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Episodic series Blues and Bullets seemingly in trouble (possible cancellation?)

AHA-Lambda

Member
I posted this earlier on in the Steam thread but I figured it was best maybe putting a thread up for it.
While I recognise this game has not been overly popular, I remember some gaffers praising it at the time of Episode 1's release, and the game is still on sale after all on PC and consoles.



Blues and Bullets is a Telltale-esque episodic adventure series following an alternate post Untouchables-era Elliot Ness, where he partners up with Al Capone in search of his kidnapped granddaughter.
The game even has Geralt of Rivia playing the voice of Elliot Ness with his usual gruff charm

At present only 2 episodes of a planned 5 have been released, taking almost a year to launch the 2nd episode.

Well, there have been murmurs for a while on the game's Steam forum page that the game has been cancelled (various changes have been noted on staff social media channels and such), now a user claims to have spoken to a source stating that it has been cancelled.

To surmise our conversation regarding Blues and Bullets, they told me that they haven't been called in for work on the project in about a year, said that the studio has completely run out of money due to a failed mobile port, and that the company has no full time employees. So, no more Blues and Bullets episodes, the game is done.

http://steamcommunity.com/app/378660/discussions/0/350542683203154457/

The game devs have now stepped in and had to state it's not been cancelled, but that they're facing "difficult times", and that's pretty much the first thing they've said since episode 2 came out 6 months ago.

'No, Blues And Bullets is not cancelled […] We are passing through difficult times, but the game is not cancelled. If we cancel it we will advice, don't worry.'

https://twitter.com/CrowdOfMonsters/status/780430230230040577

It's not exactly a quote that inspires confidence.

Now, I don't know the financial situation of the game but FWIW, Steamspy has put the game at 38k owners on Steam, but that does not distinguish between people who have bought just the first episode (which has been bundled and heavily discounted) and full season owners. It certainly doesn't appear an encouraging number.

And from another thread on here, which lines up with what's being said elsewhere,

The studio is closed that's the information i have(despite the website is up) and i can't say who tells me that.Well see if this is true or not and the game continues.

I can't say I'm confident at all this game will see completion frankly =/
It's a damn shame cos it was off to a promising start.
But I think it's good to have a record of this, and to take it as read that people should not be buying the complete season of this game.
If this conjecture ain't appropriate then mods can lock this of course.

EDIT:
They have serious financial problems before the launch of ep2 so that's why they took so long to release the ep2.And after the launch of the ep2 in the ps4 the situation don't change at all and the studio stop the development and developers left the studio.
 

Totolariko

Neo Member
Was on sales on ps4 some time ago. Been tempted but finally didnt take it after reading something similar about a probable never finished game
 

dinoroar

Banned
I bought episode 1 on PS4 months ago and really couldn't get passed the bad acting/pacing/story telling. (Like, bad bad acting, Elliot Ness IS Geralt of Rivia)

There was some cool looking stuff and I'll still finish it once day, but I really wasn't feeling it. Shame that it's seemingly cancelled.
 

Billfisto

Member
Really liked the first two episodes. Second one especially was pretty strange, and we need more off-center, janky, risky games.

Hopefully somebody at least outlines how the whole story would've played out.
 

Caffeine

Member
damn I was just looking at this game on steam the other day. was thinking of getting it when all the episodic content came out.
 

IbizaPocholo

NeoGAFs Kent Brockman
They have serious financial problems before the launch of ep2 so that's why they took so long to release the ep2.And after the launch of the ep2 in the ps4 the situation don't change at all and the studio stop the development and developers left the studio.
 

AHA-Lambda

Member
They have serious financial problems before the launch of ep2 so that's why they took so long to release the ep2.And after the launch of the ep2 in the ps4 the situation don't change at all and the studio stop the development and developers left the studio.

Damn, well there you have it =/
 

Karak

Member
Did reviews for it and met their president and spoke to him for an hour at GDC and I did get a bit of a vibe that they had some very hard going after the release of the first one.
I loved Ep 1, thought Ep 2 was ok but absolutely would love to see these continued.
 

