Former Sony executive Shuhei Yoshida has reflected on his early misjudgments regarding Demon's Souls, stating that it was ultimately a positive outcome that Sony did not continue publishing FromSoftware's spiritual successors, paving the way for multi-format releases like Dark Souls and Elden Ring.

Quick Facts

  • Shuhei Yoshida discussed Sony's past publishing decisions during CEDEC 2026.
  • Demon's Souls shipped an initial 20,000 copies in Japan following a stern challenge and an unimpressive Famitsu review score.
  • Sony's US and European divisions passed on the game due to weak performance, leaving Atlus and Namco to handle western publishing.
  • FromSoftware subsequently partnered with Bandai Namco to create Dark Souls as a multi-format release.

Misjudging the Challenge of Demon's Souls

Speaking at CEDEC 2026, Yoshida explained that he lacked a clear understanding of what kind of game FromSoftware was building at the time. Despite receiving weekly QA builds in his office, Yoshida recalled spending two hours making zero progress, describing the title as hard and unforgiving.

"I spent two whole hours doing the exact same thing over and over. I remember thinking, 'Man, this game is hard,' and 'This game is so unforgiving,'" Yoshida said.

Because of the stern challenge, lack of pre-release hype, and a modest Famitsu review score, Sony shipped only 20,000 copies in Japan initially. With American and European divisions operating independently, western branches passed on the project entirely.

The Word-of-Mouth Revival and Partnership Shift

Momentum shifted when Japanese players began sharing secrets and discussing the game online. That steady word-of-mouth eventually caught the attention of Atlus for the US market and Namco for Europe.

While Yoshida hoped to work with FromSoftware on a sequel, the handling of the original game led the developer to partner with Bandai Namco for Dark Souls. Looking back at the trajectory of director Hidetaka Miyazaki's studio—ranging from Dark Souls to Elden Ring—Yoshida now views the split as a beneficial turning point.

"Looking at the massive success and incredible strides made by Miyazaki-san and FromSoftware... I sometimes think it was actually a good thing that we didn't persist with it ourselves," Yoshida stated.

Sony's relationship with FromSoftware did continue later through the production of the PlayStation 4 exclusive Bloodborne, alongside a PlayStation 5 remake of Demon's Souls handled by the now-defunct Bluepoint Games.