Blast Entertainment: Missed Opportunities and Flawed Execution

by John Nowacky
in Featured, News, Playstation, Release, xEL
on 3 July 2024

London-based publisher Blast Entertainment may have entered the PlayStation 2 scene late, but they had a plan. Capitalizing on the PS2’s large demographic of teens and pre-teens, Blast aimed to release games based on popular TV shows and films at an affordable price point. Their strategy was made possible by Sony’s reduced publishing fees.

However, Blast’s attempt to leverage the PS2’s existing popularity came with its own set of challenges. By the time Blast arrived on the scene in 2006, most studios already had a portfolio of PS2 games and a cache of engines and assets ready to reuse. To cut costs, Blast often resorted to re-skinning existing games or contracting multiple studios to develop games simultaneously.

This cost-cutting approach allowed Blast to acquire the rights to older movie properties at rock-bottom prices. European PS2 owners were treated to games based on classics such as “Dr. Dolittle,” “Jumanji,” and “Beverly Hills Cop.” While these were recognizable properties, some of them may not have resonated with the target demographic, especially with games like “Beverly Hills Cop” skewing more towards adults.

One significant challenge Blast faced was the lack of rights to use actors’ likenesses in their games. Instead, their movie tie-ins often featured generic/cartoon characters, diluting the connection to the original films. This was particularly evident in “Beverly Hills Cop,” where the protagonist resembled Vin Diesel more than Eddie Murphy’s iconic Axel Foley.

Developed by Atomic Planet, the “Beverly Hills Cop” game was a first-person shooter with a mix of stealth sequences, shootouts, and mini-games. However, the game’s short length was padded with unskippable cutscenes, lack of checkpoints, and invisible walls. These design decisions made the game feel like a slog, with little reward for the player’s efforts.

Visually, “Beverly Hills Cop” was crude, with angular characters and backdrops. The lack of the infamous theme tune and technical flaws, such as enemies unable to aim vertically, further impacted the overall experience. The game lacked solid gunplay mechanics, resulting in unrealistic and uninspired combat.

In hindsight, it is apparent that Blast failed to fully realize the potential of a “Beverly Hills Cop” game. Released during a time when other ’80s movies were receiving successful adaptations, the game missed the mark due to its rushed development and low budget. With more time and resources, the flaws could have been addressed, resulting in a more enjoyable experience.

Ultimately, the “Beverly Hills Cop” game represented a missed opportunity for Blast Entertainment. Rather than delivering a polished and engaging game, it seemed more like a box-ticking exercise, rushed onto store shelves simply because they could.

Additional Facts:
1. Blast Entertainment also released games for other platforms such as Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance.
2. Blast’s games often received mixed reviews from critics and players, with many pointing out their low production values and lack of innovation.
3. Blast faced stiff competition from other publishers who had established their presence in the PS2 market much earlier.
4. Blast’s games were primarily aimed at the European market, with limited availability in other regions.
5. Blast’s strategy of releasing affordable games based on popular IPs was not unique to them, as other publishers also followed a similar approach during the PS2 era.

Key Questions and Answers:
1. What were Blast Entertainment’s main challenges in the PS2 market?
Answer: Blast faced challenges such as entering the market late, relying on cost-cutting methods, acquiring rights to use actors’ likenesses, and delivering a polished experience with limited resources.

2. How did Blast Entertainment acquire the rights to movie properties?
Answer: Blast acquired the rights to older movie properties at rock-bottom prices, possibly due to the decline in value of these IPs and the reduced publishing fees offered by Sony.

3. What were the main flaws in the “Beverly Hills Cop” game?
Answer: The “Beverly Hills Cop” game had design flaws such as unskippable cutscenes, lack of checkpoints, and invisible walls. It also lacked solid gunplay mechanics and suffered from technical flaws like enemies unable to aim vertically.

Advantages:
– Blast Entertainment’s strategy of releasing games based on popular IPs at an affordable price point allowed them to target the large demographic of PS2 users.
– By re-skinning existing games or contracting multiple studios, Blast could cut costs and acquire the rights to movie properties at lower prices.
– Blast’s games provided an opportunity for fans of the movie properties to engage with them in a different medium.

Disadvantages:
– Blast faced stiff competition from other publishers with more established presence in the market.
– Lack of polished production values and originality in Blast’s games resulted in mixed reviews and limited success.
– The rushed development and low budget of Blast’s games often resulted in a lackluster gaming experience.