Sony has decided to shut down its new video game Concord just two weeks after its release. Despite years of development and millions of dollars invested, the game has received a cold reception from gamers who say political correctness and high costs contributed to its failure.
Concord, a five-on-five shoot-em-up game from Firewalk Studio, has become one of the gaming world’s biggest flops in record time.
Despite expectations of success, the reception from both critics and gamers was far from what Sony had hoped for. In a statement on the PlayStation blog, it was announced that the game’s servers would be shut down on September 6, meaning the game didn’t even last two weeks on the market.
“We have decided to take the game offline beginning September 6, 2024, and explore options, including those that will better reach our players
Concord sales will cease immediately and we will begin to offer a full refund for all gamers who have purchased the game for PS5 or PC.
If you purchased the game for PlayStation 5 from the PlayStation Store or PlayStation Direct, a refund will be issued back to your original payment method
We’ll keep you updated and thank you again to all the Freegunners who have joined us in the Concord galaxy”
The money back
For the few players who did invest in the game, rumored to be fewer than 25,000 people, their money will be refunded. This is hardly likely to ease the disappointment of the game’s sudden closure.
“Is Concord the biggest flop in gaming history?”, many ask, and there are many indications that this may be the case.
Even in the beta stage, it was clear that the game would face challenges. While some players appreciated the game’s shooting mechanics and map design, there was also strong criticism of the game’s balance issues and political correctness.
The majority of players express their dissatisfaction on social platforms by calling the game, for example, “mediocre woke garbage” and pointing out that the company behind it “even imposes pronouns in the game for no reason”.
Message to game developers. Gamers will not put up with, or support your stupid shit. The male feminist and pronouns in bio audience will not be enough to sustain your business. #Concord pic.twitter.com/x6Zn4FnLfk
— The Bugle Daily (@TheBugleDaily1) September 2, 2024
Identity politics
The criticism reflects a broader dissatisfaction among players who feel the game places too much emphasis on identity politics at the expense of game quality. One of the most controversial features of the game was the introduction of ‘Bazz’, a black trans woman as one of the 16 playable characters.
The black LGBTQ and transgender activist, whose real name is Jahmila Adderley, shared the news in an Instagram post where she revealed that she had given her voice and image to the character “Bazz”.
– I had to go for a walk because I just don’t like it when PlayStation wants to turn me into the baddest, knife-wielding assassin in all the land. That’s right, yours truly as free-gunner Bazz in PlayStation’s new multi-player video game Concord.
Critics see the character as an attempt to push a political agenda, rather than focusing on the core of the game – having fun.
Almost a year later I can finally share that yours truly is the groundbreaking character BAZZ in @PlayStation new release Concord for PS5 & PC. A historical moment for Trans Video Game characters. I couldn’t be more honored to bring her to life.#PlayStation5 #concord #Bazz pic.twitter.com/JezEwrqV21
— MILA JAM (@themilajam) August 27, 2024
Too expensive
The price of the game has also been a contributing factor to its failure. In an era where competing games like Overwatch and Valorant are free to play, many have questioned Sony’s $40 pricing.
Research analyst Rhys Elliott summarized the situation to gaming site IGN.
– Sadly, making a fun, high-quality shooter is not enough in the oversaturated live-service space these days. A tight-knit group of players might be willing to take a chance on a new game for free, but paying $40 (£30) is a big ask in today’s climate, he argues.
With hundreds of millions of dollars invested and eight years of development behind it, Concord now stands as one of the biggest failures in gaming history.
