It’s not very often that Sony releases a game that fails to make its mark. More often than not, even the good-not-so-great first-party titles find a sizable audience on the PlayStation, especially in recent years as the PlayStation has gained a laughable lead ahead of Xbox. But, as Sony starts releasing its first-party titles on PC, it’s starting to find out that the PC market is different, and it’s not just because of how fast games can get pirated and played for free on the so-called master race.
We’re talking about Concord, a game that has failed to impress on PlayStation 5 and Steam. The game’s launch has been nothing short of disastrous, with its concurrent player counts on Steam failing to break the 700 mark, and estimates suggesting only a few thousand players on PS5, earning it the unofficial label as the worst AAA game to come out in recent memory.
Moreover, the game’s lackluster performance on both its home platform and on the PC has drawn comparisons to another recent disappointment: Redfall.
The comparison to Redfall has been particularly telling. Both games face similar criticisms regarding their launch state and player reception. However, it doesn’t take a long look to see the difference in the media’s treatment. While Redfall faced harsh criticism from journalists and players alike, Concord’s failure has been met with a more sympathetic tone from some quarters of the gaming press, with many outlets calling for reflection and understanding. This discrepancy shows bias and double standards in gaming journalism.
It’s only fair to wonder what would’ve happened if Xbox had released Concord had Firesprite been part of Microsoft’s spending spree as recently as a year ago.
While neither game is close to being revived—Redfall has fewer than 50 players on Steam and Concord is very much on its way there—this situation doesn’t prove that the “Xbox tax”, a made-up term used to describe how unfairly Xbox releases are treated, is real.
Going back to the topic of Concord, it’s easy to pinpoint the reasons why it failed. It sells for $40 in a market where hero shooters are predominantly free-to-play. This upfront cost acted as a significant barrier to entry, deterring potential players from even giving the game a chance, and it’s not even free on PlayStation Plus (at least, not yet).
The oversaturation of the hero shooter genre also played a crucial role in Concord’s downfall. Established titles like Overwatch, Apex Legends, and Valorant continue to maintain healthy player bases, but the market has become increasingly hostile to new entrants, especially ones with no unique features that make them standout.
While not necessarily bad, it doesn’t offer anything groundbreaking or unique to set it apart from established titles. The game feels derivative, borrowing elements from various sources without crafting a distinct identity, unlike Deadlock, which immediately jumps out as a hero-shooter version of DOTA 2.
To make matters worse, players in countries where PlayStation Network isn’t available can’t play it, similar to what happened with Helldivers 2 earlier this year.
Finally, there’s Concord’s lengthy development cycle of eight years. While extended development times can sometimes result in polished, genre-defining experiences, in this case, it seems to have produced a game that feels outdated upon arrival.
Not to mention, the timing of Concord’s release couldn’t have been worse. Can you imagine releasing at the same time as Black Myth: Wukong, which has so far sold over 10 million copies in less than a week? Concord was effectively buried under the chatter of more exciting gaming news and releases.
Regardless of the reasons, Concord’s future looks bleak. Even a shift to a free-to-play model seems unlikely to salvage the game at this point.
PlayStation’s failure to learn from past industry missteps is perhaps the most concerning aspect of this debacle. The struggles of games like Anthem many years ago should have served as clear warnings about the risks of developing live-service games without a solid understanding of market demands and player expectations. It’s inexcusable for this to happen to Sony, really, considering it did cancel The Last of Us’ multiplayer spin-off last year despite sinking years into its development.
The era of spending nearly a decade on a single title, only to have it feel outdated is and was never sustainable. Moving forward, major players in the industry would do well to prioritize shorter development cycles, similar to what Techland is doing and what Sony itself has done in the past, and more responsive design processes to avoid repeating the mistakes exemplified by Concord’s disappointing launch.
For now, we’ll just have to wait for Concord to flame out much faster than it took for it to get released.
But, then again, who knows? The impending PS5 price cut might encourage players to give it a try this holiday season.
