Can Marathon Overcome Its Premium Price Tag?

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The thrilling unveiling of the gameplay in Marathon showcased the distinctive flair from Bungie that fans have grown accustomed to. Boasting a vibrant, attention-grabbing visual style and dynamic gun combat, it appears to capture some of the enchantment that has made this Bellevue studio one of the most esteemed in the gaming industry. However, this captivating experience will come at a cost yet to be determined as Marathon is not intended to be a free-to-play game. As a high-end studio like Bungie typically delivers top-tier games, it’s facing a new market landscape that has dramatically evolved under its watchful eye.

The main red flag is associated with “Concord,” a disastrous hero shooter from the closed Firewalk Studios, scheduled for release in 2024. Sony Interactive Entertainment made a misstep by pricing it at $39.99 when most similar games were available free of charge. Its debatable character design and ordinary gameplay mechanics were additional hurdles; however, the struggle to reach players may have been the primary reason that “Concord” failed so quickly. This miscalculation was costly, including expensive CG trailers, guarantees of frequent high-quality cutscenes, and a large team of developers on payroll.

The conditions surrounding the game “Marathon” differ significantly – it’s from a developer known for creating critically acclaimed shooters over several decades, and early reviews have been generally favorable. However, it’s hard to overlook the striking similarities. Beyond the surface-level coincidence of both teams being located in the same city and Firewalk having a former Bungie employee as co-founder, they share significant similarities. Both are high-budget shooters developed by large teams over extended periods under Sony’s guidance, complete with extravagant CGI trailers. According to Marathon’s creative director Joe Ziegler, over 300 people have been working on Marathon for more than four years. Concord’s lead character designer Jon Weisnewski mentioned that the cancelled shooter was in development for approximately eight years, with around 150-170 team members when Sony halted its production (it’s uncertain how many of these were consistently involved in the development of Concord throughout its entire duration).

In comparison to other games in the extraction shooter genre, Marathon stands out significantly due to its large number of developers and substantial funding. This genre is typically driven by smaller teams with limited budgets, as shown on Steam’s extraction genre page where numerous titles are not competing with AAA games or big-name developers.

As a passionate gamer, I’ve noticed that while games like Delta Force and Dark & Darker are crowd favorites, there are others, such as Marathon, that carry a hefty price tag. However, the return on investment for Marathon seems to be significantly higher than other games, meaning more money invested in its development results in more money needed to consider it successful.

Beyond the financial aspect, Marathon stands as the first real test of Sony’s $3.6 billion acquisition of Bungie. Since then, there have been expansions for Destiny 2 and Bungie has collaborated with Sony on its live service strategy, but a new game like this carries a greater burden to perform well.

Acquiring a company for billions of dollars (which some developers I’ve spoken to consider an overestimate) is an investment in the future. Given that Marathon is Bungie’s next major project, it’s challenging not to see it playing a crucial role in realizing that investment’s potential.

The marathon game is being marketed as a long-term investment with potential growth over time. Ziegler emphasized Bungie’s dedication to continue developing the game beyond its launch, and he encourages players to consider these future plans when evaluating the game’s worth.

The game debuts featuring three maps and six characters each with distinct talents. Whether this will be sufficient remains to be determined, particularly since Bungie seems to be constructing parts of the game while it’s already in progress. Engaging the community for input on the game is a common approach, but attracting players might prove challenging if there isn’t enough content at launch, especially when considering a financial barrier. It wouldn’t be surprising if a limited content experience, priced premium, turns off some players permanently, regardless of its future plans.

In recent times, Bungie hasn’t been performing at its best either. They made a series of significant staff reductions, letting go approximately 320 employees in October 2023 and July 2024. Additionally, they reportedly scrapped an unannounced project similar to Warframe, known as Payback. Some of these setbacks were attributed to Destiny 2 allegedly falling short of its revenue targets by 45%. Despite the critical acclaim for The Final Shape, many found the Lightfall expansion for Destiny 2 underwhelming, even prompting CEO Pete Parsons to acknowledge this in his blog about the layoffs, where he also mentioned that the company was overstretched and had surpassed “financial safety margins”.

With a reputation solidified by stunning visual aesthetics and top-tier shooting dynamics, it’s no surprise that Bungie can rely on its name. Even after nearly eight years since its launch, Destiny 2 boasts roughly 30,000 daily players on Steam alone. This rich heritage may very well entice a significant portion of Destiny 2’s player base to try out Marathon, given Bungie’s esteemed standing. Considering the number of people who play Destiny 2, “some” in this context translates to a substantial group. The upcoming tests could serve as a catalyst for players’ trust, especially if they witness Bungie incorporating feedback effectively, thus making it easier for them to invest in Bungie’s vision.

The fate of Marathon remains uncertain; anyone suggesting it’s bound to fail is overly dramatic. The goodwill Bungie has accumulated over years and how Marathon leverages their strengths offers an undeniable advantage that many other studios can only aspire to. However, the question lies in whether this advantage will be sufficient and if there are unrealistic expectations lurking behind the scenes. It seems arduous for any multiplayer-focused shooter to surpass a premium price tag in 2025, especially when much of its competition is free or boasts an established player base (or both). It’s undeniable that Marathon faces a tough battle, and it might hinge on whether players can remain committed to Marathon for the long term, ironically viewing this as a marathon rather than a sprint.

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2025-04-16 01:12