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Activision discontinues Blur video game: Difference between revisions

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{{Incomplete|Issue 1=No references included}}
 
{{IncidentCargo
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|Company=Activision Blizzard
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|Description=The game Blur cannot be legitimately purchased for no apparent reason.
|Description=The game Blur cannot be legitimately purchased for no apparent reason.
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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=https://archive.ph/jQ6It |archive-date=5 Jan 2026 |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=https://archive.ph/geNo6 |archive-date=27 Oct 2023 |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=https://archive.ph/BhCPU |archive-date=2026-01-04 |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=https://archive.ph/Xbv4t |archive-date=2026-01-04 |access-date=2025-11-23 |website=Steam}}</ref>
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>


==Background==
==Background==
All platforms gave Blur favourable reviews.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-11-23 |title=GameFAQs reviews for blur |url=https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/pc/960251-blur/reviews |url-status=dead |access-date=2025-11-23 |website=GameFAQs}}</ref> Blur sold 31,000 copies in the US in the first 5 days<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-11-23 |title=Activison: Blur was not a failure |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/activision-blur-was-not-a-failure |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/JLoI5 |archive-date=2026-01-04 |access-date=2025-11-23}}</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=https://archive.ph/4CCWX |archive-date=5 Jan 2026 |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=2025-11-23 |title=Blur 2 |url=https://www.igdb.com/games/blur-2 |access-date=2025-11-23 |website=IGDB}}</ref> An unofficial<!-- the game looks "unofficial" to me, but i can't read the language it's in. remove the word "unofficial" if it's not true --> free-to-play spin-off titled "Blur Overdrive" was released on November 1, 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-11-1 |title=Blur Overdrive |url=https://4pda.to/forum/index.php?showtopic=513912 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/ThPCX |archive-date=2026-01-05 |access-date=2025-11-23 |website=4PDA}}</ref>
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>


==Discontinuation notice==
==Discontinuation notice==
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=https://archive.ph/DMogb |archive-date=5 Jan 2026 |access-date=21 Nov 2025 |website=WorthPlaying}}</ref></blockquote>
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>


==Consumer response==
==Consumer response==
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=https://archive.ph/9mXFl |archive-date=5 Jan 2026 |access-date=2025-12-26 |website=Reddit}}</ref>
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>


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=https://archive.ph/v0MQf |archive-date=5 Jan 2026 |access-date=2025-12-27 |website=Amax Emu}}</ref>
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==
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