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[Bloodborne] 4Gamer Interview with Hidetaka Miyazaki - [Fully Translated]

  • Thread starter Deleted member 17706
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D

Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
I just visited 4Gamer.net and saw they put up an interview with Hidetaka Miyazaki about Bloodborne.

http://www.4gamer.net/games/260/G026038/20140611091/

edit: now that I've finished the translation, I'll post the whole interview in this and the following post. Please let me know if you spot anything weird.

It Was Never Demon’s Souls 2

4Gamer:
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.

Miyazaki:
This project actually started out with the proposal to make something new on new hardware.

4Gamer:
It was SCE that came to you with that proposal?

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
So the whole thing never even started as Demon’s Souls 2. That definitely sounds like SCE, even if it’s a little crazy.

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
How about yourself? Were you interested only in creating something new?

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
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.

Miyazaki:
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

4Gamer:
I’d like to talk in a bit more detail about what kind of game Bloodborne is.

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
So the concept of being a challenging action RPG for gamers remains unchanged?

Miyazaki:
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.”

4Gamer:
Those are some intriguing keywords. Would you mind explaining each of them?

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
Speaking of which, the setting of this game isn’t all “swords and sorcery,” and appears to be a bit more modern.

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
Watching the video, the gothic horror atmosphere definitely came across.

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
What made you want to go with that kind of setting?

Miyazaki:
I have a few reasons, but first and foremost, the setting really matched the new gameplay I had in mind.

4Gamer:
What kind of new gameplay?

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
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.

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
Taking the angle of active vs. passive definitely seems interesting.

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
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?

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
I see. That puts some of my fears to rest.

Miyazaki:
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

4Gamer:
Interesting. I can’t wait to see more.

New Experiences Brought by Fighting for Your Life

4Gamer:
Could you talk a little more about the second concept, “the feeling of fighting for one’s life?”

Miyazaki:
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…”

4Gamer:
Interesting.

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
That makes sense.

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
No matter the game or genre, getting that balance right is always a difficult problem.

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
That makes a lot of sense. What are some of the actual systems in the game that you used to express that feeling?

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
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.

Miyazaki:
Yeah. We hope to effectively convey that feeling both from the presentation side of things and the game systems.
 
D

Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
Approaching Network Systems from a Social Science Perspective

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
New online elements, you say?

Miyazaki:
Yes. Just like with Demon’s Souls, we want to do something cool with the network features.

4Gamer:
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?

Miyazaki:
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).

4Gamer:
Interesting… So, do you have a pretty deep knowledge of how network services are designed?

Miyazaki:
No, not really.

4Gamer:
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.

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
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.

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
Social sciences?

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
Interesting. So that formed the backbone for your later work.

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
Hmmm…

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
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

4Gamer:
Another question I had was if the teams working on Bloodborne and Dark Souls II are completely different or not.

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
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?

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
When you say it naturally ends up that way, is that because the development team structure ultimately has you making the decisions?

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
It also heavily depends on who is the director.

Miyazaki:
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

4Gamer:
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.

Miyazaki:
Yes, that’s correct…

4Gamer:
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?

Miyazaki:
Yes. On Bloodborne, I am 100% the director.

4Gamer:
Oh, that sure is a relief! But are you able to keep up your presidential duties at the same time?

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
Conditions?

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
I think I understand how you feel.

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
This is a bit of a tangent, but your first project to work as a director was Armored Core 4, right?

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
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.

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
Is that so?

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
Wow, really?

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
What did you say to convince them?

Miyazaki:
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

4Gamer:
I think we’re running out of time, but is there anything you’d like to say to our readers and your fans?

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
Being able to talk to you today, and seeing the game in motion has really put some of my fears to rest.

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
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!

Miyazaki:
If that’s true, I couldn’t be happier. As a gamer myself, I love getting excited for games.

4Gamer:
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?

Miyazaki:
Definitely not. Even when Jin was in charge, From Software was never a company where the president couldn’t be involved in game development.

4Gamer:
So I guess the roles of president and game director aren’t entirely conflicting then. Perhaps that’s especially true at From Software.

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
Is that the case?

