Recently, it was confirmed that Sony made the move everyone expected: acquiringBluepoint Games. This acquisition was leaked several months ago and denied at the time, but now it has become official that Bluepoint is joining the Sony family. This matches Sony’s recent track record of acquiring different companies to staff itself up for the generation ahead. It wants to bolster its PS5 output and port the PlayStation’s biggest recent hits to PC.Bluepoint Gamesis not the first new arrival in this effort, and it likely won’t be the last.
Bluepoint Games is behind the prestigiousShadow of the ColossusandDemon’s Soulsremakes, taking these older games with fairly well-regarded art styles and bringing them to modern hardware with as much polish as possible. This was the culmination of its past work on high-quality remasters, such as theGod of War Collectionon PS3 and PS Vita, as well asUncharted: The Nathan Drake Collectionfor PS4. While Bluepoint has not worked exclusively for Sony in the past, it is commonly associated with Sony game, adding further context as to why this deal went through. This news is largely positive for Sony fans, although certain communities are going to be left mourning the loss of potential remakes.
RELATED:Why Demon’s Souls is Perfect for a PC Port
Metal Gear Solid is Likely Out of Bluepoint’s Hands
ManyMetal Gearfans wanted the historic franchise to pass into Bluepoint’s hands. Rumors of such a collab have been buzzing for the past year as Konami’s somewhat bitter fanbase united to figure out what the future of its franchises will be. There were some concerns over a large number of artistic changes in theDemon’s Souls Remakeand theprecedent set byMetal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, an existing remake that is looked upon unfavorably. Still, as Bluepoint has handled part of theMetal Gear Solid HD Collection, people assumed it could do a good job with the franchise.
Now, it doesn’t look like the company get the chance.Bluepoint worked onMetal Gear Solid HD Collectionearly in its life, and it was one of the few non-Sony remasters or ports that it handled. Now that the studio is owned by Sony, it’s unlikely Konami will be able to work with Bluepoint directly again. The company will likely be covering Sony projects exclusively, not contacted by external sources for jobs. It’s not out of the question that Sony could permit Bluepoint to do a job for a trusted publisher, but that’s wishful thinking and a long way off if it does happen.
The silver lining to this is thatMetal Gear Solidfans will not be left high and dry consideringMetal Gear Solid 1and2released on GOG.com a year ago. While they may not be ideal remasters or remakes coming to multiple platforms, they are competent releases that show Konami is still interested in keeping the brand around. To add to that, a recent rumor has come out thatKonami is working with a Singapore developerto remakeMetal Gear Solid 3. This has not been confirmed, and it may not live up to fan expectations, but it could give players newMetal Gearcontent to chew on.
RELATED:How a Metal Gear Solid Remake Can Improve Upon The Original
A Legend of Dragoon Remake Isn’t Sony’s Priority
Sony’s acquisition of Bluepoint Games opened many doors for remaking and remastering its massive back catalog. However, that catalog has already been assigned priorities internally. Franchises that Sony has been neglecting are not any more likely to come back now that Bluepoint is in the picture. A prime example of this isThe Legend of Dragoon. It was intended to be Sony’sFinal Fantasy 7killer back in the day, but it is onlyremembered for its interesting combat systemand decent spin on random encounters. It’s still a great-looking PS1 game, but it’s probably not what Bluepoint was hired to work on first.
The fact is thatThe Legend of Dragoonwould need a remakesimilar toFinal Fantasy 7itself. That’s not to say it would be in multiple installments, but it would need new graphics, mechanics, voice acting, and possibly a rewritten story. Bluepoint’s expertise is visuals and performance, and in those respects it is very talented. BecauseThe Legend of Dragoonis a simple JRPG, remaking it like Bluepoint’s other games would feel like its talents are being wasted on a new coat of paint. The studio will definitely be a powerful asset in any efforts to resurrect old series, but modern standards are too high for a first-party Sony game to come out and just retreadThe Legend of Dragoon.
It’s not all doom and gloom for Bluepoint’s future, as Sony clearly sees it destined for great things. The rumor mill for aBloodborneremake and/or PC port have started turning again, this time highlighting the statement thatBluepoint would be working on “new content” for Sony. That notion should be taken with a grain of salt, as it may mean that Bluepoint is developing a new game entirely, butBloodborneis still a game that a lot of Sony fans vocally care for and want to see more of.
If Bluepoint does end up adding significant new content to its remakes, like a hypotheticalBloodborne: Hunter’s Edition, the possibility of aLegend of Dragoonremake may grow over time. For now, fans can sit back and wait with the assurance that whatever Sony hasBluepoint Gamesworking on, it should look incredible.
MORE:Lessons Elden Ring Should Take From Bluepoint Games' Demon’s Souls Remake
