Developers of Blue Protocol explain what has gone wrong with the MMORPG so far

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Despite financial difficulties, Bandai Namco Online seems to still want to bring the MMORPG Blue Protocol to the West. In an interview, the developers now talked about what they think has gone wrong so far.

What did the developers analyze? In an interview with Famitsu (via Automaton), Bandai Namco Online officials explained why the anime MMORPG Blue Protocol had a difficult start in Japan:

  • Much of the criticism can be traced back to one problem: the gameplay is far too repetitive when it comes to things like advancing the story or crafting weapons.
  • The developers deliberately opted for a time-consuming grind. This was also because they describe themselves as hardcore MMO players who grew up with grinding and low drop rates.
  • However, the analyses reveal two things: Firstly, that the developers failed to make this gameplay loop sufficiently fun and motivating. Secondly, they misjudged their target audience. Instead of fans of hardcore MMOs, Blue Protocol attracted more casual gamers or fans of more modern MMORPGs.
  • Aside from the main story, there are too few worthwhile or entertaining side activities and challenges, according to many players’ criticism.
  • In general, there are still some bugs that have a negative impact on the gaming experience.
  • The developers admit mistakes in communicating with the community.

    • Blue Protocol was released in Japan last year – here is one of the trailers:

    Blue Protocol Update Trailer Japan October 2023

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    What measures will be taken based on these findings?

  • The developers want to eliminate anything that just feels like filler.
  • Since you can’t remove the grind completely, what grind or repetitive activities remain should at least feel a lot more rewarding. Bosses should drop large treasure chests, for example.
  • In addition, the next update will include additional content such as treasure hunts or mini-games such as beach volleyball. The developers are also hinting at a housing feature. They simply want to give players more reasons to enjoy spending time in the anime world of Blue Protocol.
  • The aim is to improve the user experience in areas that currently cause players to run into obstacles and leave the MMO forever. Guides and new convenience functions for fast travel and the map should further improve the entry.

    • Hope for a turnaround

    The developers had already revealed further plans for Blue Protocol days ago in a stream lasting more than three hours. There was talk of new areas, a higher maximum level, fresh dungeons and additional story content.

    A new quality system for weapons, fresh endgame content, a gacha-like system for cosmetic skins and extensive changes to the season pass are also on the developers’ agenda.

    Shortly after the stream, however, news broke that Bandai Namco Online was facing bankruptcy. There has not been an official statement from the parent company yet. The Bandai Namco Group itself should continue to do well thanks to Elden Ring, Tekken 8 and Co. Read more: The final nail in the coffin for Blue Protocol? Bad news for Bandai Namco Online from Japan

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