It’s looking like Blue Box Game Studios is really just an indie studio that got in over its head while trying to market its upcoming horror game Abandoned (which isn’t the final name, according to the dev). The owner of the studio, Hasan Kahraman, released a video decrying any involvement with Kojima and Konami. However, that gamers (including myself) could turn what seems to be a fumbling attempt by an indie dev to drum up support into a conspiracy involving Sony, Konami, Hideo Kojima, and Geoff Keighley shows there’s an issue in the industry.
Why did a game from a one-man studio out-hype E3 2021?
The biggest gaming event of the year, E3, took place just a week ago. However, it was Blue Box and its mysterious Abandoned which captured the minds of gaming enthusiasts across the world. Major industry players were swept up in the fervor as fans tried to decode whether or not the game and the studio itself was an ARG for a new Silent Hil. Some dared hope it might even be the canceled holy grail, Silent Hills by Hideo Kojima.
The chance that Silent Hills could release is enough to get any gamer sweaty. However, the enthusiasm behind the Blue Box conspiracy points more towards a failure by studios, publishers, and PR to draw in players. Whether it’s through leaks or just predictability, the info for most major games comes out in advance of official announcements, and AAA companies have the same run-up to launch every time. The status quo is starting to bore people, and it’s showing. Over the last few years, we’ve seen big studios fail with big-name properties because they keep making games that no one wants that maximize profitability over fun.
Games as a service, endless DLC, languid sequels, and season passes for everything have got people wanting something out of the ordinary. Sure the games at E3 looked great, but none of the announcements had the punch to break into the zeitgeist. Part of this is due to COVID delays, but it’s also because companies are afraid to take any risk yet have to continue to post record sales.
Something wicked is rolling into our shop next week. We are launching a SILENT HILL MERCH collection along with this amazing Limited Series Skateboard to celebrate… pic.twitter.com/wtjxmw9MvY
— OfficialKonamiShop (@KonamiShop) June 20, 2021
The sad thing about the Blue Box incident isn’t so much that it’s turning out to be complete bunk. Instead, it’s that it’s one more occasion during which fans have gone nuts over the idea of a new Silent Hill game and gotten nothing. The fact is, there should have been a massive conspiracy by Kojima, Konami, and Sony that completely hoodwinked us and brought back a beloved series. The hard truth is that despite rumors of a new game in the series before practically every industry event, all Konami actually had to reveal lately is a skateboard.
Hopefully, Blue Box Game Studios will reveal Abandoned, and it’ll be a great game that we all love. Unfortunately, it’s already been somewhat tainted by fans of another series wistfully hoping that this time would finally be the one.