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
Thank you!
 

boinx

Member
Nice! I hope this isn't going to be the last we here about this game this year.

TGS would be a perfect oppoetunirty to expand on what they've shown.

Sony is going full in with this game, it's getting marketing like no Souls game has gotten before. Praise the Yoshida.
 
4gamer asks some actually probing questions without coming off as prying or confrontational. Extremely commendable.

Also, can anyone find that interview Miyazaki did saying that Souls was not meant to just continue for long? It popped up around when the DeS 2 rumors started, but was from an older interview.

I just visited 4Gamer.net and saw they put up an interview with Hidetaka Miyazaki about Bloodborne.

http://www.4gamer.net/games/260/G026038/20140611091/

I haven't read through the entire thing yet, but I'll work on translating the content over the next couple of hours and will update the thread once I'm done. Hope nobody minds my posting this thread as kind of a placeholder.

I don't mind, you're doing DAH LAWDS WORK here.
 
If Bloodborne is successful i can imagine Sony & Miyazaki teaming up again. On the other hand Namco would probably want another souls game.
 

ShinMaruku

Member
I like how this guy thinks. I think this is the way Sony can bring back some Japanese developers to the ps4 is through collaboration like this, de-risk it in the benefit that you have the game to yourself and make these guys get the console legs again
 

nym

Neo Member
If Bloodborne is successful i can imagine Sony & Miyazaki teaming up again. On the other hand Namco would probably want another souls game.

To this point, do we think From would ever out source a souls game? I think it's awesome they are moving toward a new IP, but I can also see Namco wanting another souls game.

I enjoyed the bits about Dark Souls 2 dev, and appreciate him wanting to give other people chances to grow.
 

Yuterald

Member
I wish these interviewers would ask questions about their lineage/history. Like, would they ever consider returning to King's Field? Or what about some of there other series/IPs that have been on hiatus (like Otogi, Lost Kingdoms, etc.)? I understand the focus is on Bloodborne/Souls game as that's the hot shit right now, but from an old school From fan perspective, I wanna know what happened to my old fart games/series.
 
Hmm I wonder why he refrain's from telling us on why he was released as DS2's director.

Presumably work on DS2 happened before Bloodborne making it even weirder that they would not only remove Miyazaki but also the A team. Perhaps the original team were moved to Bloodborne after Miyazaki and SCE were happy with it.
 

BennyBlanco

aka IMurRIVAL69
I wish these interviewers would ask questions about their lineage/history. Like, would they ever consider returning to King's Field? Or what about some of there other series/IPs that have been on hiatus (like Otogi, Lost Kingdoms, etc.)? I understand the focus is on Bloodborne/Souls game as that's the hot shit right now, but from an old school From fan perspective, I wanna know what happened to my old fart games/series.

Yea, a modern Otogi could be amazing. MS might own the IP though.
 
At the end of the interview, the interviewee talks about the high praise he has for Miyazaki and links to an old Demon's Souls interview with Miyazaki and Kajii. There's a pretty funny part where he's asked about how obtuse DS is...

Miyazaki: You're right. The world, the gameplay systems, it's all so hard to explain. I feel bad about creating such a "hard to sell" game. To be honest, I'm amazed the project was even approved. Thank you so much, Kajii-san.

Kajii: Huh? Well... (pained laughter) I'm just glad so many people ended up playing it. (laugh)
 
I wish these interviewers would ask questions about their lineage/history. Like, would they ever consider returning to King's Field? Or what about some of there other series/IPs that have been on hiatus (like Otogi, Lost Kingdoms, etc.)? I understand the focus is on Bloodborne/Souls game as that's the hot shit right now, but from an old school From fan perspective, I wanna know what happened to my old fart games/series.

Demons Souls is often referred to as the spiritual successor of Kings Field. There's only so much FROM can work on and I doubt they are going to go back to a series that did not sell well and also has a really popular successor.

I expect them to make another Armoured Core though.
 

jyx

Member
Thanx for the translation. I am soooo looking foward to play Bloodborne. Everything sounds awesome :)
 

Orayn

Member
The time when development of Artorias of the Abyss "settled down" could be as early as May or June 2012 if that just refers to having the DLC finished. That moves the development timeline back even farther and means the game will have nearly 3 years in development. Good stuff!
 

