980°

An important update on Concord

Concord will go Offline as of September 6, with refunds being issued to anyone who purchased the game.

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blog.playstation.com
275d ago Replies(7)
RaidenBlack275d ago (Edited 275d ago )

"Concord will therefore be taken offline so Sony and developer Firewalk Studios can "explore options, including those that will better reach our players"."
~ likely exploring F2P routes
But the game died faster than Cliff Blezinski's LawBreakers

ocelot07275d ago

It didn't even last as long as Radical Heights they released after lawbreakers and that game got the studio shut down a month after release.

275d ago
fr0sty275d ago

Sushi, do you even know what dei means? What part about this game was held back by that?

275d ago
helicoptergirl275d ago

Well the majority of PS fans rejoice today. They should know we never asked for this. We ask for Bloodborne. We ask for Resistance. We ask for Warhawk. We didn't want this game

Cacabunga275d ago (Edited 275d ago )

Jim Ryan and Hulst should refund from their pockets.. they had broken gaas vision, forced many of their developers to embrace it..

I hope they go back to reason and can Sony Bend next gaas and give us Days Gone 2 with multiplayer elements it’s alright and it’s what gamers want

“ Concord fans — we’ve been listening closely to your feedback since the launch of Concord on PlayStation 5 and PC and want to thank everyone who has joined the journey aboard the Northstar. ”

Next time listen to gamers right after the first trailer.. you knew this was DOA but still insisted.. here you go

VenomUK275d ago (Edited 275d ago )

I saw a guy on Twitter a couple of days ago showing of his Concord platinum trophy and celebrating its rarity - that will likely be 1000x now! Unless Sony retracts the trophies - which i don’t think it needs to.

275d ago
OtterX275d ago

What's actually amazing is that "The Concorde Fallacy" is an already existing term referring to Sunk Cost, when it has become apparent that businesses will never recoup their initial investment!

"Concord" was a friggin omen! 😯

https://www.forbes.com/site...

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 275d ago
attilayavuzer275d ago (Edited 275d ago )

Don't know if I've ever seen a major game get unreleased before.

IAMRealHooman275d ago (Edited 275d ago )

debatable on scope, but Overkill's the Walking dead way back when, unreleased and console versions were cancelled.

Obscure_Observer275d ago

"Don't know if I've ever seen a major game get unreleased before."

Me neither. I can´t recall of such major flop in the freaking gaming history.

After the sad news today, I believe people at Bungie (Marathon´s director just got fired), Jade Raymond and her teammates at Haven Studio are scared to death right now.

VenomUK275d ago

Holy moly this got serious.

At least Sony is offering no-fuss refunds. Although I wonder if the game is so damaged that people will refuse to download it now even if it goes free to play. With hindsight, it may be that Sony will say that it should have reevaluated the business model straight after it gauged the reaction to the beta instead of charging ahead regardless. I also wonder if other publishers will learn lessons from this and Suicide Squad.

Seraphim275d ago

Fun fact, Final Fantasy XIV was pulled after release. Yoshida was appointed head & a new version of the game would launch later. Its not common but it's not unprecedented either that a big game gets pulled.

DarXyde275d ago

The Day Before is pretty close.

Game failed, and I'm sad for the developers because Firewalk is a good studio, but I'm hopeful for the lessons learned here. The game wasn't really hyped up with a big marketing campaign and that was perhaps for the best. We only really found out what gameplay was like a month and a half ago.

I can appreciate the very sharp pivot. Some flops are held together by duct tape and bubble gum and there's a refusal to pull the plug.

I'm hoping the studio survives—they were sent out to die, and that's not right.

