that this was merely his personal theory and not based on insider information.
As Bloodborne approaches nearly a decade since its initial release, the game remains untouched by official updates. However, Miyazaki has acknowledged in past interviews that the game could benefit from being released on more modern hardware, though he often redirects questions about its future, noting that FromSoftware does not own the intellectual property.
