Concord Beta Bombs: A Complete Disaster for Sony
Sony’s latest attempt to break into the live service multiplayer market with Concord has proven to be nothing short of a complete and utter catastrophe. Set to release on August 23, 2024 (not delayed or canceled as of yet), this 'hero-based shooter' intended to rival heavyweights like Overwatch and Valorant... But has failed to generate any significant interest whatsoever, with its open beta numbers providing a crystal clear picture of the impending disaster.
We all saw this coming. This was the most predictable article I've ever written... But why? Well, it's pretty obvious... Let's start with...
Pathetic Open Beta Performance
The open beta for Concord is a disaster of epic proportions. On its Beta launch weekend, the game peaked at an abysmal 2,363 players on Steam. For context, the closed beta—restricted to those who pre-ordered the game—peaked at about a third of that number. Even in the best-case scenario, where player numbers might triple over the weekend, we’re looking at far fewer than 10,000 concurrent players; an embarrassing figure for any game, let alone one aspiring to compete in the crowded hero shooter genre.
I previously said going into this free-to-play Beta weekend it has to hit a bare minimum of 10k concurrent players to have any shot at survival and well... unfortunately for Sony, it looks like they got the wrong answer.
Invisible on PlayStation
While we don’t have specific numbers for PlayStation, the fact that Concord hasn’t appeared on any of the Top 10 games list speaks volumes - Hell it barely cracked the top 1,000 most wanted games on Steam ahead of it's release. Even if the game is performing slightly better on console, it’s still a far cry from what Sony would have hoped for. This situation contrasts sharply with the performance of Sony’s other live service game, Helldivers 2, which saw much higher engagement on PC and far more success from the playerbase.
A Free Beta Nobody Wants
The fact that the open beta is free and still failing to attract players is a beyond-damning indictment. In an era where nearly all competing hero shooters, from Apex Legends to Valorant to Overwatch, are free-to-play, charging $40 for Concord is hysterically ludicrous. Even Helldivers 2, priced similarly, at least occupied a unique genre space, whereas Concord blends into a saturated market. A stark contrast and very telling differentiator between the two recent Sony live service releases.
Generic and Forgettable
Despite some positive feedback on its basic shooter mechanics, Concord has been criticized for its lack of originality. The game fails to stand out in a genre teeming with well-established titles. Its a weirdo/hero-based cast, which promised engaging story development, has been described as bland and lacking personality. It feels like they blew their budget load on cutscenes... The very thing the vast majority of us skip just to play the game. There's little reason to choose Concord over its more charismatic and well-known competitors.
Sony’s Expectations vs. Reality
It’s unclear what Sony’s expectations were for Concord, but the reality is glaringly bleak. The game was designed to be a traditional multiplayer experience with seasonal updates and new hero introductions. But seeing as it has already failed to distinguish itself from existing titans in the genre, it’s doomed to obscurity. The dismal beta turnout for a game with a $40 price tag suggests there is no significant interest, and the outlook for its full release is grim. What are they going to do? Make it Free-To-Play and piss off the entire base of gamers who already purchased it? This is a no-win situation that Sony's greed has put themselves in.
The Modern Audience
I think I've found one of the 2,300 or so Beta testers on Twitter... and Yikes. Does this represent the current player base overall? I mean, I'm sure not every gamer playing Concord shares this sentiment - but it is... odd that the one person I find on Twitter/X pushing it so hard seems so 'unhinged' at the same time.
Probably nothing... Right?
Where Does It Go From Here?
Concord’s open beta has revealed a game that is likely to bomb spectacularly upon full release. With shockingly low player numbers, an out-of-touch pricing model, and a generic gameplay experience, Sony’s latest live service shooter is on track to be a monumental failure. Maybe it will go Free-To-Play shortly after launch, but even still, if these early indicators are anything to go by, Concord is set to be one of the biggest flops in recent gaming history... and they/them have no one to blame, but zee/zim selves...
~Smash
Way to go Sony for blowing things Big time with making a Shit game with Ugly as fuck characters. You should of realized that this wasn't gonna go over well with players 👹