Lead designer explains why Blur was a flop

Sales figures for racing title Blur were “really low” according to lead designer Gareth Wilson – who’s been explaining why he thinks the game flopped quite so badly.

[JellyJelly]

Producing a great game isn't enough these days. You need to find the right market window for your game and have a clever marketing campaign as well. Hell, some of my favourite games this gen were financial flops. It's very sad imo.

[Yi-Long]

... it's mostly an online-party racer which was likened to Mario Kart, and I personally don't care that much about. It was Activision which I don't support, and it had a perk-system which I don't like.

Also, I don't really like weapon-based racers. I also hate it in those top-down racers.

I want my racers to just be about speed, intensity and SKILL. Not about getting a rocket up my ass every 10 seconds.

[Baka-akaB]

i can understand that feeling . Just pointing out that those too requite skills .

[Yi-Long]

.... but I don't really care for those skills when I want to play a racing game ;)

I'm sure it's a FUN game, but if I want a kart-racer I'll pick up Modnation Racers, and for fast arcade racers there's Need for Speed, Dirt and such games.

[EVILDEAD360]

It absolutely deserved a better marketing campaign. The whole Adult Mario Kart theme didn't work. But wow..what an addicting game.

It honestly was the Call of Duty of arcade racers and ended up being one of the most slept on titles this gen.

Need for Speed was the only arcade racer that got the Metacritic and comercial love. Even Split didn't do well. Heck look at what happened to Motostorm: Apocolypse. The arcade racer is simply a tough nut to crack these days. Burnout Revenge for the 360 will still be my all-time fave..but Blur is right up there.

Evil

[morkendo]

even though split/sec. sucked it was way!! better than blur
far as arcade NFS is the best by far.

[Cpt_kitten]

it wasn't? it was awesome, really don't like racing games but found comfort in playing this

[Quagmire]

Because Split/Second was better.

[DJMarty]

@Quagmire - Blur, was miles better than Split second.

I bought Blur and still play it.

Split second sucked.

[KyRo]

Split Second was amazing compared to Blur.

[Baka-akaB]

because split second was better (wich alreaady wasnt selling that great) .
Because they marketed it as better looking and with real cars , mariokart , when Mk fans wouldnt care about that .

And it wasnt awesome anyway

[Kran]

I was one of those who bought it ;) It was still a great game and a shame it didnt get the sales.

[crematory]

quote "decreased interest in racing games were to blame"

1000 this

[Rainstorm81]

I think its more so decreased interest in arcade racers.

GT and Forza do great sales wise....

[schlanz]

Well as far as arcade racers go, NFS, Burnout, and Motorstorm are already more than enough... how many more do we really need?

And if I want to play a game like Mario Kart.. I'd rather just play Mario Kart.

[gamingdroid]

As far as I know, Blur is unique though.

I might see if I can find a cheap copy on amazon.com

[Inside_out]

.
" Activision’s official word last month that poor market conditions and decreased interest in racing games were to blame."

There you have from a company that pays hundreds of thousands of dollars to consultants to figure these things out.

What happen is really simple...we are at the end of this gen of gaming and that is the worst time to try and build a fanbase for a game. If Blur was a launch title, it would of done far better than it did.

At this point, the games that already have a fanbase are the games that will sell the best. Anything new gets compared to what's out there already and usually, since there is nothing new under the sun, they have seen it all before. That doesn't mean it's impossible, just very hard.

Activision should re-brand and market the title ( Blur ) in 2012 as a launch title on the Wii-U. It would cost relatively little and the up side would be great. As a matter of fact, ALL of Bizarres creation game library should be transferred to the Wii-U as launch titles. The Club was a decent game as well.

It's sad to see a developer like Bizarre creations get shut down but that's what happens when you sell out.

[Foxgod]

In the end they might have been better off creating a mario kart style game, as mario kart doesnt really have top contender competition yet.

Sega all stars is the thing that comes closest to it.
Personally if i where to create a racing game, i would create a partnership with Capcom, and create a mario kart style game with characters from Megaman, Lilith and yeti from darkstalkers, firebrand, viewtiful joe, Okami etch.

If they would have made a kartgame like that, i am sure it would have sold buckets.

Heck, if i where Nintendo, i would make a Super Kart melee game to refresh the mario kart series, and invite racers from all kind of game series and studio's.
30+ racers, and more then 40 different projectiles to use on the track.

[schlanz]

Mod Nation Racers invalidates the need for any more kart racers, on the PS3 at least.

[Foxgod]

With all respect, but mod nation doesnt hold a candle to mario kart its succes.

[BuffMordecai]

It didn't sell because people are dumb, fo real. They would rather play the same old crap than try out a new IP.

[nnotdead]

or maybe not want to take a $60 chance on a new IP, or any game that isn't getting huge hype from friends, family, and media.

[bozebo]

Because it wasn't called Burnout and it was not on the Steam front page.

[theonlylolking]

Blur is a very good game. Activision should have gave it free with call of duty black ops so many people would get a chance to play it, thus becoming a big franchise like valve's portal.

[xtreampro_REVENGE!]

The controls in this game were flippin awful! It would be a pain the ass just to get the car to turn.

Out of every racing I've ever played this has to be the worst.

[KING_KAI]

i loved the 20 player racers!!

[jacksheen0000]

The name Blur say it all...it simply just Blurred out over time.

[Apotheosize]

Blur looked like a lot of fun, but at the end of the day it was just a racing game and thats not a big priority for a lot of people(unless it GT)

[digitaleraser]

There were two main problems:

1) A game that would appeal to fans of Mario Kart and Modnation Racers, paired with an advertising campaign that poked fun at those same games.

2) Released the week after another arcade racer, both of which got caught in the shadow of RDR (which it seemed like *everyone* on my friends list was playing the week of Blur's release).

[RockmanII7]

Pretty much this, I love Mario Kart and I remember hating those commercials that made fun of it and on top of that launched it right at the same time as Split/Second, RDR, Mario Galaxy 2, Alan Wake, that Prince of Persia game, Lost Planet 2, and I still feel like I'm forgetting something. I bought Blur about a month ago for $20 and there are enough people playing online (usually about 300-600 people) but you need a group of friends to really have fun with the game.

[DAS692]

I played the demo. It just wasn't fun. The controls weren't tight enough, and it had no REAL identity.

[Gamewank]

I'm saddened that Blur did so badly, thought it was fantastic. Still play it online from time to time, there are about 80 people still kicking about on the XBL servers and it's as fun as ever.