Imagining The Future Of BlazBlue

By Spencer . July 7, 2009 . 6:42pm

BlazBlue is just starting out, but it has fire behind it. The console version came out last week, with a lot of hype for a fighting game not tied to an established franchise.

“The genre got reignited by Street Fighter. In order for other titles to break other people out of first person genre a lot more of these games need to come out so it’s in everyone’s faces,” explained Gail Salamanca, Director of Marketing at Aksys. “In order to keep people interested in the genre games need to come out. Not just from us, from Capcom, from Ignition, and Namco.”

In the next twelve months there will be a steady stream of fighting games with titles like Tekken 6. Arc System Works, the developers of BlazBlue, have not announced what’s next so I asked key staff members at Aksys what they would like to see happen with BlazBlue.

Salamanca started with, “Personally, I would like to see bigger character sprites like the ones they’re using in KOF, but not blown up. I don’t know how that would work with the mechanics because we all the space.”

“We have to make the maps bigger, the stages bigger,” added Harry Chang, Brand Manager.

“I want to see the character roster double. It’s kind of weird with the BlazBlue characters now. No one is a clone in the game,” said Salamanca. “Everybody wants to see more characters.” “I want to see different character sprites. I just don’t want to see the same sprites. Something new.”

“In a perfect world we want to see a [Guilty Gear] crossover,” Chang followed up. “We want to see an eventual sequel, but who knows?”

Let’s distill this to two options a new sequel with bigger sprites and more characters or a BlazBlue X Guilty Gear. Which one do you want more?

TAGS: Aksys, Arc System Works, BlazBlue, Highlight, Playstation 3, Xbox 360

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Dorf

BlazBlue Petit for DS!

Hraesvelgr

I don't really have any issues with the size of the sprites or the amount of characters in the game. I mean, when fighting games have 20+ fighters, they often end up being clones... and people generally end up using only the same three or four characters anyway.

As for a crossover, I wouldn't be surprised if they did it. I'm pretty sure they've hinted at parallel universes and the like before and I believe BB does.

thaKingRocka

i'm all for limiting the rosters. most every fighting roster could be distilled down to about 12 basic fighters once you've eliminated all the derivative fighters. the sprite sizes are fine with me, too.

i don't think a crossover makes sense from a gameplay perspective. see my previous statement for the reason why. i knew immediately that, as a potemkin player, i should jump right into tagen.

Aoshi00

argh... still waiting for my PS3 copy in the mail shipped from Amazon..

I like the throw back to 2D sprites, not just fighting games, but also platformers like Murasame. And not the simple sprites on DS like Contra or Castlevania, I mean full blown on HD consoles. The possibilities are endless.

QBasic

BlazBlue surprised me in all honesty. :3 Which is why regarding the future of BB, I'll just go ahead and say it... Surprise me. X3

Code

I'd love to see Blazblue x Guilty Gear! <3 Do it!

Vrakanox

This game is literally the most fun I've had playing a video game in years.

NickyD

I want them to erase the stigma of playing as Noel online. People think I'm a noob or I'll mash D... but I don't. I use her drive move as a combo finisher. It's a combo move. Why the hate? If someone's honestly trying to learn a character, they shouldn't have to apologize before a match.

Seriously. Ease the hate.

Nika

Havn't played online yet, but seeing what you write I'm probably going to encounter the same problem as I love (ab)use her drive.

Chow

Bigger sprites in relation to the screen means less area to move around between the fighters. I think the size they have right now is perfect, as I tend to blitz around the screen often with dashes.

My vote would go for a crossover since the two fighting games seem to have almost identical engines.

matty

GG vs. BB? Is that even possible?
The creator of Blazblue mentioned in a podcast (months back) at the Aksys site that they have no intentions of stopping BB here, so it's just a matter of when. He also mentioned having more characters for sure.
And, I actually wish they didn't make the stages and sprites too big. The characters will either be flying all over the place or the gameplay will be too tight on screen. I'm not going to stop them, but they got a good balance now.

I wouldn't mind seeing a spin off starring Taokaka: Kitty Chronicles.
Oh, I got it!
BlazBlue Vs. Kunio-kun!

Advent

Wow, what a great article. I've been enjoying BB non-stop since launch, and the only thing I want is the crossover.

Seriously, GG AC+ is awesome. And GG needs a next gen HD release. It was very successful...

Ragna

Yes we want a BlazBlue x Guilty Gear

ashn0d

What I'd like to see is BlazBlue in Europe to start with. I just hope this isn't another Battle Fantasia which came to PAL almost a year after its release in th US.

G

BB x GG
That would be really awesome (if that would happen, then I wouldn't know which Charakter should be my main)

blueblaze64

Me want millia Rage with new sprites x3 or atleast someone with her powers please~

Nika

I'm fine with the character sprites as they are now, so I'll skip on that one.

GG crossover would be nice, but only some characters, not all. That would probably be overkill. What I'd like to see most are new characters, not clones though. ... and Hazama, whyyyyy isn't he playable?

anon

We need a sequel first

THEN a crossover

Nox

I think the game is perfect the way it is and that for a second installment all it needs is a minimum of 4 to 6 new characters, with unique play style just like the original roster and the new storyline of course to be as great as the first one