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'Project Bluestreak' heralds new era in free gaming

 
There’s no word what Project Bluestreak is about, but it sure is pretty.
There’s no word what Project Bluestreak is about, but it sure is pretty.
Published March 12, 2015

Clif Bleszinksi, the creator of Gears of War, left Epic a couple years ago saying he wanted to really branch out, that he was basically tired of doing the big-budget, sci-fi shoot-'em-up thing.

So it was great news when he showed up at PAX East on March 7 to talk about his new title for BossKey Productions, called Project Bluestreak — a completely new sci-fi shoot-'em-up.

The big difference, however, is that it's going to be free-to-play, instead of costing $60 plus various add-ons. In fact, Bleszinski pointed out he specifically wants to upend the current free-to-play model by regularly updating the title and providing upgrades in game, in case you don't like having to shell out cash to win a title. And it won't be monotonous or simplified for mass audiences, either.

"Free-to-play doesn't have to be Game of War, it doesn't need to be Candy Crush," Bleszinski said, according to GameSpot.

His fellow developers said making the game free actually is a boon to the title, since the team will have to keep it fresh and exciting in order to keep players coming back for more. You'd think a PC-based shooter from the creator of Gears of War that you can play gratis would be enough to sucker millions into playing it, but it's nice to hear such commitment.

Details are scant as of now, as the first look came at PAX East in the form of a short trailer showing vague eye candy in the form of game arenas, with no gameplay available. But there is plenty of evidence it will cover some familiar territory, as Bleszinski has said it will use Epic's Unreal Engine 4. Working at a studio for most of your adult life has its advantages when you branch out on your own.

So the question becomes, does this really herald a new era in free-to-play development? Will we be free of the upgrade system that has a stranglehold on the genre? And will we just be trading in Gears' space marines for cybersamurai or whatever BossKey has in mind?

I'm also interested in how well Project Bluestreak will pay for itself in the long run. Bleszinski said paid upgrades will still be available, but not mandatory. That's likely a safe bet in the gamespace, where the population is not known for delayed gratification. But will the games-as-service model be sustainable for a title that is being touted as a such a big deal?

Cliffy told PC Gamer that publisher Nexon said not to worry about the cash. "Go build a fantastic game and a community around it, and we'll work on figuring out how to make it hopefully make a lot of money," he said they told him. If only we all had such carte blanche to do what we do.

He said he prefers it that way, natch, because if he had to worry about money first, he'd be making a game about "crafting hats or something."

Then again, Candy Crush Saga at one point was making King Digital about $1.8 billion a year, so there's a strong argument to be made for crafting hats, even if sales have since dropped precipitously. And Game of War, well, it has Kate Upton in its commercials.

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Maybe if Project Bluestreak was offering more than just a free arena shooter, I'd be more interested. As it is, I'm more compelled by the case study it will provide 10 years from now, when Microsoft Game Studios is trying to cook up Halo 8.

— Joshua Gillin writes about video games for tbt*. Challenge his opinions at jgillin@tampabay.com.