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Activision discontinues Blur video game: Difference between revisions

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{{ProductCargo
|Company=Activision
|InProduction=No
|ArticleType=Product
|Category=Video Games
|Description=Blur (stylized as blur) is an arcade-style racing game with destruction items and modes.|ReleaseYear=2010}}


Blur is a arcade-style racing and destruction derby style game made in 2010 for Windows, PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360, but was discontinued in 2010 due to Activision shutting down the developers of the game. The developer of Blur (Bizzare Creations) was owned and shut down by Activison leading to the shut down of Blur. Blur is currently off sale and unavailable to play multiplayer. The only way to obtain Blur currently is through the sie MyAbandonWare or as a second hand copy. Sites like MyAbandonWare distribute these lost games while stepping on a blurry gray area of the law in the name of [[video game preservation]].{{Ph-C-Int}}
{{IncidentCargo
|Company=Activision Blizzard
|StartDate=2011
|EndDate=
|Status=Active
|ProductLine=Blur
|Product=Blur
|ArticleType=Incident
|Type=Service Termination
|Description=The game Blur cannot be legitimately purchased for no apparent reason.
}}
Blur is an arcade-style street racing game released on May 25, 2010 for Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Blur |url=https://www.gamespot.com/games/blur/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250818004301/https://www.gamespot.com/games/blur/ |archive-date=18 Aug 2025|access-date=21 Nov 2025 |website=GameSpot}}</ref> It was discontinued in 2011 when the game studio behind Blur, Bizarre Creations, was shut down by [[Activision Blizzard|Activision]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 Nov 2010 |title=Updated: Activision shutting down Bizarre and Budcat studios? |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/activision-shuts-down-bizarre-and-budcat-studios/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260104011532/https://www.pcgamer.com/activision-shuts-down-bizarre-and-budcat-studios/ |archive-date=4 Jan 2026|access-date=21 Nov 2025 |website=PCGamer}}</ref><!-- find a better citation if possible, this one doesn't definitively mention the studio shutting down, and doesn't support the 2011 date besides inferring article date + 3 months. also need to clarify if the servers were shut down at the same time or not, and how much of the game's value was lost when the servers were shutdown. --> The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 have been discontinued, and Blur has been delisted on [[Steam]], thus Blur is not for sale on any platform.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 Nov 2018 |title=How can I buy this game legally? |url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/42640/discussions/0/3374780959389252968 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250814080920/https://steamcommunity.com/app/42640/discussions/0/3374780959389252968/ |archive-date=14 Aug 2025|access-date=2025-11-23 |website=Steam}}</ref> Blur servers have been brought back online as of 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 Jan 2023 |title=Steam thread |url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/42640/discussions/0/3758850980071094166/?l=english |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260222203757/https://steamcommunity.com/app/42640/discussions/0/3758850980071094166/?l=english |archive-date=22 Feb 2026|access-date=2025-11-23 |website=Steam}}</ref>


==Consumer-impact summary==
==Background==
{{Ph-C-CIS}}
Most platforms gave Blur favourable reviews.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-23 |title=GameFAQs reviews for blur |url=https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/pc/960251-blur/reviews |url-status=live |access-date=2026-02-06 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250427070803/https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/pc/960251-blur/reviews |archive-date=27 Apr 2025|website=GameFAQs}}</ref> Blur sold 31,000 copies in the US in the first 5 days<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-07-08 |title=Activison: Blur was not a failure |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/activision-blur-was-not-a-failure |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241009041632/https://www.eurogamer.net/activision-blur-was-not-a-failure |archive-date=9 Oct 2024|access-date=2025-11-23 |website=Eurogamer}}</ref> and sold a total of 500,000 copies by the time it was discontinued.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-11-23 |title=Article clipping from The Independent |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-independent/87964042 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250810003013/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-independent/87964042/ |archive-date=10 Aug 2025|access-date=2025-11-23}}</ref> A sequel was planned, but was abandoned and never finished due to the closing of Bizarre Creations.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-04 |title=Blur 2 |url=https://kotaku.com/games/blur-2 |access-date=2026-02-06 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250623003725/https://kotaku.com/games/blur-2 |archive-date=23 Jun 2025|website=Kotaku}}</ref> An officially licensed free-to-play spin-off titled "Blur Overdrive" was released on November 1, 2013 by Marmalade Play.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Damien McFerran |date=2013-11-20 |title=Blur Overdrive Review |url=https://www.pocketgamer.com/blur-overdrive/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260222203936/https://www.pocketgamer.com/blur-overdrive/ |archive-date=22 Feb 2026|access-date=2026-01-05 |website=Pocketgamer.com}}</ref>


==Incidents==
==Discontinuation notice==
{{Ph-C-Inc}}
Activision's statement:<blockquote>Over the past three years since our purchase of Bizarre Creations, the fundamentals of the racing genre have changed significantly. Although we made a substantial investment in creating a new IP, Blur, it did not find a commercial audience. Bizarre is a very talented team of developers; however, because of the broader economic factors impacting the market, we are exploring our options regarding the future of the studio, including a potential sale of the business.<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 Nov 2010 |title=Activision Looking To Close Or Sell Bizarre Creations |url=https://worthplaying.com/article/2010/11/16/news/78258-activision-looking-to-close-or-sell-bizarre-creations/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260206222947/https://worthplaying.com/article/2010/11/16/news/78258-activision-looking-to-close-or-sell-bizarre-creations/ |archive-date=6 Feb 2026|access-date=21 Nov 2025 |website=WorthPlaying}}</ref></blockquote>
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].


===Example incident one (''date'')===
==Consumer response==
{{Main|link to the main CR Wiki article}}
The consumer response to Activision discontinuing Blur was of disappointment. Players enjoyed the game's campaign mode and split-screen racing. The legal way to play Blur is to purchase a Steam key or obtain a physical disc, but this is difficult, as the game has been delisted on Steam. Because of this, many players have resorted to downloading the game on abandonware sites.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-12-26 |title=Reddit thread |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/1fx72vx/while_a_commercial_failure_at_the_time_blur_is/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20241217064929/https://old.reddit.com/r/patientgamers/comments/1fx72vx/while_a_commercial_failure_at_the_time_blur_is/ |archive-date=17 Dec 2024|access-date=2025-12-26 |website=Reddit}}</ref>
Short summary of the incident (could be the same as the summary preceding the article).
===Example incident two (''date'')===
...


Unofficial servers for Blur are currently being hosted by the Amax Emu project.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amax Emu |url=https://amax-emu.com/Dashboard |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260204160712/https://amax-emu.com/Dashboard |archive-date=4 Feb 2026|access-date=2025-12-27 |website=Amax Emu}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
{{Ph-C-SA}}
*[[Stop Killing Games]]
 


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Activision Blizzard]]
[[Category:Discontinued products]]
[[Category:Video games]]
[[Category:Service cancellation]]
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