Concord Rise and Fall: Sony’s ambitious multiplayer title, Concord, launched on August 23, 2024, on PS5 and PC. Just two weeks later, it was pulled from both platforms, marking a significant failure in Sony’s recent gaming ventures. With a staggering development cost of around $400 million, Concord now represents what some insiders claim to be the “biggest loss ever” for Sony in its gaming history.
Aiming for the Stars: The Vision Behind Concord
Concord was supposed to be Sony’s bold entry into the competitive world of multiplayer shooters. The game promised a 5v5 hero shooter experience, akin to titles like Overwatch, which has a dedicated fan base. Behind the scenes, however, the vision extended far beyond just a game. Sony believed Concord had the potential to become a franchise on par with Star Wars, aiming to build an entire universe around it.
To achieve this, Sony acquired Firewalk Studios, the developer behind Concord, in April 2023. This acquisition was a strategic move, as Sony saw Concord as a key part of its future live-service plans. However, despite the optimism and substantial investment, Concord failed to meet expectations almost immediately after its release.
Concord Rise and Fall: Development Costs and Sony’s Huge Financial Hit
The game’s production cost approximately $400 million, according to reports from industry insiders. Out of that, around $200 million was already spent by ProbablyMonsters, the previous owner of Firewalk Studios, before Sony’s acquisition.
Despite the massive investment, the final product failed to resonate with the gaming community. Upon its launch, Concord struggled to attract players, peaking at just 697 concurrent players on Steam. With total sales estimated at around 25,000 copies across both PS5 and PC. The numbers were far from what Sony anticipated for such a high-budget game.
Internal Issues: A Toxic Development Environment
The downfall of Concord wasn’t just about the lack of players. Insiders revealed that development was riddled with internal problems. According to sources, Firewalk Studios fostered a culture of “toxic positivity,” where team members were discouraged from criticizing the game. This prevented open discussions about flaws or areas of improvement, leading to blind optimism during development.
This culture of overconfidence, coupled with the game’s troubled development, led to disastrous results. Concord was frequently referred to internally as the “future of PlayStation,” which made it even harder for the team to acknowledge its shortcomings. Sony executives, including Hermen Hulst, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment. It championed the game, adding to the pressure on the developers to succeed.
The Cost of Failure: Sony’s Biggest Loss
Sony’s gamble on Concord didn’t pay off, resulting in what is now considered its largest financial loss in gaming. With a budget of $400 million, it became the most expensive game Sony had ever produced.
Adding to the financial blow, Sony had to issue full refunds to all players who purchased the game on PS5 and PC. The company also pulled the game from both the PlayStation Store and PC storefronts like Steam and Epic Games Store just two weeks after its release on September 6, 2024.
While Sony hasn’t officially confirmed the exact budget or the scale of the loss, industry insiders have been quick to highlight how Concord represents a major setback for the company’s live-service strategy. The game’s poor sales and negligible player count demonstrate how even the biggest companies can face immense challenges in the ever-evolving gaming market.
The Future of Sony’s Live-Service Games
Concord was supposed to lead Sony’s charge into the live-service space, an area where the company has traditionally struggled. Known for its narrative-driven single-player games like The Last of Us and God of War, Sony’s push into multiplayer live-service games marks a significant shift in its approach.
However, Concord’s failure has raised questions about the viability of this strategy. Reports suggest that Sony has already halved the number of live-service games it had planned to release by 2026, indicating a retreat from its original plan after this major setback. Sony still has other live-service projects in the pipeline, but the company will likely proceed with greater caution moving forward.
Concord Rise and Fall : Lessons Learned from Concord
Concord’s colossal failure underscores the challenges of entering the multiplayer live-service space. Despite its enormous budget, star-studded team, and ambitious vision, the game couldn’t capture the attention of players or deliver on its promise of becoming a blockbuster franchise.
Sony’s willingness to refund players and take the game offline so quickly suggests that the company acknowledges the scale of its failure. Moving
forward, Sony will need to re-evaluate its approach to live-service games. While focusing on delivering quality content that resonates with players rather than relying solely on high budgets and grand ambitions. Read more Redmi Note 14 Pro Series Set to Launch on September 26
