Sony declined to publish Demon’s Souls in North America, a decision that reportedly prevented it from securing Dark Souls as a PlayStation exclusive. The episode matters because Demon’s Souls became the foundation for FromSoftware’s highly influential Souls series, while Dark Souls went on to reach players across multiple platforms.

Demon’s Souls was initially released for PlayStation 3, with Atlus publishing it in North America and Bandai Namco later handling Dark Souls internationally. Sony’s apparent lack of confidence in the original game contrasted with its later success and with the substantial commercial and cultural impact of the Souls franchise.