Koobion

Member
Very smart on both parties not wanting Demon Souls 2

I see a number of people saying this, but I don't quite understand the logic behind it. Do people not think Demon's 2 would be as successful as a new IP? (But it has great recognition..)

Or do you just not want it to be Demon's 2, regardless of market potential? I'm in the middle personally. I wanted something that plays like the Souls games - and this does! Though I would love more lore.
 

John Harker

Definitely doesn't make things up as he goes along.
Sweet. That worked out well for everyone. Dark Souls II got to be amazing and in some ways (not all) better than DS1, and proved that From Software has team leaders who can do multiple projects... which then freed Bloodborne directors up enough to already get so far ahead in development.

While I hope we don't get Bloodborne till holiday 2015, I'm excited about the prospects of Dark Souls 3 a year or two after that.
 
Hopefully this will finally silence the people claiming that this started out as a last gen or cross gen title.

Thanks for the translation OP
 

Wagram

Member
I see a number of people saying this, but I don't quite understand the logic behind it. Do people not think Demon's 2 would be as successful as a new IP? (But it has great recognition..)

Or do you just not want it to be Demon's 2, regardless of market potential? I'm in the middle personally. I wanted something that plays like the Souls games - and this does! Though I would love more lore.

I think at this point it comes down to a formula change. As much as I would like to see Demon's 2. I know that if I played it I would likely feel slightly disappointed that it's still the same formula. I know at the end of the day I would enjoy it, but I know I would enjoy an alteration like Bloodborne more.

I don't want a Call of Duty style series with the "Souls" style games.
 

Kagari

Crystal Bearer
Sweet. That worked out well for everyone. Dark Souls II got to be amazing and in some ways (not all) better than DS1, and proved that From Software has team leaders who can do multiple projects... which then freed Bloodborne directors up enough to already get so far ahead in development.

While I hope we don't get Bloodborne till holiday 2015, I'm excited about the prospects of Dark Souls 3 a year or two after that.

It's scheduled for Spring 2015, at least in Japan.
 

MavFan619

Banned
While I hope we don't get Bloodborne till holiday 2015, I'm excited about the prospects of Dark Souls 3 a year or two after that.
Please don't say Holiday I'm hoping Spring 2015 pans out for the release, the wait with little bits of info (including this interview) has me in anguish.
 
D

Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
Sorry for the delay. Doing this while at work, so can't focus on it completely.

Here's the second section: the concepts of Bloodborne!

「Bloodborne」で掲げている3つのコンセプト

4Gamer:
 さて,では「Bloodborne」ですが,具体的にはどんな作品になっているんですか?

宮崎氏:
 ゲームフォーマットは「Demon's Souls」に近いですね。ジャンルはアクションRPGですし,カメラ位置もキャラクターの背後です。もっともそこから先,例えば,世界観や物語であるとか,あるいは諸々のゲーム性であるとかは,本作独自のものになっていくと思います。

4Gamer:
 ゲーマー向けの,歯ごたえのあるアクションRPGを――というコンセプトは変わらないのでしょうか?

宮崎氏:
 はい。そこは変わりません。
 そもそも企画の初期段階から,本作の大前提は「ゲーム好きのための本格ゲーム」でしたから。そのうえで,本作は各レイヤーで幾つかのテーマを持っているのですが,まずは3つ,「未知の探索」「死闘感」「新しいオンライン要素」というのが挙げられると思います。

4Gamer:
 気になるキーワードです。一つ一つ説明してもらえますか。

宮崎氏:
 まず「未知の探索」ですが,これはもちろん,マップの探索を楽しんでほしい,ということもあるのですが,ここではそれに留まらず,より広い概念として言葉を使っています。
 それは例えば,世界観や物語についても,ミステリアスで謎に満ちた,ユーザーさんの探索空間でありたい,ということですね。

