Concord Has Sold About 25,000 Copies And Should Have Launched As A Free Game, Analysts Say

As a seasoned gamer who’s been through the highs and lows of the gaming industry, I must say, the launch of Concord has left me a bit perplexed. With eight years in development, it’s hard not to feel a pang of sympathy for Firewalk Studios. Yet, the game’s lackluster sales and minimal player engagement have raised some eyebrows.

Recently launched, the hotly anticipated multiplayer shooter “Concord” by Firewalk Studios for PlayStation, unfortunately didn’t take off as expected when it hit shelves this month, with estimates suggesting that it may have sold less than 25,000 copies.

According to GameDiscover.co analyst Simon Carless’s statement to IGN, it seems that Concord has sold approximately 10,000 copies on Steam and around 15,000 on PlayStation by the end of August. Given its low peak player count on Steam (697 concurrent players) and current ranking outside the top 100 best-selling games on PlayStation, it would not be unexpected if Concord has been having trouble selling well.

According to Circana analyst Mat Piscatella, only about 0.2% of active PlayStation 5 players were playing the game on Monday, August 26. Liam Deane, an analyst at Omdia, stated that the Steam player numbers are so poor that we can assume with confidence that the game is performing poorly, even without specific data on the PS5 side.

According to the analysts IGN consulted, Concord didn’t sell well or attract players because of several factors. These included a less-than-effective marketing strategy, a somewhat steep price tag of $40 USD, and an absence of unique features in a market that’s already saturated with similar games.

Rhys Elliott from Midia Research suggested that Concord should have initially been released as a free-to-play game or included in the PlayStation Plus subscription service, similar to Quidditch Champions which is doing this for its launch on September 3. Elliott noted that it’s still possible for Sony to add Concord to PlayStation Plus, but he cautioned, “First impressions can be crucial, and the initial impact might have already been made.”

Firewalk’s debut game, Concord, was developed over a period exceeding eight years, as shared by lead designer Joe Weisnewski. With an abundance of human touch and depth, he expressed his hope that people will give it a try. He is incredibly proud of the game and they are prepared to promote it extensively for many more years.

Initially, Sony intended to launch ten live-service games by 2026. However, they later reduced this number by half, opting instead to prioritize quality over quantity in their production strategy. Regrettably, Naughty Dog’s highly anticipated project, The Last of Us Online, which was once touted as the studio’s most ambitious game yet, has been terminated.

Based on a report, it’s stated that one of the final significant decisions made by the former head of PlayStation, Jim Ryan, involved mandating PlayStation teams to create more game-as-a-service titles. This directive reportedly upset several PlayStation developers, and industry veteran Connie Booth appeared to be the target of their frustration. Booth, a 30-year industry veteran, departed from PlayStation in October 2023 without disclosing her reasons for leaving. Some speculate that she was dismissed. Now, Booth holds an executive position at Electronic Arts.

Moving forward, Concord Season 1: The Tempest is set to debut in October. This installment brings forth a fresh character, novel map, diverse variants, and extra cosmetics and prizes. Moreover, it initiates a new series of weekly cinematic shorts that will enrich the storyline even more. We can anticipate Season 2 in January, with Season 3 slated for April.

2024-09-03 18:34

Concord Has Sold About 25,000 Copies And Should Have Launched As A Free Game, Analysts Say

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