As a seasoned gamer with decades of experience under my belt, I can’t help but feel a tinge of sympathy for Sony and Firewalk Studios over the debacle that was Concord. The gaming industry is a rollercoaster ride, filled with highs and lows, triumphs and failures, and sometimes, it seems, an unpredictable amount of both in quick succession.
In the midst of shipping 65.5 million consoles and enjoying robust software sales, Sony has one conspicuous setback in its latest fiscal quarter: the underperformance of the game Concord. Launched on August 23rd for both PS5 and PC, it’s said that only around 25,000 copies were sold. After just two weeks, it was removed from sale, and its servers were shut down.
Despite Firewalk Studios expressing their intention to enhance the game based on user feedback, Sony ultimately decided to indefinitely cancel the project and close down the studio. During a question-and-answer session after announcing earnings, COO and CFO Hiroki Totoki explained (as reported by VGC) the game’s poor performance and stated that the studio is still in the process of learning from the experience.
Regarding fresh ideas, it’s essential to remember that the outcome remains uncertain until it’s actually implemented. For us, in our assessment process, it seems crucial to incorporate numerous checkpoints such as user testing or internal evaluation, along with determining the optimal timing for these checkpoints. We should have initiated these checkpoints earlier than we did, and they should be moved forward accordingly.
Additionally, our structure is divided into separate departments for development and sales, which might have led to less fluid collaboration between them. A more integrated approach could have resulted in a smoother process overall.
Moving ahead, it’s crucial for us to choose the ideal window for both our in-house and external titles. This way, we can strategically place them on our platform without causing competition, thereby enhancing the success rate of our new releases. That concludes my statement.
Previously, Sadahiko Hayakawa, holding the position of Senior Vice President for Finance and Investor Relations, acknowledged the closure of Concord and the success of Helldivers 2. He stated that the company had acquired “a significant amount of knowledge and learned quite a bit from both events.
“We plan on disseminating insights gained from both our triumphs and setbacks throughout our studios, particularly focusing on title development, content expansion, and service upscaling following launch. This will help fortify our overall development management system.
As a gamer, I’m all about shaping our game collection during this mid-range plan. I want to strike the perfect balance by blending my forte – single-player games, which have a solid track record of success thanks to our strong IP, with live-service games. These live-service games offer potential upsides, but they also carry a bit of risk when launched. It’s an exciting mix that I believe will keep us at the top of our game!
Sony plans to unveil significant standalone games each year following the 2025 launch of Ghost of Yōtei. They are making consistent advancements with new projects and enhancing their live service game infrastructure. Currently, they have several live service titles such as Bungie’s Marathon and Haven Studios’ Fairgame$ in development, but they haven’t revealed any other major single-player games yet. Keep an eye out for further updates within the next few months.
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2024-11-08 22:41