Information Minister274d ago

I am old enough to remember Kakuto Chojin on the original Xbox. It was a first party game meant to showcase the power of the hardware. It reviewed poorly and was removed from stores a few months after release because of religious content.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 274d ago
The Wood275d ago

This should a stark warning to sony. Slow right down on service games and focus on what has propelled the ps brand to the levels above its direct competitor.

derek275d ago (Edited 275d ago )

@ The Wood, this is such nonsense thinking. Sony would be derelict in their responsibilities as a company to not try their hand at producing the type of games that make the most money by far on their platform. There is no such thing as garunteed success (even single-player games which can cost way more to produce) if you're to afraid of failing then never try anything.

VenomUK275d ago

@The Wood The issue for Sony is that making these super expensive single player games like Spider-man 2 and God of War 2 could be hugely financially damaging IF they flop because of the financial investment. A successful GaaS can mean years of profit like Genshin Impact. I believe Sony has to continue to try and discover its own as the console business might change. It’s just Concord, and half baked.

The Wood275d ago

@derek I said slow right down NOT stop altogether (wasnt there a plan to develop over 10 lsg's which they halved)... was that nonsense?? Playstations bread and butter isn't live service games and nobody is saying they shouldn't develop any at all.

@ VenomUK, live service games also carry a financial burden in upkeep alone. They have to be upgraded/refreshed periodically. IF its true one of Naughty Dogs reason to X fractions was the constraints it put the team under and the fact it would take resources away from their upcoming projects then that kinda indicates making and maintaining lsgs may not be so simple

PapaBop275d ago

This should have been a stark warning like a month ago when the writing was on the wall, they could have acted then and saved face. As Eurogamer I think put it, Sony sent this game out to die. Instead it's a giant embarrassment that we could all see coming.

TOTSUKO275d ago

I see gaas as a necessary boon to PlayStation as a whole. It would bolster their funding even higher.

This is how I see it. AAA sp games is Sonys cultural obligation to make for the industry and the PlayStation brand. Problem is AAA is a fluid term every start of a generation. Dev time to cost goes up and the risks goes up. As much as fans hate it playstation has a financial obligation. Gaas would alleviate most those problems. PlayStation would be financially sound to keep up their brand of games that we love.

We PlayStation fans don’t necessarily have to buy a PS gaas. We just need alot others to buy it lmao

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 275d ago
darthv72275d ago

I said at one point [before release] that this could be their version of Bleeding Edge... at least I have the controller still in its box. That should go up in value soon enough.

RaidenBlack275d ago

Bleeding Edge atleast lived for 1 year

jznrpg275d ago (Edited 275d ago )

@RaidenBlack never heard of Bleeding Edge but I don’t follow gaas very closely

purple101275d ago

Did you get you me limited edition controller?

Pretty sure that’s going to be worth some serious cash in future if they do indeed send it out

blackblades275d ago (Edited 275d ago )

Meaning its not dead yet as they are exploring other options for it. They arent gonna just abandon it not after all the money they put in it. We'll see in do time what happens to it before it's official death. They'll also probably learn there lesson with this and rethink that marathon game. Also this comment section is disgusting y'all should show some class.

RaidenBlack275d ago

You should check some of the past Xbox comment section then ... got even more disgusting.
But I guess people are more shocked at the news coz of the miniscule time the game got till it got axed ... that being a PS5 1st party game. Smaller games have endured longer and if concord was from a smaller studio nobody would've bat an eye lid.

TheEroica275d ago

The biggest flop in video game history.... And it ain't even close.... Well done Sony! Oh! I have a good idea! Buy the studio.... 🤦

kingeliran275d ago

Mindless Pvp shooters is just a way for a greedy studio to get money quickly

itsmebryan275d ago

So, was it worse that Redfall? I didn't play either.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 274d ago
Sonic1881275d ago (Edited 275d ago )

Probably the worse game ever made by Sony and the biggest flop in history. Should have never canceled Factions. I hope they learn their lesson.

OtterX275d ago

Man, Factions 2 could have become Sony's biggest Multiplayer success story in history! Given the combat improvements since TLOU1, it would have played so smoothly.

GamerRN275d ago

Maybe, but if it flopped they would damage a franchise...

