Demon's Souls Developer Used Rubber Ducks to Test Effects
The development process of a new game, especially for a next-gen title like Demon's Souls, can be a long, drawn-out experience, with developers having to find creative ways to test every element of the programming. This is apparently no different for prominent remake developer Bluepoint Games, which used some unorthodox methods for making sure that the most recent PS5 remake was working properly.
Shared by former Bluepoint Games Technical Artist Collin Harris, a new video shows off the ways that the developer tested different tech and effects, specifically physics and fog. While the test dummies didn't make it into the game in any way, these unusual models of various sizes were able to inform the artists along the progress of Demon's Souls' development.
The trick that Bluepoint used during development involved using a number of rubber ducks that could act in any way that the developer needed, from small, lightweight debris to large, temporary structures. In Harris' video, the technical artist shows both of these methods being implemented at once, by placing several of the rubber ducks on a table and testing how Demon's Souls' animations interacted with environmental decorations like a breakable table. At first, the small eruption of the small items is fairly entertaining to see tested, but the secondary test hidden in the distant fog is the real star of the show, even if players don't immediately see it.
Harris has also responded to comments from fans looking to get the inside scoop on anything else that may have been added to Demon Souls by Bluepoint, but it doesn't appear that the rubber ducks appear in the final product in any way. This showcase is likely taken from an early enough build of the game that much of the data that produced the video might be completely unrecognizable from the final product players have in their hands now. Granted, the giant rubber duck in the fog may have been a decent Easter Egg or secret boss for Bluepoint to include into the game, if the developer wanted to leave its own lasting mark in a more comical way.
It's always interesting getting a look at the development process from so early on in a game with as many hidden details as Demon's Souls. Of course, these are details that don't have much bearing on what players will experience when playing the game, even if it is humorous to note that the last table or box they smashed into was tested with rubber ducks. Regardless, players often get a kick out of seeing behind the scenes content like Harris' video.
Demon's Souls is available now for PS5.
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