“Total Disappointment”: Bend & Bluepoint Fans Outraged Over Sudden Cancellation of Studio Games

Recent developments at Sony have left the future of exclusive PlayStation 5 live service games in chaos, leading to widespread disappointment among fans. The latest wave of cancellations has affected titles from esteemed in-house developers, Bend Studios and Bluepoint Games, whose forthcoming projects had not been publically disclosed prior to the reports of their cancellation. The uncertainty surrounding these decisions has left both developers and gaming enthusiasts questioning what lies ahead.

Initially, Sony aimed to increase its foothold in the booming live service gaming market, drawing from its successful single-player intellectual properties (IPs). However, only two live service games have emerged from this initiative: the widely praised Helldivers 2 and the now-shelved Concord. Unfortunately, Firewalk Studios, the team responsible for Concord, has also been dissolved by Sony, prompting confusion among PlayStation’s internal teams. A report from Video Games Chronicle indicated that even employees at Bend Studios and Bluepoint Games were taken aback by the news of their projects being canceled.

No Warning from Sony Regarding Cancellations

Employees and Fans Receive News Simultaneously

A PS5 console and DualSense controller in front of blurred artwork for various games.

According to game journalist Jeff Grubb, reported by VGC, it was revealed that the staff members from both studios discovered the cancellations at the same moment as the public. In a recent episode of his Game Mess Mornings, Grubb explained that employees arrived at work the following day uncertain about their next projects. Furthermore, a report from Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier suggested that Bluepoint Games was conceptualizing a live service spinoff of God of War, a title that many fans were anticipating eagerly.

The disappointment among fans of Bluepoint’s highly lauded PS5 remake of Demon’s Souls has been palpable, with concerns that the developers’ talents were misallocated to a live-service project rather than focusing on a new remake or an original title. A Reddit user, finalgear14, expressed frustration in the PS5 subreddit, calling the situation “an absolute waste” and lamenting the missed potential for a Sly Cooper remake. Fans are increasingly frustrated as the gap widens since either studio released their last title, particularly concerning Bend Studios, whose last game, Days Gone, came out in 2019—nearly six years ago.

Future Prospects for Bend Studios

Hope Still Exists for Fans of the Developers

In the aftermath of the cancellations, Bend Studio reassured fans that this is not the termination of their creative journey. Community manager Kevin McAllister took to Twitter to express gratitude to supporters and colleagues, stating that the studio is committed to developing “something new and cool.”Whether the upcoming projects will be single-player adventures or an attempt at live service remains uncertain, especially as PlayStation’s future game lineup is relatively sparse, other than Naughty Dog’s anticipated Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

Nonetheless, it appears to be challenging for in-house developers at PlayStation to propose new ideas. According to Grubb, there is still ambiguity regarding what types of pitches will resonate with PlayStation, given the unpredictable status of the company’s live service strategy. Despite Sony executives acknowledging their learning curve in the live-service domain, they have yet to achieve significant success in this area. Focusing on the elements that secured the PS4’s popularity—prestige AAA single-player games—might be a safer bet, yet this could also result in stagnation for PlayStation.

For continued updates regarding this evolving situation, refer to sources such as Video Games Chronicle, YouTube (Game Mess Mornings), Reddit (finalgear14), and Twitter (Kevin McAllister).

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