Analysts have estimated Concord PS5, PC sales to be around 25,000 units sold thus far, and it has fans wondering if The Last of Us multiplayer‘s cancellation was a mistake. The situation is pretty dire, to say the least, and worse than I thought. I, like others, already projected Concord’s eventual loss to be in millions, but what I didn’t expect was double digit launch sales across both platforms.
The Last of Us multiplayer had the advantage of an established franchise, unlike Concord
Concord’s sales estimate was revealed by IGN, who spoke to multiple veteran analysts about what went so horribly wrong with the game. Even if we assume that this estimate isn’t completely accurate, it can’t be off by hundreds and thousands, so all said and done, Concord has bombed so hard that heads will roll. Frankly, I’m worried about Firewalk. If recent layoffs and studio shutdowns are any indication, there is little room for error in the industry amid ballooning budgets.
As I wrote before, most players and reviewers don’t seem to consider Concord a bad game. But the general consensus is that it’s simply not good enough to stand out in a sea of similar shooters. Much has been said about the game’s price tag, but Concord’s open beta was free, and it was pretty much dead.
While chatting with one of our readers, I said that I feel like Concord — which was in development for eight years — is about four years late to the party. Other similar games, like Overwatch, are not only free to play, but they also have established player bases. While Concord was in the oven for nearly a decade, the gaming landscape changed significantly, and Firewalk apparently wasn’t paying attention.
There are far too many multiplayer games vying for players’ time, and Concord would have needed to do something incredibly unique to make a splash. Unfortunately, it didn’t, and here we are. At this point, I feel like The Last of Us multiplayer would have been a much safer bet than Concord, and I know I’m not the only one.
Players everywhere are questioning how one was canceled while the other received development funds over the last three years at least (Sony announced the publishing deal in 2021 but no one knows how long it has been funding Concord). TLOU has the luxury of being an established franchise, and the game would have had the added benefit of sales inspired by its successful TV series, as seen in the case of Fallout 76. Heck, even a new Killzone or Resistance may have fared better.
I don’t claim to know how Sony makes its decisions, but it doesn’t take an expert to see that the company completely missed the mark here (and with Foamstars). I do feel bad for those who poured their hearts and souls into Concord’s development, but it’s time for Sony to reevaluate its live service push.
Players do want new IP, but they don’t want the same thing they already have — often for free — disguised as a premium new IP.
