Launching in April 2016 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, Dark Souls 3 could be the end of the Souls franchise, according to creator Hidetaka Miyazaki.
Speaking with GameSpot, Miyazaki was asked about the potential over-saturation of the From Software franchise, with Dark Souls 2, Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin, and Bloodborne all releasing in the last few years. In his response, he revealed that Dark Souls 3 could be the last in the series:
It’d be a lie if I said I have no concerns about [franchise over-exposure]. I don’t think it’d be the right choice to continue indefinitely creating Souls and Bloodborne games. I’m considering Dark Souls 3 to be the big closure on the series. That’s not just limited to me, but From Software and myself together want to aggressively make new things in the future.
Dark Souls 3 will mark the last game where the development project began before I became president. The next title will be a game that was conceived while I was president. I believe that From Software has to create new things. There will be new types of games coming from us, and Dark Souls 3 is an important marker in the evolution of From Software.
Miyazaki added that he doesn’t care what type of president he’ll be or how he’ll be remembered, he just believes that moving on is “necessary in order for players to continue enjoying our games. We have to keep creating quality games and be aggressive about doing new things.”
Full details on the story weren’t given, but Miyazaki teased that “there is the conclusion to a large theme that has continued through the entire series, something that will leave you with the impression of what Dark Souls was really about, tell you about the overarching theme.”
As for concerns over the beta, Miyazaki said it was a “very small slice of the entire game” that is one of the most standard parts. “It certainly won’t be the case where the feeling you had with the beta will continue into the entirety of the game,” he added. “You don’t have to worry about that.”
If the Souls franchise does come to an end with DS3, it would go against Miyazaki’s previous comment where he called the upcoming game “the turning point for the franchise.”
[Source: GameSpot]