Bluepoint’s sublime Shadow of the Colossus remake is one of the finest games you can play on the PlayStation 4, but with its next project, the Austin-based outfit is looking to push itself even further. Speaking as part of a GDC presentation, the studio shed a little more light on what it’s up to, describing its new project as a “re-envisioning”.
“For Shadow of the Colossus we don't call it a remaster, we coin it a remake due to the complexity of the project,” technical director Peter Dalton told an audience of developers. “And moving forward to our next project, we call it a re-envisioning given that it goes well beyond what we thought was possible on Shadow of the Colossus.”
This tallies with comments that the developer has made in the past, when it said that its next project will be much bigger. Many still believe that it’s working on resurrecting Demon’s Souls for the PlayStation 4, although it’s important to note that Bluepoint is an independent studio, and may not necessarily be partnering with Sony again.
Any thoughts on what this could possibly be? We know that it’s been recruiting character artists with armour and weapon asset experience, but that doesn’t really give us a lot to go on, does it?
[source gdcvault.com]
Comments 53
not fan of Dark Soul/Demon Soul games.. i wish they do remake on Metal Gear Solid 1 or 2 instead Demon Soul
Hopefully it’s Synphon Filter.
demon souls would be great and all,but just imagine the suprise if it is the witcher 2 remastered.
most likely not gonna happen but it would also be fitting the "it will be bigger" comments and it would also fit the need for an armor designer. just as much as it would fit for demons souls.
tbh the only reason i'm saying this is that a witcher remake would just interest me way more (not that demons souls is bad,so keep your pitchforks down) and well i like to believe that those recent witcher 3 vids on the PS channel have something more to them than we know.
and it was adam novice that put that thought in my head since he came up with that idea (even if he was not so serious about it) so tnx man.
@LightingThor that would be great but not happening
Maybe it’s ICO? They’ve done SotC after all.
@jdv95 Your welcome lol. Your right I wasn't completely serious about Witcher 2 but it is a possibility. I just can't believe Sony would have had Bluepoint make a SOTC remake if it didn't have something else in mind. Otherwise it would have been a rather weird one off project.
My theory has always been that Sony wanted Bluepoint to prove that they can make a game from the ground up rather then remaster it, and if they can then do a game with more ambition and if they pull that off then maybe Sony will add them to their studios.
@nessisonett I don't think ICO would be "bigger" than SOTC.
I would think that Blue Point would need permission from the original Developer or at the very least, the owners of the licence and original code which as we know doesn't necessary belong to the developers.
They certainly won't have free reign to pick any game they want to remaster/re-envision - potentially less to re-envision as the original owners may not welcome someone taking their project and 're-envisioning' it in a way that Blue Point may want to.
FromSoftware may want to remaster their own games - if and when they decide. I am not a fan of their 'Souls' games so don't know if they were responsible for bringing the Dark Souls game(s) to more recent hardware.
It could literally be anything from 2012 backwards. Obviously its unlikely to be games that have already been brought more up to date - even if their 'next' project is more likely to arrive on next gen hardware - its too new and 're-envisioning' to me seems to be taken an 'older' game and bringing it forward, bringing more to the project than just a visual make-over - more than remaking a game - but actually changing things, putting their own ideas in. The owner of the licence must be happy to let then take their property and make their version of it, their 'vision' for what the game should be for the current market. As such, it may not be a game that fans are asking for as any change, deviation from what they know, other than just visual improvements probably won't be on the cards. It may make more sense to take a game/licence that devs/publishers don't know how to bring forward - at least that's what I think...
@TheLastOfUs2 Konami isn't really focussed on console games at the moment, so I doubt it's MGS. Unless it's an arcade exclusive
Who has Jade Empire rights? If were talkin super awesome hypotheticals lol
Touch our souls? I see what you did there.
I think they should keep their filthy hands to themselves.
@BAMozzy Well in regards to Demon's Souls Sony own the IP so they wouldn't necessarily need FromSoftware's permission, plus Hidetaki Miaizaki was on record recently saying that he himself wouldn't want to remake his own work but he wouldn't mind others working on it.
@Nyne11Tyme Isn't Jade Empire a Microsoft exclusive, so maybe they have the rights.
I’d love to see another take on several games from PS3. Resistance, KillZone 2, infamous, or Dead Space. I doubt EA would approve of Dead Space but I can hope.
@Octane It depends, a re-envisioning could be using the original basis and ideas but could be a whole different experience. I guess it could be something like God of War 1 being remade with similar gameplay as the 2018 sequel. If it was as character-driven and cinematic as the 2018 game it would be a massive undertaking.
it could be anything from Ape Escape to Legend Of Dragoon to even a complete remake of the Jak and Daxter and Sly Cooper games. as for what games i woundn't mind seeing is a new Socom and Heavenly Sword game
ICO re-invisioned with better graphics and gameplay would be dope!!! Please be ICO!!
It would be great if it is Demon Souls. I never got the chance to play it on the PS3.
syphon filter confirmed.word up son
Can we give them socom to remake pretty please
Silent Hill,Demon's Souls,MGS would be great.Konami have lots of awesome ips but they forget how to make good games.Ok, pes is good... Also sony have awesome RPG titles on ps1,ps2,psp maybe they will do something with them.
If by "re-envisioning" it means fundamentally changing the game...Then I wouldn't want it to be Demon's Souls they're working on.
People (me included) are rather fond of the Souls gameplay, not to mention the storytelling and the likes... I'd rather hate to see that changed.
Plus I'm incredibly unsure of WHAT it could be changed to
Though @Areus ' mention of Legend Of Dragoon was quite interesting... As that's a game I feel COULD actually do with a re-envisioning.
