De Blob Online (lost build of cancelled multiplayer online game; early 2010s): Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{InfoboxLost | {{InfoboxLost | ||
|title=<center>de Blob</center> | |title=<center>de Blob Online</center> | ||
|image=DeBlobOnline.png | |image=DeBlobOnline.png | ||
|imagecaption=The logo for '' | |imagecaption=The logo for ''de Blob Online''. | ||
|status=<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span> | |status=<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span> | ||
}} | }} | ||
| Line 9: | Line 9: | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
Around the development of the second ''de Blob'' game and the interest to expand the series as a proper franchise, THQ started working on another de Blob game, this time for online gaming. The Shanghai branch of THQ started development on it, being primarily made for Asia audiences. | Around the development of the second ''de Blob'' game and the interest to expand the series as a proper franchise, THQ started working on another de Blob game, this time for online gaming. The Shanghai branch of THQ started development on it, being primarily made for Asia audiences. | ||
Balanced Worlds, a Beijing-based team, came on to co-develop the game, known for the ''Buddies'' franchises of online 3D games. <ref> [https://gamesindustry.biz/new-de-blob-would-be-the-perfect-indie-game Details of ''de Blob Online''.] Retrieved 10 Oct '22</ref> While the game was never officially talked about from THQ or Balanced, it was far into completion and was close from release, as | Balanced Worlds, a Beijing-based team, came on to co-develop the game, known for the ''Buddies'' franchises of online 3D games.<ref>[https://gamesindustry.biz/new-de-blob-would-be-the-perfect-indie-game Details of ''de Blob Online''.] Retrieved 10 Oct '22</ref> While the game was never officially talked about from THQ or Balanced, it was far into completion and was close from release, as | ||
THQ Nordic business and product development director Reinhard Pollice spoke about in a 2017 interview about the legacy of ''de Blob'': | THQ Nordic business and product development director Reinhard Pollice spoke about in a 2017 interview about the legacy of ''de Blob'': | ||
<blockquote> | <blockquote> | ||
"Before THQ went bankrupt, they had an online De Blob game [in development] which was basically like Splatoon, | "Before THQ went bankrupt, they had an online De Blob game [in development] which was basically like Splatoon," says Pollice. “It was never released, but I think they invested a couple of million into it. They were making it for Asia. It was pretty far [through development], it wasn’t far off soft-launch. But it was funny, because when Nintendo announced Splatoon I was like ‘hey, I’ve already seen that – that’s literally ''De Blob Online''."<ref>[https://nintendoeverything.com/thq-nordic-says-de-blob-was-a-bit-underrepresented-on-wii-cancelled-online-game-was-similar-to-splatoon/ THQ Nordic director commenting on the legacy of ''de Blob''.] Retrieved 10 Oct '22</ref> | ||
</blockquote> | </blockquote> | ||
Despite being nearly finished for release, the game was never confirmed to exist until years later, due to THQ's bankruptcy filled in late 2012 <ref> [https://pcgamer.com/thq-bankruptcy/ THQ announcing its bankruptcy.] Retrieved 10 Oct '22</ref> | Despite being nearly finished for release, the game was never confirmed to exist until years later, due to THQ's bankruptcy filled in late 2012 that prevented it from being completed and ceased production of any further ''de Blob'' projects,<ref>[https://pcgamer.com/thq-bankruptcy/ THQ announcing its bankruptcy.] Retrieved 10 Oct '22</ref> including all branches of THQ, Shanghai included. Balanced Worlds was acquired by Kabam Inc., a leader in free-to-play gaming, also in December 2012, which may have been a reason for the cancellation of ''de Blob Online''.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121207081516/http://finance.yahoo.com/news/kabam-acquires-china-balanced-worlds-143300256.html News of Balanced Worlds being acquired by Kabam.] Retrieved 10 Oct '22</ref> | ||
=Availability= | =Availability= | ||