4Gamer:
 そういえば,今作は,世界観がいわゆる「剣と魔法」というものではなくて,ちょっと近代寄りの世界観になっていますよね。

宮崎氏:
 はい。時代性としては,ヴィクトリア時代をイメージしています。
 ただ,ヴィクトリア時代というと,まずロンドンなどを思い浮かべられるかと思うのですが,本作の舞台はそうしたヴィクトリア時代の中心地ではなく,その時代の辺境,古めかしく陰気な街,ということになります。ゴシックの古い街並みに,街灯であるとか,ヴィクトリア時代のモチーフを重ねた,歴史のある世界観ですね。

4Gamer:
 映像などを見ると,ゴシックホラー的な雰囲気が色濃いですよね。

宮崎氏:
 そうですね。ブラム・ストーカーの「ドラキュラ」とか,まずは,そういう雰囲気を感じてもらえればと思います。辺境の古都,その街は古い医療の街なのだけれど,風土病である「獣の病」が流行っていて――という感じですね。

4Gamer:
 なぜ,そういう世界観にしようと思ったのですか。

宮崎氏:
 理由は幾つかあるんですが,まずは,今作で考えていた「新しいゲーム性」に合っていた,ということですね。

4Gamer:
 新しいゲーム性?

宮崎氏:
 はい。これは,2つめのテーマ「死闘感」と関連する話なのですが,「Demon's Souls」のバトルベースって,剣と盾,特に盾で定義される,どちらかといえば受動的なイメージだったじゃないですか。

4Gamer:
 ああ,確か映画「エクスカリバー」で見られるような“剣戟感”を再現したかった,みたいなお話でしたよね。盾で敵の攻撃をガキーンって弾いて,その隙に反撃するだとか。

宮崎氏:
 そうです。そんな話もありましたね。とにかく「Demon's Souls」では,そうした,どちらかといえば受動的なバトルベースをイメージしていたのですが,本作では,それをより能動的というか,なんらか状況を打開していくようなものに転換しようと考えていたんです。

4Gamer:
 受動的,能動的って切り口は面白いですね。

宮崎氏:
 それで,じゃあその「能動的なバトルベース」をどう表現していくか,と考えたとき,銃が有効に思えたのです。 ただそれは,いわゆるシューターにしたいわけじゃなくて,近接戦闘で活用してこそ真価を発揮するようなイメージでしたから,銃は存在するが,まだ古い銃のイメージが残っている――といった時代性が,都合がよかったのです。
 一方では,ゴシックなりヴィクトリアなりの凝った装飾性や,それらを重ねた重層的な画づくり,雰囲気づくりなど,PS4のパワーがあってはじめて実現できる部分もありましたし,我々が是非やりたかった,ということもあります。大きくそうした両面が,現在の世界観でうまくすり合ってくれた,ということですね。

4Gamer:
 その“能動的なゲーム性”というのは,いわゆるドンドン敵を倒して進んでいくような方向と考えていいんですか。

宮崎氏:
 いえ,そういうことではありません。
 「死闘感」というテーマもありますし,我々らしい手触りとか手応えといったものは,残ると思いますよ。

4Gamer:
 なるほど。そのお話を聞いてちょっと安心しました。

宮崎氏:
 で,話を戻しますが,先ほどの「未知の探索」は,ゲーム要素も含む概念として考えています。ご説明した「能動的なバトル」の戦術性そうですし,攻略やキャラクタービルドなどもそうなのですが,そうした色々なゲーム要素に,未知のものを手探りで探索し,見出す楽しみを込められたらなと。
 例えば,銃と合わせて今回の武器を定義する,「仕掛け武器」なども分かりやすいでしょうか。E3版のCGムービーなどでは,まず「ノコギリ鉈」が提示されていますが,これは独特の形状と変形機構を持つ武器でして,変形前後で武器の特性が変化します。
 ですからまず,それをどう使い分けていくのか,というゲーム性がありますし,更には「変形させながらの攻撃」などもあって,またそれにも特性がある,という感じで, 「この武器を使いこなす」ということについて,結構な探索空間があると思います。

4Gamer:
 なるほど。それは楽しみです。


The Three Concepts of Bloodborne

4Gamer:
I’d like to talk in a bit more detail about what kind of game Bloodborne is.

