Sony’s Bold Move: 5 Reasons PlayStation Shutting Down Concord Just Two Weeks After Release Was Necessary

The sudden announcement that Concord, an extremely hyped first-person shooter, was to shut down just two weeks after its official release sent shockwaves around the gaming world. An upcoming title from Firewalk Studios, a subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment, Concord was billed as one of the largest new IPs coming out in the world of gaming. What was meant to be a revolutionary title soon turned out to be, if many are to be believed, one of the most notorious flops to have occurred in recent times.

Taking this game offline only a short time after its introduction has a lot of gamers, and industry people too, wondering what went wrong and what this says about the future of PlayStation and its development studios. In this article, we look at five reasons why Sony made the bold move to shut down Concord-and why it might just be a necessary decision.

1. The Unprecedented Failure of Concord’s Launch

At the heart of Sony’s decision to kill Concord is the fact that the game had a catastrophic release. The first-person shooter, touted as one bound to revolutionize the competitive gaming landscape, found itself at the receiving end of widespread criticism from players and critics alike. Players complained of a highly unoriginal art style, lackluster gameplay mechanics, and flat level design.

Since its release, Concord has never been able to find its steam among audiences. The launch numbers were abysmally low, selling only about 25,000 copies across PC and PlayStation 5. For a game that reportedly cost between $50 and $200 million to develop, this was nothing but a catastrophic failure. The sales generated barely dented the massive development cost, and it was assumed that the financial failure of this game was a driving force for Sony to pull the plug on it.

2. Misalignment Between Vision and Execution

The major reason was that the apparent vision for the game was not correctly delivered in the final game. As Ryan Ellis, the director at Firewalk Studios, explained, the game did not turn out exactly as Sony and its development team had envisioned. This was evident in the final product, where players were left with nothing new regarding gameplay or in-game immersion from what had been promised.

This differential was pretty much noticed amongst the gaming community, since lots of gamers were voicing their disappointment because the game felt so generic and uncreative. With so much stagnation of original ideas and a high price point of $40, it was rather hard for Concord to stand out in a market flooded with free-to-play hero shooters such as Overwatch, Valorant, and Paladins.

3. The High Cost of Failure in the Gaming Industry

Gaming is a high-stakes business. It costs a lot to develop a single game, with tens of millions of dollars pumped into production, marketing, and distribution. When something like Concord doesn’t sell, the financial penalties for such failure could be brutal.

For Sony, the closure of Concord probably needed to take place for the company to cut its losses and perhaps rethink business in developing games. Taking this game offline was a means whereby Sony and Firewalk Studios could pursue other options, such as making this very game free to play, as has been mooted.

4. The Community’s Harsh Reaction

But gaming communities are also relentless, and when a game falls below expectation, they become merciless. Concord was definitely not spared from this. From the very first hint that it might be in the pipeline, people were dubious about it living up to its hype. And unfortunately, the release of the game confirmed those doubts.

Criticism of the game ran the gamut from a complete lack of creativity to poor choices in design, to an overall failure to innovate. Suffice it to say, it didn’t take long for backlash to set in and gamers to sound off on social media and forums. Driving that nail deeper into the coffin where attempting to find traction was concerned, sales and player engagements took an immediate nosedive.

5. A Strategic Move for the Future

That can be seen as a rather extreme measure, considering the rather short time of release of Concord. On the other side, it might have been a tactical decision: pull out to save the brand name and invest resources elsewhere. At the same time, by promptly acknowledging defeat in the game and giving refunds to the players, Sony proves to be responsible and care about the quality and satisfaction of their customers.

This move enables Sony to free up resources for other projects where a bigger success can be ensured. Given the rate at which the gaming industry is growing, no company, like Sony, can afford a single failure in one game that mars its reputation. It cuts its losses with Concord to enable itself to work on a new title with better potential for acceptance by players.

What’s Next for Concord?

Either way, while the first launch may have gone miserably, Concord might someday return. Ryan Ellis did hint that the team at Firewalk Studios might be able to cross better. That would, of course, be a free-to-play game, as that has been able to make other hero shooter games successful.

Offering the game for free could draw even more people in by removing the $40 barrier and allowing Concord to go head-to-head with established titles such as Overwatch and Valorant. Then, the free-to-play model would give the developers the option to include microtransactions, which may raise money for funding further development and updates.

Lessons Learned

The failure of Concord offers a lot of lessons in terms of alignment between the developer and the final execution of the game. No matter how much money is spent on a game, if that game isn’t performing well, or if the vision of the game isn’t delivered well, then it can never succeed.

To the gaming community, Concord stands as a warning of what may befall those while in the line of duty and developing video games. Not every game will turn out to be the best, nor will all the ones with so much promise make it. Yet again, it is a testament to the tenacity of the industry, since developers wouldn’t let go of trying to innovate and push the edges of what’s possible in gaming.

FAQs

Q1: Why was Concord shut down so soon after its release?
A1: Concord was shut down due to its poor performance and negative reception. The game failed to meet sales expectations and was widely criticized for its uninspired design and lack of innovation.

Q2: Will Concord be re-released in the future?
A2: There is a possibility that Concord could be re-released as a free-to-play title. Firewalk Studios has indicated that they are exploring options to better reach their audience.

Q3: How much did Concord cost to develop?
A3: The development costs for Concord were estimated to be between $50-200 million, making its failure particularly significant.

Q4: What was the main reason for Concord’s failure?
A4: Concord failed primarily due to its lack of originality and the steep $40 price tag, which made it difficult to compete with other free-to-play hero shooters.

Q5: How many copies of Concord were sold?
A5: Approximately 25,000 copies of Concord were sold, generating less than $1 million in revenue.

Q6: What are Sony’s plans following the shutdown of Concord?
A6: Sony and Firewalk Studios are likely to focus on other projects, and there is speculation that Concord could be re-released as a free-to-play game in the future.

Q7: Can players still get a refund for Concord?
A7: Yes, players who purchased Concord on Steam, EGS, the PlayStation Store, or PlayStation Direct can receive a full refund. Once refunded, they will lose access to the game.

Conclusion

The decision to shut down Concord just two weeks after its release is a bold move by Sony and Firewalk Studios. While the game’s failure is disappointing, it also presents an opportunity for the developers to reassess their approach and potentially relaunch the game in a way that better resonates with players. The lessons learned from Concord’s failure will likely influence future projects and contribute to the ongoing evolution of the gaming industry.

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