In February 2021, years after the game was first mentioned in interviews, former THQ employee Richard Browne shared on his Twitter an unreleased pitch trailer for the game <ref>[https://twitter.com/rpwbrowne/status/1363229222496444417 ''de Blob Online'' trailer.] Retrieved 10 Oct '22</ref> The version was edited down, though the full trailer was uploaded a month later on his YouTube channel, albeit unlisted. <ref> [https://youtu.be/n3taYkVPJY8 ''de Blob Online'' full trailer.] Retrieved 10 Oct '22</ref> The overall gameplay resembled in the trailer resembled ''de Blob 2'' with a multiplayer emphasis, including general basis of the online game genre including character customization, online community, multiplayer combat, items, and skills. The game's build and any of its assets, however, remain lost and inaccessible to the public. | In February 2021, years after the game was first mentioned in interviews, former THQ employee Richard Browne shared on his Twitter an unreleased pitch trailer for the game.<ref>[https://twitter.com/rpwbrowne/status/1363229222496444417 ''de Blob Online'' trailer.] Retrieved 10 Oct '22</ref> The version was edited down, though the full trailer was uploaded a month later on his YouTube channel, albeit unlisted.<ref>[https://youtu.be/n3taYkVPJY8 ''de Blob Online'' full trailer.] Retrieved 10 Oct '22</ref> The overall gameplay resembled in the trailer resembled ''de Blob 2'' with a multiplayer emphasis, including general basis of the online game genre including character customization, online community, multiplayer combat, items, and skills. The game's build and any of its assets, however, remain lost and inaccessible to the public. | ||
== | ==Gallery== | ||
{{Video|perrow =2 | {{Video|perrow =2 | ||
|service1 =youtube | |service1 =youtube | ||
| Line 26: | Line 26: | ||
|service2 =youtube | |service2 =youtube | ||
|id2 =J_aJyOPPQAk | |id2 =J_aJyOPPQAk | ||
|description2 =Big Green Gaming discussing ''Online'' from 10:40 - 11:15. | |description2 =Big Green Gaming discussing ''Online'' from 10:40-11:15. | ||
}} | }} | ||
==External Links== | ==External Links== | ||
*[https://deblob.fandom.com/wiki/De_Blob_Online ''de Blob'' Wiki article on ''de Blob Online''.] | *[https://deblob.fandom.com/wiki/De_Blob_Online ''de Blob'' Wiki article on ''de Blob Online''.] | ||
Revision as of 15:32, 12 October 2022
The logo for de Blob Online.
Status: Lost
de Blob Online is a scrapped multiplayer online game based on the THQ video game duology of the same name, developed by Balanced Worlds and intended to be published by THQ Shanghai for launch shortly after the release of de Blob 2 in early 2011. Due to the interest to make the de Blob series a multi-media franchise, it was developed to expand the series to online gaming, but the project was never confirmed nor even known until years later as a result of being quietly scrapped due to the bankruptcy of THQ during its development.
History
Around the development of the second de Blob game and the interest to expand the series as a proper franchise, THQ started working on another de Blob game, this time for online gaming. The Shanghai branch of THQ started development on it, being primarily made for Asia audiences. Balanced Worlds, a Beijing-based team, came on to co-develop the game, known for the Buddies franchises of online 3D games.[1] While the game was never officially talked about from THQ or Balanced, it was far into completion and was close from release, as THQ Nordic business and product development director Reinhard Pollice spoke about in a 2017 interview about the legacy of de Blob:
"Before THQ went bankrupt, they had an online De Blob game [in development] which was basically like Splatoon," says Pollice. “It was never released, but I think they invested a couple of million into it. They were making it for Asia. It was pretty far [through development], it wasn’t far off soft-launch. But it was funny, because when Nintendo announced Splatoon I was like ‘hey, I’ve already seen that – that’s literally De Blob Online."[2]
Despite being nearly finished for release, the game was never confirmed to exist until years later, due to THQ's bankruptcy filled in late 2012 that prevented it from being completed and ceased production of any further de Blob projects,[3] including all branches of THQ, Shanghai included. Balanced Worlds was acquired by Kabam Inc., a leader in free-to-play gaming, also in December 2012, which may have been a reason for the cancellation of de Blob Online.[4]
Availability
In February 2021, years after the game was first mentioned in interviews, former THQ employee Richard Browne shared on his Twitter an unreleased pitch trailer for the game.[5] The version was edited down, though the full trailer was uploaded a month later on his YouTube channel, albeit unlisted.[6] The overall gameplay resembled in the trailer resembled de Blob 2 with a multiplayer emphasis, including general basis of the online game genre including character customization, online community, multiplayer combat, items, and skills. The game's build and any of its assets, however, remain lost and inaccessible to the public.
Gallery
External Links
References
- ↑ Details of de Blob Online. Retrieved 10 Oct '22
- ↑ THQ Nordic director commenting on the legacy of de Blob. Retrieved 10 Oct '22
- ↑ THQ announcing its bankruptcy. Retrieved 10 Oct '22
- ↑ News of Balanced Worlds being acquired by Kabam. Retrieved 10 Oct '22
- ↑ de Blob Online trailer. Retrieved 10 Oct '22
- ↑ de Blob Online full trailer. Retrieved 10 Oct '22