It's clear that succeeding in the video game industry is becoming increasingly challenging due to the excessive competition, especially in the multiplayer game market. Concord attempted to make its mark but fell short at the starting line. Its abrupt end has caught the attention of players and other developers in the industry.
The competitive hero shooter from PlayStation and Firewalk Studios had a disappointing debut on all fronts. Besides receiving negative reviews, it performed poorly commercially. Consequently, its developers announced that it will be removed from sale and the servers will shut down soon.
While some players celebrate the failure of this new online venture, members of the video game industry have responded with messages of solidarity and support.
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Cliff Bleszinski, John Johanas, and More Creatives React to the Failure of Concord
Following the news that the sci-fi game will cease operations, Cliff Bleszinski, one of the creators of the Gears of War franchise, shared a message expressing his understanding of the situation that Firewalk Studios developers are likely going through. “Concord, I feel your pain,” he wrote.
For those who may have forgotten, CliffyB was the founder of KeyProductions, a now-defunct studio that released LawBreakers in 2017. That futuristic hero shooter was unable to build a community around it and only managed to reach a peak of 7,482 concurrent users at its debut. Although it adopted a free-to-play model, it was insufficient, and the servers eventually shut down.
John Johanas, director of The Evil Within 2 and the acclaimed Hi-Fi RUSH, also spoke out about this situation. In a post on his personal social media account, he expressed that he liked Concord and extended his support to those who worked on it.
“I feel terrible for everyone who worked hard to launch it. Also, it was the first PvP game in a long time that really connected with me, and I had a lot of fun. So this hurts even more. I hope they find a way to come back,” the creative commented.
Despite the overwhelmingly positive reception of Hi-Fi RUSH, Microsoft announced the closure of Tango Gameworks in early May, just days after the release of the PlayStation 5 port. Fortunately, in August it was revealed that the Xbox house sold the studio and the franchise to KRAFTON.
On the other hand, Liana Ruppert, former community manager for Destiny 2, recalled how many other games as a service had the chance to bounce back. She remains optimistic and hopes that Concord can make a comeback in some form.
“No Man's Sky, The Elder Scrolls Online, Rainbow Six Siege: there are many games that have shown this is not the end. With the right measures and support, we could see a massive return of Concord, which would be a win for both players and developers. They have my support,” wrote Liana Ruppert.
Josh Scherr, former writer at Naughty Dog, expressed that his heart is with the members of Firewalk Studios, while Thomas Puh of Remedy Entertainment emphasized how difficult it is to sell in the video game industry.
But tell us, what do you think of these statements? Let us know in the comments.
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