I understand why they didn't release it, but I kinda remember playing Uncharted online and think it could have at least been as fun as that game...

crazyCoconuts275d ago

Even if it wouldn't have been the next Call of Duty, it would have satisfied the PlayStation faithfuls and hardcore LoU fans. That would be a better outcome than this

--Onilink--275d ago (Edited 275d ago )

To be fair, part of the issue why it was canned is because to support it would have meant a HUUUGE amount of resources suddenly going from making SP cinematic games to supporting a live service title and ND decided it was not the direction they wanted to take, which is understandable.

Just look at Arkane Austin, putting aside the quality of Redfall in the end, it was a massive shift for the studio, which lead to significant turnover and overall they not really being ready to support such a massive change in game genre

Just making a MP mode that plays smoothly does not make a live service game and unfortunately, packing a MP mode into a SP game like they did in Part 1 probably wont fly with executives in 2024

DarXyde275d ago

But if they did that and it was successful (likely, I reckon), I think the risk is too great, where GaaS is the new direction.

Tacoboto275d ago

To think Concord didn't need to exist, and Firewalk could've taken over the roadmap for Factions after Naughty Dog built the world, characters, and core framework...

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 275d ago
RaidenBlack275d ago (Edited 275d ago )

I think people are just burned out from hero shooters. Fans were expecting something similar to killzone or such.
It seems Sony is trying hard to target the popular sub genres with their GaaS titles :
Concord is a team-based hero shooter.
Fairgames is a heist competitive shooter (likely with some twist).
And Marathon is an extraction shooter (likely with some twist).
...
Doubt Fairgames can surpass the likes of The Finals, which is really well made and is getting constant updates ... and most of Haven studio is comprised of ex-Ubi devs.
And rumors are Marathon's already in some sort of internal trouble.
Marathon should've been an immersive sim to begin with.

-Foxtrot275d ago

The thing is…Factions was cancelled because ND wouldn’t have been able to keep up with the live service approach

They’d have to keep working on it and the resources it would have took to keep it going would have strained the rest of the studio

It was Factions or more single player titles.

The reality is they shouldn’t have gone ambitious with it, it should have just released with the game or maybe a month of so later like how Ghost of Tsushima did their online mode.

ravens52275d ago

Then put these people from firewalk on it. They were gonna be stuck on a live service game anyway. Should've let Naughty Dog do their thing then put FW on it to run it. ND could've went back to their SP games.

The Wood275d ago (Edited 275d ago )

That's a big risk @ravens52. These guys couldn't see the signs and wouldn't be able to give factions that personal touch that only the Nd team could achieve imo

victorMaje275d ago

This is the way. Ghost of Tsushima did it perfectly.
OT: I wish this kind of game bad reception followed by removal happened to SP games with Mt…

ravens52275d ago

I don't mean let them create freely. Follow a ND blueprint.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 275d ago
Christopher275d ago

Definitely not their worst game, just a game no one asked for.

coolbeans274d ago

"...just a game no one asked for."

Except for my buddy who sounds just like you. :P

Christopher274d ago

Your buddy must like playing the same game with different skins.

275d ago Replies(3)
helicoptergirl275d ago

Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't the complaint about the longetivity of the game and the repetiveness? I think the game play would have been really great. So much so that Naughty Dog were excited about it. But the game just wasn't fit for a live service

Cacabunga275d ago

Factions would surely have been gaas, so Sony canned it not to hurt a possible TLOU3

DiRtY275d ago

I would appreciate any educated guess how much money was burned with this one game.

Eonjay275d ago

If the lesson is to not try something new then I suggest this is a lesson they should skip. Keep trying something new. I don't want them to make the same old game over and over. It's like mind cancer to me. If I want to play a game like God of War, I will just go play God of War.

coolbeans274d ago

-"Probably the worse game ever made by Sony"

Oh, they've done *much* worse than Concord. lol

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 274d ago
Rangerman1208275d ago

Didn't even survive for atleast one more year. Even Sony's other live service titles like destruction All Stars and Harsware Rivals managed to endure for a few more months. It was expected but I'm genuinely feel bad for the developers. Now I'm worried about FairGames suffering the same fate.

Sonic1881275d ago (Edited 275d ago )

They should start from scratch and look at the drawing board with that game. Tbh, I think they should develop a new single player IP with multiplayer

RaidenBlack275d ago (Edited 275d ago )

The irony?
Fallout 76 is at its 6th year and is going stronger than ever
The live-service game that was not supposed to last more than a year.
Currently 14K players are online & was averaging 10K before the TV show ~ and that's just on Steam.

275d ago Replies(1)
Show all comments (236)
50°

There’s a Demand for Original Games (Just Not Live Service Slop)

The success of numerous original titles and the failure of several live service games demonstrate a strong demand for story-driven experiences.

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8bitdigi.com
330°

PS5 Mega-Flop Concord Is Reaching Absurdly High Prices on eBay

World's most expensive coaster

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pushsquare.com
BISHOP-BRASIL77d ago

Pretty standard for pulled off products, collectors love useless but very limited things.

TheEroica76d ago (Edited 76d ago )

This reminds me of when people spend big on "poo-art"...

77d ago Replies(1)
goken77d ago

Worlds most expensive coaster 🤣

badz14976d ago

what's so different between this and those useless NES cartridges or even supposedly "rare" pokemon cards? they are like NFT, just physical. Concord is an actual flop that has been pulled from stores, while Nintendo artificially limited their supply for artificial scarcity.

darthv7277d ago

ehh... I'll stick with the controller. I got enough coasters, they are called xbox games (snickers)

77d ago Replies(2)
Kurt Russell76d ago

Not the biggest coaster collection from xbox this gen :P

TheEroica76d ago (Edited 76d ago )

Concord is the biggest flop of all time... Sony could've saved 5 years by standing over the toilet and flushing 400 million. Remember, Concord is so bad that you cannot even play it anymore. It's vapor. You can't even have a retro review on it or pretend like "maybe there are a few people at home enjoying it". Lol, it was so so bad that it's been obliterated along with piles and piles of money.

The good news is all that failure leads to more pc ports of sonys better games. Sony is a good 3rd party publisher. I'll give them that!

76d ago Replies(1)
Richhard176d ago

Good, I have two sealed copies,

GotGame81876d ago

You can buy a sealed copy for $59 on eBay.

Show all comments (37)
280°

Sony's Recent Live Service Game Cancellations Is Reportedly Tied To Failure Of Concord

Sony Interactive Entertainment's recent cancellation of live service game projects is tied to the failure of Concord, based on a new report.

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twistedvoxel.com
-Foxtrot139d ago

Good. Let it be a lesson.

I’m super curious about how they are going to go about Fairgame$. It’s a live service title which didn’t get a good reception with the announcement and it’s being made by a brand new studio they decided to buy straight away because of the live service title they were making. It’s super similar to Concord and Firewalk Studios.

Will they cancel it this far into development or release it with the high chance of it being another disappointment and making Sony the laughing stock.

JEECE139d ago

It feels like that one is far enough along that they are going to go ahead and just push it out.

RaidenBlack139d ago (Edited 139d ago )

The Horizon live-service game is on the ... err horizon as well it seems, don't think that's getting cancelled.
Honestly if one modern Sony live-service game that I wish wasn't cancelled, that'd be the "Spider-Man: The Great Web". The leaked trailer looked cool and imho, it had potential. The timing was just not on its side.
With Avengers and Gotham Knights fumbling and Suicide Squad also not garnering much positivity at the time, Sony pulled the plug.
And 2 other I can also consider as well would be Factions 2.0 and Twisted Metal. Any form of a new Twisted Metal game is still fine for me than nothing.
Hope after all this, Marathin delivers. Oh, it better, especially after they changed such an amazing IP's genre.
I am really curious to see what they can pull-off.