AudioEppa

Member
I got ep.1&2 for the price compo of $8. Bought it because I thought it looked super cool. The description was enough to sell me on it. Haven't played them yet because I was waiting for more episodes to release.. 😕 unfortunate situation.
 

Taruranto

Member
I played Ep 1, didn't play 2 cause I lost my save so I was waiting for the complete game.

Too bad, I definitely enjoy my time with it. I wonder if we'll see more things like this in the future, given how competitive Steam is getting for indie and whatnot.
 

Dremark

Banned
Oddly I never heard of this before. It sounds pretty cool though, if they do end up finishing it I'll have to pick it up.
 
I remember looking into the game a while ago when it launched but this is pretty much the reason why I wait till seasons are finished before hopping into episodic games.
 

Radogol

Member
I remember looking into the game a while ago when it launched but this is pretty much the reason why I wait till seasons are finished before hopping into episodic games.

Of course, your approach is part of the reason some of those seasons aren't completed.

Not blaming you of course. I think if you are a new studio with a debut episodic game, it's worth making sure the episodes are standalone or have some sort of plan B.
 

AHA-Lambda

Member
Sorry for bump but was listening to episode 143 of Co-Optional Podcast from last week.

At near the 2.5 hour mark, TB also claims that the studio has shut down. Unclear if he has new information or not but he puts it across quite definitively not speculatively.
 

IbizaPocholo

NeoGAFs Kent Brockman
Sorry for bump but was listening to episode 143 of Co-Optional Podcast from last week.

At near the 2.5 hour mark, TB also claims that the studio has shut down. Unclear if he has new information or not but he puts it across quite definitively not speculatively.

That's the information i have too.The studio was closed this summer due to financial problems despite the tweet from the official account.
 

AHA-Lambda

Member
That's the information i have too.The studio was closed this summer due to financial problems despite the tweet from the official account.

This is disgusting, they need to just come out and admit it now.

I don't understand how the continued sale of an episodic title like this is anything short of fradulent at this point.
 

AudioEppa

Member
At this point it should be completely off all stores digital stores. Perhaps even a refund for anyone who bought it, I know doubtful because it's a small amount of money, but a nice gesture nonetheless if possible.
 

xrnzaaas

Gold Member
At this point it should be completely off all stores digital stores. Perhaps even a refund for anyone who bought it, I know doubtful because it's a small amount of money, but a nice gesture nonetheless if possible.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think Steam is the only digital store that was selling a season pass. On Xbox and PS stores only ep1-2 bundles are available.
 

Billfisto

Member
Boo! I wish they'd at least tell us what was going to happen in the remaining episodes and how it'd end. Maybe do a comic book or novel or something if they want to monetize it.
 

AHA-Lambda

Member
Correct me if I'm wrong but I think Steam is the only digital store that was selling a season pass. On Xbox and PS stores only ep1-2 bundles are available.

Yeah, I believe that is the case, they certainly don't have them now anyway.

The fact that there was never a season pass for them and they came much later seems shady in hindsight
 
Weird, I thought this was in a bunch of bundles and was being sold heavily discounted, but isthereanydeal says that the cheapest it was sold for was $2.50. I could've sworn it went below $1 at once point.
 
Well that sucks.
This wasn't an early access game. Give me what I paid for, or compensate with something of equal value.

Let's find out if Valve's support lives up to its shitty reputation.
 

Flandy

Member
I got this in a bundle a while ago and refused to play it until the game was complete. Guess that won't be happening now :(
 
https://steamdb.info/sub/72343/history/?changeid=2497732

Refunds are seemingly open now to owners of the season pass irrespective of playtime, and I can confirm I have received mine.
Noticed today I'd received a reply to my support ticket on December 3rd offering a refund.
Asked me to confirm if they should proceed, and then my brain enabled autopilot and clicked the "Yes the problem is solved" button and so now I'll basically have to redo this whole thing. Hopefully refund tickets are a bit more expedited.

Anyway, cool that it's possible to refund this thing, that Valve bothered to do the right thing without some blowup needing to happen.
 
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