Bloody Hell, Bluepoint! A Glimpse into Their Cancelled God of War (and Sony's Shaky Strategy)
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Alleged leaked screenshots reveal a cancelled Bluepoint *God of War* live-service game set in Ancient Greece, featuring Hades and hinting at a pre-GOW3 timeline, offering a glimpse into Sony's shifting strategy amidst its recent struggles with live-service titles.
Right, so picture this: you're rummaging through some ancient digital archives, maybe you tripped over a loose wire, and suddenly, *poof*! A whole forgotten world just… pops into existence. That’s kinda what happened this week, mate, as some alleged screenshots from Bluepoint’s *cancelled* God of War project decided to peek out from the digital ether. Big props to MP1st for apparently being the first to spot these, with Rock Paper Shotgun (and Edwin Evans-Thirlwell) doing a cracking job of reporting on the whole shebang. (Original source: Rock Paper Shotgun).
Now, if you’ve been following Kratos’s dad-of-the-year journey through the snowy realms of Nordic myth, this might come as a bit of a shocker, but these snaps are *heavy* on Ancient Greek architecture. We’re talking Stygian-looking caverns, yellow sulphur pools – proper underworld vibes, you know? The scuttlebutt (from MP1st’s source) even suggests Hades himself, god of the underworld, was gonna be your armory master. Reckon that places it firmly *before* GOW3, doesn’t it? A proper trip down memory lane, before Kratos started asking strangers for directions to Valhalla.
Funnily enough, the original article had a grand old time waxing lyrical about the sheer glory of the pots in these screenshots. And fair dinkum, breaking pots in action-RPGs *is* a primal joy. It’s like a mini-meditation, innit? The little 'thwack' and cascade of shards – pure bliss. But beyond the ceramics, these images hint at a world that could’ve been, full of broken bridges and platforming potential. What a shame to see that disappear into the abyss.
But here’s where my wizarding sense starts tingling, linking current events to the broader currents of the gaming ocean. Sony, bless their cotton socks, has been on a bit of a live-service spending spree lately. You know the drill: games designed to keep you hooked forever, churning out content like a never-ending magical scroll. And Bluepoint’s GOW project? Reportedly, it was set to be one of ’em. But then, *poof* again! The project gets canned, apparently alongside another from the *Days Gone* crew, Sony Bend.
This isn’t just about Bluepoint, though. It’s part of a bigger pattern. Remember *Concord*? Sony launched it, then binned it mere weeks later. It feels like they’ve been throwing ingredients into a cauldron, hoping for a potent longevity potion, but sometimes it just… explodes. It’s a classic tale of ambition meeting reality, a reminder that not every brilliant idea needs to be a ‘game-as-a-service’ to be fantastic. Sometimes, a well-crafted, finite adventure is exactly what the digital doctor ordered.
Still, Bluepoint seems to be dusting themselves off. Word on the digital street (via some job listings) is they’re after a 'senior combat designer' for 'third-person melee action experiences.' So, while we might not be smashing pots with Hades as our gear guy, there’s definitely something brewing in their magical workshop. Fingers crossed it’s something truly wizardly, whatever form it takes. Keep an eye out, mates, the gaming world’s always full of surprises.
Tags: GodOfWar, Bluepoint, LiveService, GameDevelopment, Sony
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun