In the high-stakes world of AAA gaming, Sony's latest venture of Concord has turned into quite the spectacular flop, costing an estimated $214,285.71 per person still playing the game. This figure isn't just a look to the game's failure; it's an insane representation of the misplaced hopes and financial missteps in modern game development...
How'd I get to that number? Based off estimates from Manga Lawyer, the game is potentially cost upwards of $150 MILLION to develop. Pair this with the under 700 players playing the game on launch day, divide it, and well.. there you have it.
Prior to launch, Concord was surrounded by an air of optimism with grandiose plans for future expansions and DLCs. In an interview with PCGamer, lead developer Mark Weisnewski of Firewalk Studios proudly stated:
Weisnewski expressed his team's dedication to the game, claiming they were:
However, despite their most fantastical and whimsical dreams, we live in this place called reality, where Concord has been anything but successful. The game's an overpriced hero shooter entering an already oversaturated market with little to distinguish itself from countless other titles. The critical reception was lukewarm at best, with many pointing out its lackluster gameplay and derivative content. In reality, the game is failing due to costing money for overtly "woke" themes. It alienated the majority of gamers.
Sony's decision to back Concord so heavily raises questions about the company's strategy. With the writing on the wall from the jump, I can't help but wonder if there was an underlying agenda or even a conspiracy to push a particular set of values, regardless of the financial outcome. Given the catastrophic financial return thus far on Sony’s massive investment, one could potentially conclude that pushing "woke propaganda" without caring about losing money seems as plausible as any other strategy, considering the outcome.. If they were making the lost funds up through an alternative means.
It's important to remember that Concord is Firewalk Studios' first foray into AAA gaming. Funny enough, it's also soon to be their last. Previously I covered the studio's broken internal dynamics, fraught with "woke drama" of a lead developer forcing people to call her 'The Professor, among other strange pushes. The echo chambers they created skewed the developers' perceptions of what the gaming community desires. This disconnection from reality has only been heightened by Concord's lackluster performance.
As the dust settles on this epic gaming disaster of colossal proportions, the financial repercussions for Sony are going to be immense. The game will most certainly be going to the PS+ service for free shortly, with a free for everyone following soon there after - if they want this to have any audience at all. With the calamitous start, the future of Concord doesn't look like it will be here very long. The devs would've been better off searching for the Lost Ark than chasing after that modern audience that time and time again is proven to simply not exist.
This isn't just a failure; it's a reminder about the dangers of losing touch with your audience in pursuit of ideological goals. As it stands, Concord will go down in history as what NOT to do.
Hell, it may not make it to next Tuesday, much less into the next year.
~Smash