MMORPGs continue to be incredibly popular, so it's little surprise that many companies want to get in on the action. Revealed at The Game Awards 2022, Blue Protocol is a free-to-play title set to launch on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. It's the latest game published by tech and retail giant Amazon, and will surely hope to have more staying power than its other efforts. The trailer that came with its reveal boasted colorful anime visuals and plenty of action, and being an online role-playing game it should draw inspiration from its contemporaries. One of those should be Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds, which offers lessons on what not to do with certain gameplay and progression decisions.
There are plenty of stellar games in the MMO genre that Amazon Games' latest outing will have to compete with, so it would be best served looking to Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds as a sign of what to avoid, and how to enhance its (limited) strengths. Blue Protocol may very well be another half-hearted title that passes by with little buzz, but it has the potential to be much more.
Story Should Be at the Forefront for Blue Protocol
Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds presented an interesting concept for its story, a Sword Art Online-esque affair that has players enter the world as a video game beta tester. The idea is neat, but it was a shame that Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds didn't lean too heavily into the narrative given its home series is known for charming tales and compelling characters.
Final Fantasy 14 has showed that story can be woven into a popular MMORPG with care. Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds didn't learn from Square Enix's success, which rendered its story largely forgotten whereas Final Fantasy 14 is hailed for its expansions and wonderful interactions between complex personalities. Blue Protocol has an art style and character models that are good enough to carry a dense story, so it shouldn't pass up the opportunity to conjure a memorable tale.
Free-to-Play is a Polarizing Philosophy
Free-to-play is often a term that discourages people rather than entices them, as it can be the justification for sneaky corporate tactics or unfinished launches. There are exceptions like Genshin Impact and Apex Legends that have gone through a fine journey with natural progression and paid in-game items to make a product that stands the test of time. In the case of Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds, the lack of an upfront cost resulted in a format that felt too grind-y to play without succumbing to microtransactions. It's a shame, as bringing games to a larger swathe of audiences is important, and no mandatory cost has been proven to draw attention on numerous occasions.
Amazon isn't strapped for cash, and the Seattle-based company is eager to break into the video game space as Lost Ark and New World show. Amazon has yet to capture lightning in a bottle, and it will surely hope that Blue Protocol is the answer. Free-to-play is a philosophy that Amazon can use to great effect to bring players into the game, but retaining a steady fanbase is important when sales are made from in-game items. Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds doesn't have a good enough loop or progression structure to justify sticking around, so Blue Protocol has to be better if Amazon is serious about becoming a major player in gaming.
Blue Protocol is coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S in 2023.