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
So the concept of being a challenging action RPG for gamers remains unchanged?

Miyazaki:
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.”

4Gamer:
Those are some intriguing keywords. Would you mind explaining each of them?

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
Speaking of which, the setting of this game isn’t all “swords and sorcery,” and appears to be a bit more modern.

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
Watching the video, the gothic horror atmosphere definitely came across.

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
What made you want to go with that kind of setting?

Miyazaki:
I have a few reasons, but first and foremost, the setting really matched the new gameplay I had in mind.

4Gamer:
What kind of new gameplay?

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
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.

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
Taking the angle of active vs. passive definitely seems interesting.

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
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?

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
I see. That puts some of my fears to rest.

Miyazaki:
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

4Gamer:
Interesting. I can’t wait to see more.
 

Wereroku

Member
Miyazaki:
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

Now this sounds awesome so there will be attacks involving the transition period of weapons as well. This should make the combat flow and encourage the use of transitional weapons.
 

Mupod

Member
Now this sounds awesome so there will be attacks involving the transition period of weapons as well. This should make the combat flow and encourage the use of transitional weapons.

it sounds a little bit like Switchaxes from monster hunter. They basically have movesets that are different depending on the form, and you can transform mid-combo. Works a bit like stances in some fighting games.
 

oRuin

Member
Miyazaki:
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.

I like this attitude, and I think it kinda worked out in some ways, and not in others. But it's nice of him to see it in such a way; giving someone else a chance to take the lead.
 
I see a number of people saying this, but I don't quite understand the logic behind it. Do people not think Demon's 2 would be as successful as a new IP? (But it has great recognition..)

Or do you just not want it to be Demon's 2, regardless of market potential? I'm in the middle personally. I wanted something that plays like the Souls games - and this does! Though I would love more lore.

I think we will see some Demon souls lore in Bloodborne. The question which no one seems to be asking is if Miyazaki wants to direct another "Souls" game.
 
D

Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
Here's the short third section: how creating a feeling of fighting for one's life can bring about new experiences.

新たな体験をもたらす「死闘感」

4Gamer:
 2つ目のコンセプトの「死闘感」とはどういうものなんですか?

宮崎氏:
 そこは,演出面とシステム面,2つの意味合いがあります。
 まず演出面でいうと,本作ではユーザーさんに,敵は恐ろしいもの,戦いは死闘である,と感じてほしくて,そのための表現やインタラクション,分かりやすいところでは血しぶきとか,は演出に注力しています。 
 ただこれは,グロいというか,生理的嫌悪感を目的にしているわけではなくて,敵が恐ろしく,戦いが死闘であることで,その死闘を乗り越えた喜び,あるいは安堵など,強く感じてほしいということなんです。「やばかった!よく勝てたな…」というところですね。

4Gamer:
 なるほど。

宮崎氏:
 元々「Demon's Souls」や「DARK SOULS」では,ユーザーさんに達成感を味わってほしくて,あくまでもそのために難度を高めにしていました。

4Gamer:
 そうですね。

宮崎氏:
 そして,今作でもやはり達成感,できれば今までよりも高い達成感をと考えたとき,高難度以外の柱が必要だと考えたわけです。
 達成感のための難度はあくまでも克服可能でなければならず,際限なく高くしていけばよい,ということではありませんから。

Bloodborne

4Gamer:
 どんなゲーム(ジャンル)もそうですが,そのあたりは本当に難しい問題ですよね。

宮崎氏:
 はい。ですから理屈としては,高難度とは別側面の,達成感のための死闘感なんです。敵と出会ったときに死闘を予感し,戦いに手に汗握り,戦い終わって「やばかった!」「でもなんとか切り抜けた!」と思えるための要素は,数値的な難度以外にもあるだろうと。

4Gamer:
 とてもよく分かります。でも,それって実際のゲームシステムとしてはどう表現するんですか?

