Twin Galaxies

Blood - Should It Live Again?

09:15 PM

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Behold - You are looking at the mock up prototype WHITE box for the shareware version of the 1997 PC Game called "BLOOD." (It was eventually decided that the box should be black.)

I found it in some of my old Monolith stuff.

I believe it is the only one of its kind.

Finding this box, got me pondering again - Should effort be put into trying to revive the franchise?

For those that don't know, Blood is a first-person shooter video game developed by a company I founded called Monolith Productions and published by GT Interactive Software. The shareware version was released for the PC on March 5, 1997, while the full version was released on May 31, 1997 in North America, and June 20, 1997 in Europe.

Many feel that Blood was easily the best of the three major Build engine games, voicing the opinion that Blood was "one of the most underrated shooters of the whole decade” and that “Blood took its gameplay to sophisticated new heights and offered referential overtones with an even greater degree of refinement (than other similar games of the period.)"

For this feeling and opinion to last nearly 20 years through generations of gamers is a fantastic testament to the talent of everyone who was involved with bringing the game into existence.

So anyway, I started to wonder if perhaps there might be enough interest out there in seeing this truly revived?

Perhaps its multiplayer BLOODBATH could even evolve to an eSport! ;)

Maybe someone should start a crowd funding campaign to gauge and prove interest?

You see, Monolith sold the publishing rights for Blood and its sequel to GT Interactive. GTI was later acquired by Infogrames, which has since been renamed to Atari. Over the last 15 years, Atari has been divided, bought, sold and reconfigured numerous times. Monolith itself was acquired by Warner Bros. Entertainment, which now theoretically owns the Blood trademark and intellectual property.

But the truth is that the rights status and the entire history are a bit complex and basically there are around 3 people on Earth who truly understand that complexity, none of which are currently at Atari or WB.

Since it is my name and signature that is on all the Blood related contracts and deals - assuming a large enough crowd funding effort, I know I could help move the needle on this. But do enough people care?

Things that make you go hmm...
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datagod - 06-05-2016, 10:32 PM

I spent many an evening in the basement playing that game, scared senseless. A friend and I would have death matches over modem connection. I still get the creeps when I think about the sounds of the hospital wards.

I am up for a game. Are you?
rotunda - 06-06-2016, 02:59 AM

I've actually never played this game although I've played DOOM, Duke 3d etc... infact i still do..

Willing to have a go with this if you guys set something up.
Emmanuel Frechou - 06-06-2016, 05:50 AM

I think, you havent understand the point of hist post.
He is a part of the team of Monolith, who made the first BLOOD who is liked a lot by a lot of fans and the community is still active. It's why he wanted make a remake or other.
BLOOD is very unique and original, and has a community yet, who could help in any way (mapping by exemple).
Starting a new ip like that could be dangerous, especially when you see all the very big companies who release "some fps.
Look at DOOM 2016, even if it's not a real classic in nextgen, it was approved by a lot of people and a lot like this game (even if the multiplayer is not that good).
So i can imagine a remake of the first BLOOD, hd or nextgen with a classic style anyway, people could love it.
I hosted some stands of BLOOD 1 in some festivals and people loved it because it was original and special.
Emmanuel Frechou - 06-06-2016, 09:15 AM

Thats not the point of the text.
They/he want re-use the IP because there is still a good fanbase who is still active for the game. It's maybe not the best popular game, but the style of BLOOD in a remake could influence a lot of people because the game is unique, very original and the gameplay too (run&gun but you need to take care and use some tactics) and the weapons are very balanced, better than a lot of others fps.
Also, a friend told me FPS creator is bad, you know, Monolith have their own engines and can do something with it' why do you talk about that?....
A lot of people who discover BLOOD, think the game is awesome, but it didnt have a publicity like a lot of others games had. It deserves totaly a new game.
ItBurn - 06-06-2016, 09:51 AM

Signed up just to say that I'll back it if it's a direct sequel or a spiritual successor. Come with a prototype though, and make sure you get the right people on board. You need people that understand what it was and how to do it right. Make it PC only too, or else you'll compromise the result. Please do it out of love and not for the money.
LudicrousDa3ve - 06-06-2016, 03:30 PM

If I were to take on a FPS project, this would pretty much be the one.
Flash IV - 06-06-2016, 07:45 PM

I've never played this before, but that video was awesome!!!! I can't play FPS for long due to motion sickness, but I would take one for the team for this game!
bensweeneyonbass - 06-15-2016, 11:45 AM

Doom meets Resident Evil. Please make.

Blood - Should It Live Again?

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