Nothing in the works for a new Demon's Souls, Sony's Yoshida said

Project Beast, thought to be the successor to From Software's tough-as-nails role-playing game Demon's Souls, was announced at E3 this year as Bloodborne, not Demon's Souls 2.

While inspired by Demon's Souls, and created by the game's director, it's not a sequel, it's not a spiritual inspiration, it's something entirely new, said Sony's head of worldwide studios Shuhei Yoshida.

The game came about after a years-long break in the relationship between From Software's Hidetaka Miyazaki and Sony. Yoshida said Sony went back to Miyazaki to "reopen" that relationship on the suggestion of some producers.

"We had an opportunity to reopen the relationship," Yoshida said. "And going into the launch of PS4, our producers proposed that we should work together with the From team and Miyazaki-san to make something new on a new platform.

"That resonated really well with Miyazaki-san."

The relationship was a long one, in particular with Yoshida, who was the account manager for the software company when the original PlayStation was launched in Japan.

"I worked directly with [Naotoshi Zin], president of From, when they were entering into video game development," he said in an interview last year. "We have a long history of working as platform holder, developer and publisher in the case of Demon's Souls. We love them."

The end result of rebuilding that long relationship was Bloodborne, a game entirely apart from both of Miyazaki's earlier creations Demon's Souls and Dark Souls, but still a bit familiar.

"The end result," Yoshida said. "Has a definite feel that comes from the team, but the gameplay mechanics and the characters are brand new, pretty much."

Bloodborne, Yoshida said, is a totally new experience, one that he thinks will be great.

"It's very challenging and rewarding at the same time," he said.

Set in the 19^th century with a gothic horror backdrop, Bloodborne takes place in an entirely new gaming universe.

As for the future of the Demon's Souls name and games, which Sony still owns? Right now, Yoshida said, the company is focusing on Bloodborne.

"So we are not thinking about doing anything else, just focused on Bloodborne," he said.