宮崎氏:
 先ほど説明した「能動的なバトル」ということもありますが,それ以外にも,ユーザーさんを「死闘に誘う」ような仕掛けを考えています。こちらについては,まだ詳細をお話しする段階ではないのですが。

4Gamer:
 というか,「Demon's Souls」の時もそうでしたが,宮崎さんは,テーマやコンセプトをきちんとシステムに落とし込んで表現している/設計できているのが凄いなと思うんです。だから,その「死闘感」をゲームの中でどう表現しているのかはとても気になります。

宮崎氏:
 そうですね,「死闘感」については,演出とシステム,両面からうまく実現できたらと考えています。

New Experiences Brought by Fighting for Your Life

4Gamer:
Could you talk a little more about the second concept, “the feeling of fighting for one’s life?”

Miyazaki:
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…”

4Gamer:
Interesting.

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
That makes sense.

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
No matter the game or genre, getting that balance right is always a difficult problem.

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
That makes a lot of sense. What are some of the actual systems in the game that you used to express that feeling?

Miyazaki:
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.

4Gamer:
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.

Miyazaki:
Yeah. We hope to effectively convey that feeling both from the presentation side of things and the game systems.
 

Ridley327

Member
I see a number of people saying this, but I don't quite understand the logic behind it. Do people not think Demon's 2 would be as successful as a new IP? (But it has great recognition..)

Or do you just not want it to be Demon's 2, regardless of market potential? I'm in the middle personally. I wanted something that plays like the Souls games - and this does! Though I would love more lore.

I think it's a matter of wanting to distance themselves from Dark Souls, really. Even though Demon's Souls did some thing differently, Dark Souls is such a clear thematic and mechanical successor to it that there's not much to be gained from doing another dark medieval fantasy game, particularly one that would be exclusive to just one system. Doing what they're doing with Bloodborne is the best thing they could have done while keeping in some of the core principles of those games intact.
 

NEO0MJ

Member
I think we will see some Demon souls lore in Bloodborne. The question which no one seems to be asking is if Miyazaki wants to direct another "Souls" game.

Despite the changes Bloodborne still looks very much like a Souls game. Still, it looks like a bigger departure compared to Demons to Dark.
 

oRuin

Member
Sorry, forgot to say thanks for the translation! Much appreciated. So far, from what I have seen, it reminds me so much of the Bram Stokers Dracula movie from 1992!

Edit : And ofc, Castlevania :)
 
I think we will see some Demon souls lore in Bloodborne. The question which no one seems to be asking is if Miyazaki wants to direct another "Souls" game.

I don't think there needs to be anything relating to DS in Bloodborne. Easter eggs at the most.
Only gameplay elements should be borrowed from the Souls series but the lore should be totally different. I expect to be into it as much as I was for DS though.

Also, from this interview, it's pretty clear that Miyazaki wants to let someone else than him take care of the souls games
 

Holykael1

Banned
I'm really interested in seeing how this new combat philosophy will translate into the actual game mechanics. I feel like we are witnessing a masterpiece in the making.
 

Yuterald

Member
Demons Souls is often referred to as the spiritual successor of Kings Field. There's only so much FROM can work on and I doubt they are going to go back to a series that did not sell well and also has a really popular successor.

I expect them to make another Armoured Core though.

Yeah, I understand what you're saying, but it's still generally disappointing. I think they had a huge opportunity to do something WILDLY fresh and unique instead of making yet another Souls-like game. As great and as cool as Bloodborne looks, you can't deny that it's got "Souls" DNA written all over it. I know there's all these different/new mechanics at its core that will differentiate it from the Souls game, but that leaked footage we saw still makes the game looks very Souls-like (not that there's anything wrong with that, just saying).

I know no one wants to hear it, but a King's Field reboot could have provided a completely new and fresh experience. The things these guys could probably do in the first-person realm (especially considering all that they've learned over the years) could have been incredible. I sort of wanted that NEW game for my new system too, you know what I mean? Something we haven't seen in awhile. An experience you couldn't find last generation. Instead, we're getting a more refined (presumably) Souls-like experience with improvements/adjustments you'd expect from the next "iteration" in a series.

I'm looking forward to the game and I'm sure I'm going to enjoy it, but as an old From head I can't help but to feel a bit disappointed about the entire reveal.
 
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