Sony has a rare (and colossal) miss with a PlayStation game on PC, and there’s only one thing that could try and save it

What you need to know

  • Concord is Sony’s latest PlayStation title to launch on PC, following the same day-and-date launch as the PS5 that we saw earlier this year with Helldivers 2. 
  • Alas, unlike Helldivers 2, it’s been what can only be described as a catastrophe, with a peak player count not even breaking 1,000 concurrents. 
  • Its position in the sales chart on PlayStation doesn’t make much better reading, leaving the question of when it’ll go free to play to try and rescue it. 

As a seasoned gamer who’s seen the rise and fall of countless titles, I can’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for poor Concord. Having witnessed the triumphant successes of Sony’s previous PC releases like Helldivers 2, I was eagerly anticipating another hit. But alas, it seems that Concord has stumbled out of the gate and into a pit of disappointing sales figures.


“Concord, the game that wasn’t requested, and seems to be unwanted by many. I must admit, my curiosity was piqued when Sony first unveiled its trailer for this game, but it lost me once I discovered it was yet another hero shooter. And when I heard it retails at $40, I completely lost interest.”

But I’m rarely representative of gamers at large. However, since Concord launched simultaneously on PC and PS5, it’s fair to say it’s been a disaster. Not just bad, but catastrophic. 

According to Paul Tassi from Forbes, the situation for Concord appears grim, as he has noted.

1. From that single post, there are several key points to consider:

It’s hard to understand why it’s so serious, given I haven’t experienced it myself. However, let’s face the facts. This is a $40 hero shooter when there are numerous free-to-play games available. Why invest in this game when you can play Valorant, Apex Legends, Overwatch 2, or the upcoming Marvel Rivals at no cost?

Surely Concord will go free to play? 

Here’s one way of paraphrasing your statement: While I may not be overly fond of free-to-play gaming models, it appears to be the prevalent trend in our current era. These games offer easy accessibility with minimal initial costs and generate revenue through battle passes, cosmetics, and other in-game purchases. In fact, I’ve made some financial investments in The First Descendant, despite a slight pang of guilt, as I was able to try the game without any upfront payments and develop a fondness for it over time. Even though this isn’t a competitive game, my experience has been positive enough that I’m willing to invest money into it.

As an analyst, I find it questionable to request payment for a competitive game in today’s market, especially if one isn’t already established as the giant in the industry like Call of Duty. Concord appears enjoyable, but many people, including myself, are uncertain about it due to its price tag. Given our current lack of familiarity with the game, I would venture a guess that this uncertainty is largely driven by the high cost.

It seems unavoidable to ponder when the game Concord might transition to being free-to-play instead of if. Given its current status, it’s evident that something isn’t working as intended, and my sympathies lie with those who developed the game. If Concord were free like Overwatch 2, I am confident that I, along with many others, would have given it a shot.

It’s just the market we live in. Competitive games are almost entirely dominated by free to play titles. The top 5 competitive multiplayer games on Steam as I write this are all free to play. Meanwhile, Concord is losing out heavily to Sony’s other PC games. About 10x more people are playing Spider-Man Remastered right now than Concord, and that’s been out for years. 

So far, Sony’s PC gaming ventures have been successful. The unexpected success of Helldivers 2 demonstrates the market’s appetite for such games. However, it seems they may have made a significant blunder with this new release. One potential solution they could consider to salvage the situation is…

Read More

2024-08-30 18:46