It seems like we’ve been witnessing a trend lately: an increasing number of live service games are meeting their end. It appears to be a challenging market, with publishers aiming for that elusive online hit, yet many titles that fail to achieve massive success are quickly deemed unworthy of further investment. Consequently, they face the axe.
Take Blue Protocol, for instance. This MMORPG was recently terminated by Bandai Namco, as anticipated since last summer. Interestingly, the game never even debuted in the Western market. But its dedicated Japanese fanbase made sure to give it a grand farewell, marking the occasion with an impressive dance rally in the game.
According to reports from the Japanese website Nlab, cited by Automaton, the countdown to Blue Protocol’s shutdown on January 18 resulted in an impromptu dancing spree. Players hosted a rave that lasted a good four and a half hours.
One Twitter user, michsuzu, captured the lively scene, sharing videos of players coordinating their avatars’ dance animations in a flawless display of unity. The whimsical flute tunes of the game served as a backdrop, though it seems any classic dance track could effortlessly complement the atmosphere, whether The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers, or Faithless.
The setting for this emotional send-off was Asterliese, the game’s starting town. The communal dance seemed to stretch from 5:30 PM right up until 10 PM Japan time, marking the moment the game shut down, as seen in a shared clip.
As for the finale? A poignant goodbye message thanked players for sticking around until the end, leading up to the inevitable server shutdown. Blue Protocol may not have had the longest life, but it left an odd, unforgettable mark, especially for those who danced their hearts out during its final moments.
In a surprising twist, Automaton reveals that Blue Protocol isn’t completely gone. It’s set for a rebirth as a new MMORPG titled Star Resonance, under the development of the Tencent-backed Chinese studio Bokura.
So, farewell Blue Protocol – you ‘ended’ your journey as unexpectedly as you lived it.
