Despite recent failures,PlayStationwants fans to know thatit has no intention of shifting away from the live-service model. Sony’s controversial decision to double-down on games-as-a-service has been a mixed bag as it’s managed to strike gold with titles likeHelldivers 2while also delivering some instantaneous flops like the ill-fatedConcord. Those dips haven’t affected the company’s business plan though as it intends to stick with its current strategy and views its less successful endeavors as opportunities to improve.
PerGamesRadar+, Sony executive Hiroki Totoki recently explained to investors, through a translator, thatthe company is “still in the process of learning” about the live-service model, noting that launching new IP is always successful andConcordlikely required more pre-launch preparation:
So, probably,we need to have a lot of gates, including user testing and internal evaluation, and the timing of such gates, we need to bring them forward. We should have done those gates much earlier than we did [for Concord]. And also, we have a siloed organization, so going beyond the boundaries of that organization in terms of development and also sales—I think that could have been much smoother.
Totoki goes on to explain thatmore testing should have been conducted to ensure thatConcordwould resonate with players. With more pre-launch evaluations, there’s a chance the hero-shooter would have fared better but even with those measures, that seems doubtful.
Concord Was Doomed To Fail
A Tragedy For Firewalk Studios
Despite Totoki’s claims that more quality “gates” would have improvedConcord’s chances for success, the game was already fighting an uphill battle after its early gameplay trailers.Firewalk Studios was attempting to break into the hero-shooter genre, which is already oversaturated,with a premium title that lacked many featuresseen in its free-to-play competitors. Regardless of the title’s overall polish, the actual gameplay felt underbaked and significantly less enjoyable than something likeOverwatch 2.
Concordwas also widely criticized for the design of its core cast of characterswith many complaining that the roster didn’t feel like heroes. Just two weeks after its launch,Sony pulled the plug, providing everyone who purchased the game with a full refund. Firewalk Studios insisted that it was working on a way to meet the demands of players but this was ultimately terminated as PlayStation confirmed thatit had no plans to relaunchConcord.
Concord Review: Losing An Uphill Battle
For fans of the genre, there’s a lot to like about the new 5v5 hero shooter Concord, but finding something to love feels much less likely.
PlayStation’s Live-Service Gambit Is Risky
Players Just Don’t Want It
To excel as a live-service game,studios have to offer players an experience they can’t get elsewhere: That’s whyHelldivers 2proved to be such a success. I thinkPlayStation’s attempt to crack the hero-shooter market was doomed from the start asConcord’s core experience wasn’t unique enough to justify playing it over something else. I’m not a fan of the games-as-a-service model and I hope Sony realizes that while a handful can succeed, most players don’t have the time to dedicate tomultiple live-service experiences.
