PlayStation Sales Estimates Have Leaked and YIKES...
Grab your popcorn because there's some new disastrous news hitting Concord. If you thought the game was struggling before, you have no idea just how bad it's gotten. Let's break down this disaster of a launch, and see how Sony's big bet chasing a trend with their flashy hero shooter went belly up.
The Numbers Speak for Themselves—And They're Ugly
So, let's check in on our friends over at Steam...
How many people are actually playing Concord? Ready for this? A whopping 109 players as I write this article, and a 24-hour peak of just 151. Yeah, that's right...
This game has been out for two weeks, and we're already looking at numbers you’d expect from a niche indie title. Just look at that downward trajectory!
And here's the kicker: PlayStation numbers have leaked - and they aren't doing much better...
We can't track real-time player counts on PlayStation, but we CAN take a peek at the trophy stats to get a clue. Shoutout to Larry Bundy for the heads up on this info over on X! The easiest trophy in the game—the one you get for, like... your first kill—has been snagged by just 1,220 people.
That’s right, only 1,220 PlayStation players have bothered to make a first kill in a shooter. It's almost as if - no one is playing the game at all!
Sales Figures: A Real Punch to the Gut
Rumor has it, and by rumor, I mean industry analysts, that Concord has only sold around 25,000 copies across all platforms.
To break that down, that’s a guess of about 10,000 on Steam and 15,000 on PlayStation. For a game that Sony hyped up and poured upwards to $150 MILLION into, these numbers are beyond flat-out embarrassing.
And let’s be honest, even those numbers might be generous. If only 1,220 players on PlayStation have gotten the first kill trophy, the actual number of people playing is probably way lower. No wonder players are stuck waiting for matches of upwards of 8 or more minutes each - there just aren’t enough people playing!
Should It Have Been Free-to-Play?
I've been saying Sony should’ve just launched Concord as a free-to-play game for months - or at the very least - included it with PlayStation Plus. And you know what? That might be the only way to salvage this sinking ship now. Sure, it would probably tick off the people who actually paid $40 for it, but hey, desperate times... call for desperate measures.
A Pricey Mistake
Here’s where it gets painful. Concord isn’t just a flop; it’s a costly one. We’re talking about a game that probably had a budget upwards of $100 million—maybe even $200 million, (depending on which rumors you believe).
Sony went all-in with high-end trailers and a big marketing push, and now they’re left holding the bag... Just in an attempt to capitalize on a trend from 8 years ago.
An Epic Fail for the Ages
I can’t think of another game in recent years that has crashed and burned quite like this. For a big-name title with major backing, Concord already feels like one of the biggest failures we've seen in video game history (look out, E.T.).
So, where does Concord go from here? Probably straight into the annals of gaming history as a "what not to do" case study. Sure, they might try a free-to-play pivot or toss it into the PlayStation Plus catalog, but honestly... the damage has already been done.
~Smash