50 Cent: Blood on the Sand

Lore & Background

The game originated from a cancelled Covert-One project at Swordfish Studios, which was retooled to be less serious. In 2008, initial publisher Vivendi Games merged with Activision, causing the company to drop support for the title. As the game neared completion, Swordfish Studios leadership transitioned into Codemasters Birmingham under Codemasters, and THQ took over publishing rights. The game was officially announced by Vivendi Games subsidiary Sierra Entertainment on March 27, 2008, with no release window. A mobile game based on the title was also announced by Vivendi Games Mobile.

Reader's Guide

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand was positively received upon release, with praise directed at 50 Cent's involvement. Critics noted it as an improvement over Bulletproof, though it was a commercial failure, selling an estimated 56,000 units in the United States as of April 2009. The game features on-foot combat, vehicle missions, and a 'Gangsta Fire' slow-motion mode. It includes a shop system accessed via payphones, where players buy weapons, upgrades, and taunts. The game's development involved 50 Cent and G-Unit providing feedback, and helicopters were added late due to 50 Cent's son's request. The game was not released in Germany, likely due to fears of indexing by the Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons.

Did You Know?

• The game came out of a cancelled Covert-One project at Swordfish Studios.
• Helicopters were added late in development because 50 Cent's son asked for them during a playthrough.
• 50 Cent made 18 exclusive tracks for the game, which features over 40 music tracks total.