Concord’s Sudden Shutdown
In a (not so) surprising move, Sony announced that its recently released hero shooter, Concord, will be taken offline on September 6, 2024, just two weeks after its launch on August 23. The news did not came as a shock the larger gaming community, especially as the game seemed poised to make a significant impact on the already oversaturated multiplayer hero-shooter market. The reality of Concord s launch tells story of a slow-moving car crash —one of low player engagement, disappointing sales, and a game that failed to resonate with its ‘modern audience.’
The Disastrous Launch of Concord
Concord was expected to be Sony’s latest entry into the hero shooter genre, a market dominated by titles like Overwatch and Valorant. Developed by Firewalk Studios, the game was eight years in the making and was heavily marketed as a new, innovative experience. Despite the long development period and substantial investment, Concord launched to underwhelming numbers. According to data from Steam Charts, the game peaked at only 697 concurrent players on Steam, a far cry from the millions that successful live-service games typically attract.
The low player numbers weren’t just limited to Steam. Across all platforms, including PlayStation 5, the game struggled to gain traction. Analysts estimate that Concord may have sold as few as 25,000 units, a devastatingly low figure for a title with such high investment.
Why Exactly Did Concord Failed ?
1. Hero Shooter Oversaturation
The hero shooter market is currently dominated by established titles like Overwatch, Apex Legends, and Valorant. Entering this space requires a unique offering, something Concord failed to deliver. Players quickly labeled it as derivative, with gameplay mechanics that felt borrowed from other popular games rather than offering something new.
2. Pricing Strategy
In a market where most hero shooters are free-to-play, Concord‘s $40 price tag was a significant deterrent. The decision to charge upfront for a genre that typically relies on microtransactions for revenue alienated potential players. This misstep was compounded by the fact that the game failed to offer a compelling experience that justified the cost.
3. Lackluster Marketing
Concord’s marketing campaign was virtually non-existent. The first real look at the game was revealed just two months before its release, and there was little follow-up to build anticipation. This lack of visibility meant that many potential players were either unaware of the game or uninterested by the time it launched.
4. Gameplay and Design Issues
While Concord was mechanically solid, it didn’t stand out in any significant way. The gameplay was competent but unremarkable, and the hero design was criticized for being visually unappealing. The attempt to channel a ‘70s sci-fi aesthetic failed to connect with the target audience, making the game feel outdated rather than retro-cool.
5. Poor Timing and Competition
Concord’s release was overshadowed by other high-profile launches in the gaming world, such as Black Myth: Wukong and Deadlock (Valve’s first party original title since Team Fortress 2). These titles drew attention away from Concord, making it difficult for the game to gain traction even among the few who were aware of it.
Sony and Their Live-Service Stumbles Track Record
The failure of Concord is a significant blow to Sony’s ambitions in the live-service game market. With the recent trend of shifting towards live-service models, which offer regular updates and content to keep players engaged, Concord’s failure serves as a cautionary tale. It highlights the risks involved in this market, especially when launching new IPs that do not immediately capture the interest of players.
Sony’s decision to refund players and shut down the game so quickly suggests a willingness to cut losses and move on, rather than trying to salvage a struggling title. This might indicate a broader shift in strategy, particularly as Sony President Hiroki Totoki has already committed to launching only six of the twelve live-service games currently in development, with one based on The Last of Us already canceled (thank god!).
For Sony and Firewalk Studios, Concord will likely serve as a learning experience—one that underscores the importance of understanding your core player base, instead of catering to the non-existence ‘modern audiences’, with a false hope that they would even gave your game a try.
‘Woke’ does not make a good game bad, but it certainly can make a bad game worse.
