Sony Cracks Down on Bloodborne Fan Games with Heavy-Handed DMCA Takedowns
It's Been a Tumultuous Week for Bloodborne Superfan
Lilith Walther, the creator behind the acclaimed Bloodborne spoof "Nightmare Kart," has recently faced legal action from Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE). Sony has issued DMCA takedowns against both Walther's current project and her earlier demake of Bloodborne, released in 2021.
BloodbornePSX and Nightmare Kart Under Scrutiny
Walther's PS1-inspired demake, BloodbornePSX, has been removed from the Itch.io platform due to a takedown notice from Markscan, a copyright enforcement firm working on behalf of SIE. Markscan claims that BloodbornePSX infringes on Sony's copyright.
Additionally, Sony's legal team has also targeted Walther's Nightmare Kart, which was originally titled "Bloodborne Kart" before SIE requested a name change.
Heavy-Handed Enforcement Raises Concerns
While SIE's right to protect its intellectual property is acknowledged, critics argue that the enforcement approach has been overly aggressive. MarkScan's actions have extended to the removal of a 60 fps patch for the ShadPS4 emulator, which allowed Bloodborne to be played on PC.
Speculation of PC Release Dampened
Some speculate that Sony's crackdown may pave the way for an official PC release of Bloodborne. However, observers question the wisdom of this move, suggesting that SIE should prioritize supporting fans of the existing console versions before pursuing legal actions against harmless fan projects.