Concord, a first-party PlayStation game that seemed like it had a big budget, was only going to last that long. Just two weeks after its PS5 and PC release, Sony declared on the PlayStation Blog on Tuesday that the cooperative first-person shooter would end on September 6. Game director Ryan Ellis wrote in the blog post that while some aspects of the game clicked with players, too much of it didn’t.
“However, while many qualities of the experience resonated with players, we also recognize that other aspects of the game and our initial launch didn’t land the way we’d intended,” Ellis said.
Concord’s Demise: Refunds Issued as Sony Pulls the Plug on Firewalk’s Ambitious Project
Concord is no longer for sale as part of this, and buyers have received their money back. If you’ve been following Concord’s journey, you know that this is a tragic but unavoidable conclusion. Concord was the product of years of labor by Firewalk, a new firm founded by industry veterans, and was first revealed back in May. Nevertheless, player excitement was not greatly increased by a beta that was released later in the summer, and fan reactions to the unveiling were quite subdued from the start.
It is advised that anybody who bought a physical copy of the game return it to the seller. Players will lose access to the game prior to its shutdown if they return it. Although the development costs of the game were never made public by Sony or Firewalk, estimates have been made that vary from $100 million to $200 million, which is the same amount of money that Sony is said to have spent on several of its high-profile first-party titles.
The game’s limited player base indicated that Concord’s initial sales were quite low, and players started experiencing problems matching, which showed that the live service wasn’t particularly popular.
Sony Shuts Down Concord: A Major Setback in Its Social Media Ambitions
Sony’s decision to shut down Concord is a significant blow to its ambitions in the social media space. The company had invested heavily in the platform, hoping to capitalize on the growing popularity of social gaming and create a new revenue stream. The closure of Concord represents a setback for these plans and raises questions about Sony’s future strategy in this area.
While the reasons for Concord’s failure may be complex and multifaceted, the platform’s short-lived existence serves as a reminder of the challenges and risks involved in launching new social media platforms. The intense competition, the need to differentiate oneself from established players, and the importance of catering to a diverse audience are all factors that must be carefully considered when developing such initiatives.
It remains to be seen how Sony will respond to the failure of Concord. The company may decide to focus on other areas of its business or explore new opportunities in the social media space. However, the closure of Concord is a clear indication that the path to success in this highly competitive market is far from easy.
