Concord is Sony’s Biggest Failure in Years – What Happened?

As a seasoned gamer and industry observer with over two decades under my belt, I must say that the demise of Concord feels like a familiar tale of ambition and execution missteps. It’s a bitter pill to swallow for fans who were eagerly awaiting another live-service gem from Sony.

Approximately two weeks ago, Firewalk Studios’ game titled Concord was released, but it didn’t garner much attention or excitement among audiences. It appears that only about 25,000 copies have been sold so far, and the general critical reception can be summed up as lukewarm, with a Metascore of 62 based on 40 reviews.

The question often heard was “How long did it take to create this?” and “What was its highest number of simultaneous players on Steam?”. It was believed that the game would steadily progress according to its plan, eventually introducing a promised cosmetic shop with microtransactions. Yet, unaware of declining player numbers, this happened. In a recent PlayStation Blog post, Firewalk Studios surprisingly announced that _Concord_ will be removed from digital stores on September 6th.

Not only will all customers on PC and PS5 receive refunds, but the competitive shooter will also go offline. If you purchased a physical copy, that box has become costlier than the average paperweight or a collector’s item. Either way, its roadmap is out the window, and the future is uncertain.

Behind this decision, there are factors beyond just the current state of things. As Game Director Ryan Ellis pointed out, “Although certain elements of the game struck a chord with players, we acknowledge that other parts and our initial release didn’t meet our intended mark.” After shutting down Concord, Firewalk Studios will consider various alternatives, with the goal of connecting more effectively with their players.

Over the last few years in the gaming world, there have been numerous calamities. For instance, the troubled debut of Cyberpunk 2077 that led to its removal from the PlayStation Store and providing full refunds to players. Similarly, Anthem’s launch with unfulfilled post-launch promises, not to mention the significant damage inflicted on BioWare’s previously damaged reputation.

Discussing blockbuster titles like Marvel’s Avengers, which faced setbacks such as substantial financial losses for Square Enix and removal from all digital storefronts last year. Similarly, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, following recent job cuts at Rocksteady Studios due to its lackluster performance. Lastly, Skull and Bones, and other games in a similar predicament. The series of unfortunate events continues…

In contrast, it’s highly unusual for a major publisher to shut down and refund a high-budget, live-service multiplayer game so quickly – only two weeks have passed. The closure of Concord, a title by Sony, stands as one of their biggest flops in recent times. This latest event further underscores the criticisms against the live service model, especially given the abundance of similar instances this year.

Concord is Sony’s Biggest Failure in Years – What Happened?

Although the game’s absence might only be temporary, it’s important to acknowledge that there’s no estimated timeline for its return. Brainstorming “alternatives” could encompass a wide range of possibilities, from overhauling the fundamental mechanics to reimagining it as an entirely new genre like a cooperative PvE shooter. It could also imply abandoning the project altogether and minimizing losses. While this move might be perceived as damage control, it can also be interpreted as Sony deciding not to invest more funds in maintaining servers, particularly given the low number of players.

As an enthusiast, I can’t help but ponder over the situation: Even setting aside server costs, there’s the challenge of marketing a product centered around competitive multiplayer, where the player base might not be large enough to guarantee a consistent flow of matches. Why would the publisher commit resources towards post-launch support when additional seasons, maps, and characters may fail to significantly boost sales? The current numbers must have been quite dismal if Sony didn’t even attempt to project a turnaround.

One perspective is that the outcome for Concord was essentially set in stone as early as May. The reduced-price “Guardians of the Galaxy” vibe from the movie trailers failed to spark much excitement. Once the gameplay was unveiled, there was a palpable sense of widespread disapproval. This wasn’t an isolated incident – even during the beta phase, when it was accessible to all players on PC and PS5, interest levels remained concerningly low.

Alternatively, you could rewind to two years ago when PlayStation unveiled that they intended to release ten live-service games by March 2026. The acquisition of Bungie is beneficial for their development and significantly speeds up their plans, as stated by the former CEO Jim Ryan (emphasis on “former”).

Concord is Sony’s Biggest Failure in Years – What Happened?

Given the numerous live service issues at that time, there was a lot of doubt, particularly when PlayStation had received widespread praise for their single-player games. In an industry where many developers and publishers failed to grasp the concept of game services, titles such as Horizon Forbidden West, God of War Ragnarok, Returnal, Ghost of Tsushima, Marvel’s Spider-Man, and others were seen as shining examples of optimism.

Initially, there was optimism that these games might emulate the quality of Ghost of Tsushima’s Legends mode. Similarly, the separate multiplayer title derived from Factions in The Last of Us had potential, even with limited details about its gameplay. Regrettably, layoffs took place, projects were scrapped, and events unfolded as we now know. However, Helldivers 2 remains Sony’s sole triumph in live-service initiatives, despite a disastrous debut caused by server problems.

It’s even more aggravating that the game from Haven Studios, titled Fairgame$, is still in development. There’s a glimmer of optimism it might make an impression, given the scarcity of well-crafted heist games. However, only time will reveal its potential. As for Bungie’s Marathon, with rumors of internal problems swirling, it’s best not to dwell on it, despite being a multi-platform launch.

Regarding Concord, several factors contributed to its downfall. Pricing it at $40 for a competitive shooter was questionable given that there are already top-tier free alternatives such as Overwatch 2 and Valorant, not to mention Valve’s Deadlock if you were fortunate enough to receive an invitation. The character designs and equipment felt unoriginal. The Crew Bonuses and persistent deployables seemed more like novelties than substantial features. The weekly vignettes appeared visually impressive but lacked purpose.

On the other hand, one of the most frustrating aspects might be the absence of a captivating gameplay magnet – something that makes you want to engage and become immersed. For instance, consider Marvel Rivals. Although it shares similarities with Overwatch as a hero shooter and even borrows several features, it’s interesting to note that during its closed playtest in July, it only managed to attract 52,671 concurrent players on Steam, despite the numerous times we’ve seen those modes before.

Concord is Sony’s Biggest Failure in Years – What Happened?

Despite the excitement surpassing Concord’s beta performance on PC, NetEase remains committed to its free-to-play approach at launch. This is because they aim to cater to a large audience by keeping it accessible without any cost or restrictions, such as hero locking or requiring a PlayStation Network account.

Instead of dwelling on other live-service games that prove the genre isn’t as dismal as some projects like “Skull and Bones”, “Suicide Squad”, and now “Concord” suggest, let’s focus on a different topic. It is possible that Sony released “Concord” despite expecting poor performance to try and recoup their investments. They might have hoped that word-of-mouth would help it gain popularity over time. At the very least, one could argue that it was set up for failure, but I find it hard to believe Sony wouldn’t invest in marketing if that were true.

It’s rare that Concord discovers a viable direction, although it might happen, there are many instances where similar attempts fail. Despite this, Sony will persist, possibly concentrating more on their popular solo games and mega-hits that have contributed to their success.

The town of Concord may slip from our minds relatively quickly. As for Firewalk Studios, due to recent layoffs, it’s hard to predict their future. Yet, no matter what happens, the uniqueness of this situation remains unparalleled, even considering all that has transpired in the live service sector up until now.

2024-09-06 10:11

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