I only played the game for the first time a few years back (Enjoyed it quite a bit, much more then the overhyped FFVII) but switching it up from a turn based RPG to something action oriented could be fairly beneficial to the series...
And it fits in with the whole character artists with armour and weapon asset experience job that Bluepoint put out
... Though as the article suggests, it could have absolutely nothing to do with Sony... Still a woman can dream! 😅
Metroid Prime trilogy HD remaster.
@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy Legend of Dragoon is a neat idea and yeah I would welcome that — although not as much as a Demon's Souls re-envisioning...
Sadly I have a feeling we are jumping to conclusions with Demon's Souls; it just seems too good to be true. Here's hoping...
It’s Superman 64.
Not that I wouldn't like to try demon souls but mgs 1 or silent hill would be my top choices!!
I'm already bracing myself for the hissy fit that will ensue if this is anything but Demon's Souls.
Ooh...let me guess!
—>It’s a VR reimagining of Fanta Vision.
No, wait...
—>It’s an enhanced PS4 version of Freedom Wars.
No, it can’t be. It’s gotta be...
—>Mad Maestro VR!
Since it’s Blue Point Studios, maybe Sony’s letting ‘em do a bigger, better Blast Factor.
It's Demons Souls with guns so it's accessible to everyone.
It's gotta be Syphon Filter. Anton Girdeaux had armour with his flame thrower. That's that mystery solved.
But dont we have enough Soulsbourne type games? I know Demon Souls is only on PS3 but we have Dark Souls 1,2 and 3, Bloodborne, Nioh and Sekiro (the last 2 are arguable). Nioh 2 is in development. Do we really need more?
@Octane Konami suck. i hate them
@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy what if it was a remaster with the fifth arch stone intact and the unused assets added?
@3Above also The Surge, Lords of the Fallen, even Salt and Sanctuary and Hollow Knight, with forthcoming Code Vein — all Souls-like or inspired. Even more I’m sure that I can’t think of right now. There’s a bunch.
Then I'd have no problem with it @geordie
I mean... It COULD be a less drastic change of Demon's souls then I'm imagining... like say all the maps becoming interconnected à la Dark Souls 1 or your suggestion of the Sixth Archstone content being added in.
Problem is that doesn't sound like much of a re-envisioning if I'm honest (to me at least).
Your suggestion is, like you said, more of a remaster and from Bluepoint's comment in the article it sounds like the company is doing something much more radical, going beyond a remaster/remake of a game to something along the lines of a complete overhaul and change to an established game/series.
I haven't actually played Shadow Of The Colossus (either one in fact), but I seem to recall that bluepoint's game added in some minor collectables that wasn't present in the original.
It's not much but they've already added slight changes to a game.
So... I'd be surprised if this project turns out to be nothing more then adding some cut content and slapping a fresh coat of paint to Demon's Souls (Even if that's pretty much what I'd want, maybe make the gameplay a little more like DS III too or at least a little more fluid)
...That's what I get from the word re-envision anyway... I could be completely wrong in my assumption and focusing far too much on one word and it's connotation! 😄
It’s probably something like a remake of the Burger King Games Collection released on Xbox 360.
@jgrangervikings1 Depends if its a Sony game at all...
My first thought: FFVIII. Lost code, huge scope, big demand...
The word "re-envisioning" would imply that this is not Demon's Souls they are working on. But, we'll see.
@nessisonett
It would make sense, the engines there and the games are incrediably similar. But I don't think ICO ever had the appeal sotc had.
Vib Ribbon FPS incoming
@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy Demon Souls >>>>> Dark Souls i liked Demon Souls so much more. 😁
Did you even see the Shadow of the Colossus remake that was a day and night difference. They even even changed the controls.
@Flaming_Kaiser
Not really, I've never played either version of SOTC and never looked at them either... Just know the basic premise and don't recall the reviews mentioning any changes 😛
And
Dark Souls >>>>>>>> Dark Souls III >> Demon's Souls > Dark Souls 2 + Bloodborne
My dream is the original MGS. If they can give it the Shadow of the Colossus/Resident Evil 2 treatment then I don’t think there is a game more deserving of having it done.
FYI just incase anyone thinks I’m confused, I know Bluepoint didn’t do the Resi 2 Remake I’m just using it as an example of the sort of work I’d like to see done to that masterpiece of a game.
@Th3solution yeah I totally forgot those! I've played Salt and Sanctuary (I liked it) and Hollow Knight.
@BAMozzy Ummmm you are aware that Sony IS the owner of the Demon's Souls IP right....There are no licensing issues, there are no hoops that need to be jumped through...Sony 100% OWNS all of the Demon's Souls IP....Sony can do whatever they want with it, not only do they own it Sony co-developed the game with From Software
@Foxy-Goddess-Scotchy Agree entirely. I think re-envision here may just mean slightly more than a remake, as you suggested.
Demon Souls: The Card Game.
I haven't played ICO but would it make sense (and be fun) to either extend the length of the current game or add more content to the end of it? I've heard that the original game is kind of short.
So kind of like what was done with the SEGA CD version of Out of This World, where a sequel of sorts is added to the end of the first game. They could have the new content be a prequel, a sequel, or even something that runs in parallel with the previous game. Imagine they add content that ties together ICO, SOTC, and TLG, starting the beginning of a new connected gaming universe.
Wish they would just announce the title they are working on or if it’s not Demon Souls then just say it’s not that.
Wow, just got the tag line pun.
Why wouldn't it be ICO Re-Envisioned its possible, just have to wait and see. Hopefully it's not any of suggestions except for God of War.
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