Bandai Namco’s Failed ‘Blue Protocol’ is Back But Under a New Name and Studio

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As a seasoned gamer who has spent countless hours immersed in the digital worlds of MMORPGs, I can’t help but feel a mix of emotions upon hearing about Star Resonance. On one hand, the cancellation of Blue Protocol was a hard blow, a game that had been in development for over five years and held so much promise. But on the other, there’s a glimmer of hope.

Back in August, it was officially announced that Blue Protocol, the anime-style MMO developed by Bandai Namco and Amazon Games, would be discontinued. Initially launched in Japan, the game struggled to gain traction in Western markets and will now be permanently shut down in January 20XX (since development started in 2015).

It seems that’s not the end of the road for Blue Protocol, though.

More recently, Shanghai Bokura Technology, which is a subsidiary of Tencent, disclosed a new game titled Star Resonance. This upcoming MMORPG, playable on both PC and mobile devices, bears a striking resemblance to the potential second release of Blue Protocol.

Back for the Better

According to a recent article from Simulation Daily, Bandai Namco has granted the licensing rights for Blue Protocol to Tencent’s Shanghai Bokura. The upcoming game, titled Star Resonance, shares many similarities with the previously canceled and unsuccessful MMORPG, Blue Protocol.

Indeed, I’ve unearthed an announcement from Shanghai Bokura, dating back a few months, which indeed hints at a partnership they’ve formed with the original team behind Blue Protocol, under the wing of Bandai Namco.

The press release mentioned Star Resonance (which wasn’t named back then) is ‘based on the world view’ of Blue Protocol but is a completely different game to the one that was released in Japan.

Indeed, the trailer offers a strong representation, almost a mirror image, of what Blue Protocol might look like.

Here’s a snippet from that press release:

Project Sky Blue” refers to a collaborative effort between Bandai Namco Online Inc. and Bandai Namco Studios Inc., with the objective of developing a fresh entertainment concept capable of making a global impact. This team is in charge of planning and creating content for this project, including the online action role-playing game “Blue Law,” among other planned developments.

With the termination of Blue Protocol, many potential enthusiasts found themselves left wanting. It’s possible that Bokura’s Star Resonance could step into the void and become a new source of enjoyment for them.

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2024-12-09 10:17