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- Bluepoint had been working on a live-service God of War project for four years, but the game was recently cancelled.
- This cancellation will likely result in the developer doing nothing substantial for the rest of the PS5’s lifespan.
- Ultimately, the live-service push has significantly harmed the developer, and it deserves to work on something brand new in the future.
The PlayStation Studios umbrella consists of juggernauts like Santa Monica, Naughty Dog, and Guerrilla Games, but living in their shadow are many studios that often go underappreciated despite their massive talents.
While Bluepoint’s name is no stranger to fans, it’s fair to say that this studio has yet to find a place alongside other PlayStation giants. This is precisely why I and many others were so excited when the team finally confirmed it was working on an original project after Demon’s Souls Remake.
Until recently, the studio had been relegated to working on re-releases, quickly developing a reputation as the remaster team. Much like Nixxes is great at churning out PC ports for PlayStation, Bluepoint excelled at bringing titles like the Uncharted Trilogy, the God of War Collection, and most recently, Demon’s Souls to life on new hardware.
It’s a shame, then, that this team fell victim to PlayStation’s live-service plans, leading to four years of wasted development on a needless God of War project.
Why it matters: Many major developers have suffered one way or another in recent years after failing to break into the GAAS (games as a service market).
A History of Excellence
The team has more than proved itself in the past. Whether through Uncharted’s impressive translation to the vastly different architecture of the PS4 or full-blown remakes like Demon’s Souls and Shadow of the Colossus, there is little room for doubt regarding this studio’s talents.
Sure, one could argue that Bluepoint dropped the ball with the subtle nuances of Demon’s Souls’ art direction, but on a purely technical level, the remake was nothing short of incredible for a PS5 launch title.
It remains a looker all these years later, sparking demand for a PC port. Given the opportunity to make an original project, Bluepoint could have truly come into its own, presenting ideas and visions representing its core identity.
For the longest time, the team was expected to be working on a new project. Because of its history of working with single-player titles, many naturally expected this project to be a new single-player IP.
Little did we know that the studio had been caught up in the nefarious live-service trend-chasing that has led to the downfall of numerous developers in recent years.
A Major Setback
God of War is the least obvious pick for a PlayStation franchise turned live-service juggernaut, so I fail to see how Bluepoint ended up in this situation. Many have speculated that the team initially began work on remakes or remasters of the original God of War trilogy and later pivoted to a new project with the same assets.
How the studio ended up here doesn’t really matter at this point, but the effects of this cancellation will haunt the team for many years to come. For starters, modern AAA development cycles practically guarantee that Bluepoint’s next game won’t come out until the PS6 era.
This would lead to a nearly decade-long gap between two releases. Also, Bluepoint is only a fraction of the size of teams like Naughty Dog and Santa Monica. The former currently employs over 400 developers, partially mitigating the impacts of its own live-service fallout from 2023.
Where Naughty Dog had Intergalactic in the works alongside The Last of Us Multiplayer, Bluepoint likely could not afford the same luxuries. However you put it, the situation is bleak.
What’s Next?
This leaves us with the question of where this first-party developer can go next. There are only two real choices: the studio can either return to the comfort zone of re-releases or work on a new IP.
The former seems more likely, considering that PlayStation seems to currently have a fondness for re-releases, and they help keep the business afloat. A re-release would also guarantee a relatively shorter development time, allowing the developer to churn out a new game sooner rather than later.
Games like Bloodborne and the God of War trilogy would be obvious picks for the remake treatment, allowing Bluepoint to get started on development without much downtime after the recent cancellation.
However, as much as I would like to see any of these games returning, I think it’s time for Bluepoint to finally make something new. Toward that end, there’s a third option that the developer can pick.
PlayStation has confirmed its intent to bring back various classic IPs, and Bluepoint could experiment with any of these franchises. Much like Toys For Bob has taken over the mantle of Crash Bandicoot from Naughty Dog, this PlayStation team could work on Jak & Daxter, Killzone, or any of the other dormant franchises that deserve to return.
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[News Reporter]
Avinash is currently pursuing a Business degree in Australia. For more than three years, he has been working as a gaming journalist, utilizing his writing skills and love for gaming to report on the latest updates in the industry. Avinash loves to play action games like Devil May Cry and has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as IGN, GamesRadar, GameRant, Dualshockers, CBR, and Gamespot.
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