Concord: Sony pulls shooter from sale two weeks after release
Sony Halts Online Play Two Weeks Post Release
Concord was Sony's most recent addition to the multiplayer shooting game industry.
Sony has declared that it is removing the online shooter Concord from the market only a couple of weeks after it was released.
The online game was launched only for PlayStation 5 and PC on August 23rd, but it seems to be having a hard time getting enough players to join in.
On the Sony website, Ryan Ellis, who is the game director at Firewalk Studios, announced in a blog post that the game will be unavailable starting from September 6th.
He announced that all customers who purchased the £40 game would be refunded in full while the team figures out the best plan for its return.
Concord is a hero shooter game that shares some similarities with well-known games like Overwatch and Valorant.
Gamers are members of a group consisting of unique characters with different skills, and have the option to participate in regular battles or alternate game modes that require capturing a goal or dominating parts of the playing field.
Allegedly in the works for eight years, Concord was Sony's newest game aimed at dominating the multiplayer gaming industry.
It got a combination of good and bad reviews from critics who are not part of the company, with some saying they liked how it looked and played well, but others saying it didn't bring anything new to the type of game it is.
As reported by the website SteamDB, which monitors the number of players on the PC gaming platform, Concord reached a peak of 660 concurrent users.
On the other hand, Counter-Strike 2, the game that is played the most, has continuously had over 1 million players since August 2022.
In Concord, special characters with different skills compete against each other in a variety of matches.
Ryan Ellis stated that Firewalk had been paying close attention to feedback in his message.
"He mentioned that although players appreciated many aspects of the experience, we also understand that some parts of the game and our initial release didn't have the desired impact," he explained.
He expressed gratitude towards the players who have played the game and mentioned that the dedicated community that has developed around the game is extremely valuable to them.
Removing the game from online play would give the developers a chance to "consider different possibilities, including ones that will connect with our players more effectively," he stated.
Games that allow multiple players to interact, or those that provide continual updates to engage fans, are highly profitable for businesses. Sony has recognized the potential of these games and has been putting resources into them.
Earlier this year, Helldivers 2 was launched and became a huge hit, selling over 12 million copies. It was also made available on PlayStation 5 and PC.
A in-depth presentation of Concord during the company's State of Play livestream in May did not create the same excitement, and many anticipated that it would have difficulties attracting a comparable viewership.
Entering the live-service market can be very difficult, as shown by data from the US analytics company Newzoo. They consistently show that games like Minecraft, Roblox, and League of Legends, which have been around for years, continue to be the most popular and top the rankings.
Earlier this year, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, released by Warner Bros, did not receive as much attention from players as the company had expected, even though it was heavily promoted.
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