PapaBop139d ago (Edited 139d ago )

Marathon is Sony's only real hope I think on the live service front, any live service game released before then will be going out to Freddie Mercury singing "another one bites the dust". They have to hope Bungie have some magic left in them and deliver a product worthy of the name. Live service games and Sony fans are like square pegs in a round hole. They need to really knock it out of the park to justify them and remove the negative stigma surrounding live service games.

CrimsonWing69139d ago

Didn’t they literally announce recently that they’re committed to GaaS?

isarai139d ago

I really don't know how seriously I would take that Herman has always just come off as a yes man. But I say I don't know because I really don't know it could be one way or the other

neutralgamer1992139d ago

Sony's decision to cancel two more live-service games, one from Bluepoint Games and another from Bend Studio—neither of which have significant experience in live-service development—has raised serious concerns among fans. Many of us had been eagerly awaiting announcements about these studios' projects, believing they were nearing completion after years of development.

Now, it appears several first-party studios are being forced to start over, highlighting what feels like a pattern of mismanagement this generation. Sony's strategy seems to be floundering, leaving its first-party portfolio with a string of missteps.

This situation is eerily reminiscent of the "arrogant Sony" era leading up to the PS3's troubled launch. Unfortunately, unlike that time, there’s no strong competition from Xbox to compel Sony to course-correct and refocus on what made them successful in the first place.

139d ago
FinalFantasyFanatic139d ago

Idk, I don't feel like they've learnt their lesson, in the case of Fairgame$, I suspect they'd release it if it's too far along to back out, at least try and make some money on it, if that's possible.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 139d ago
gold_drake139d ago

i still find it ridiculous that they had soo many, 12, in the pipeline. if they had like 3, sure, but 12 is a huge number for potential failure.

Alos88139d ago

They were throwing stuff against the wall and praying something stuck... considering how poorly thought out the whole thing was they should be grateful they even got one win with Helldivers.

PapaBop139d ago

How the hell would that even work? Were they going to create 12 completely different games to try and cater to different audiences? Or would they expect some gamers to be juggling multiple ones and on top of whatever third party ones get created? I really hope someone high up at Sony has pressed the big red panic button because they're starting to look MS levels of incompetent.

attilayavuzer139d ago

Honestly I think the strategy was to have one of them be a huge success (billions in revenue) and have that pay for all the other games and devs they'd shut down from the failures. One Fortnite-level success would double the brand's profit, so it makes sense why they'd take a flier on it, even if the odds were terrible and in practice has so far been about worst case scenario.

FinalFantasyFanatic139d ago

I think they expected multiple failures, they only needed a few to succeed to rake in the big bucks. But there are already a lot of these games out there to the point of saturation, and trying to pull people away from other, popular GaaS games was going to be a big challenge.

MetroidFREAK21139d ago (Edited 139d ago )

They need to wake up. A God of War live service game... what a joke

Relientk77139d ago

A God of War live service game doesn't even make sense no matter how you spin it. What a dumb idea.

bartfart139d ago

Yeah anyone remember gow: ascension multiplayer? Me neither

raWfodog139d ago

I’m a huge God of War fan and this had me scratching my head like ‘huh?’ Stop trying to add GaaS to every IP. It just doesn’t work that way.

Goodguy01139d ago

Focus on quality singleplayer like you had with the ps4 and 3 that made you so well loved. 3rd party will do all the live servicing.

RaidenBlack139d ago (Edited 139d ago )

You need some multiplayer titles as well ... not unlike olden days ... but just not so many of 'em that you lose the quality over quantity.
And plus, experimental smaller projects to keep things interesting.

139d ago
SonyStyled139d ago

They closed all of their ‘small’ game studios though for the GAAS focus. They shot themselves in the foot. PixelOpus, Japan, London (Psygnosis) closed

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