PlayStation Studio’s new sci-fi shooter, Concordedebuted without much fanfare. While the player base is expected to be slightly higher on the PS5, the concurrent user count on Steam shows a notable lack of interest in the title.
As usual, information is available through the Steam Platform. Released on August 23, the game has yet to surpass 700 active players on PC, which is even below the expectations of the game’s detractors. First announced as part of the State of Play Showcase in May, PlayStation had high hopes for Concord, having created a limited edition Game-based DualSense controller.
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Should PlayStation Make Another Handheld Console?
While Nintendo naturally dominates the mainstream video game market, PlayStation has seen significant success with the PSP. It offered an impressive catalog of games from franchises such as Persona, Final Fantasy, God of War, Metal Gear Solid, and more. The PS Vita seemed to have a lot of potential that went untapped, but should PlayStation try again with a new portable console? The PlayStation Portal was an interesting experiment that found a successful niche in streaming, but a dedicated portable console would be more interesting. There are rumors that this could be on the way, but what would a new PlayStation portable console need to succeed? Functioning like a portable PS4 and/or PS5 instead of having a separate library of games seems like a must.
Concord struggles to stand out from its peers
After eight years in development, it’s hard to pinpoint the best time to release a game like Concord. Overwatch was a hugely influential game when it released in 2016, sparking a wave of similar shooters. Since then, most other games in the genre have used the free-to-play model to encourage players to give these titles a chance early on. The standard edition of Concord retails for $40, with the promise of free updates for maps and characters in the future. However, premium cosmetics will still have to be acquired through an online store that will be rolled out at a later date, which some expected. Despite the scrutiny that battle pass systems and other MTX practices often face, many players have grown accustomed to them due to the low barrier of entry.
Additionally, the fact that it’s not free-to-play means it would be hard to sell as a game to play with friends. In that context, Concord had to be exceptional to get players invested and justify the initial price tag. When the game went into open beta in July, the overall impression was mixed. In terms of gameplay, the experience was considered solid and functional, but largely derivative of what you’d expect from a hero shooter. A large portion of testers didn’t feel attached to the roster design, or the environment in which the game took place. As a result, even activity during the beta was disappointing, and yet it reached up to 2,388 concurrent players on Steam.
Concord was designed to be supported for a while, so it may be able to bounce back through special offers or other promotions. However, it would be a stretch to imagine that the game could recoup the amount of money PlayStation has invested in it – which could be quite high considering the game’s production value. As things stand, future reports of the game’s sales figures already look bleak.