Sony Analyzes Concord Flop While Learning About Live Service Games

Sony’s Struggles with Live Service Gaming: Lessons from Concord

The recent venture by Sony into the live service gaming market has ended in disappointment, leading to the discontinuation of its title, Concord, and the closure of its development studio, Firewalk. This experience has prompted Sony to reflect on its strategies in the live service domain, emphasizing the lessons learned for future projects.

Reflection on the Development Process

Hiroki Totoki, Sony’s president, COO, and CFO, commented on the lessons gleaned from the Concord project, stating, “With regards to new IP, of course, you don’t know the result until you actually try it.”He acknowledged that the company needs to implement more comprehensive evaluation methods, such as user testing and internal assessment, earlier in the development process.

Totoki further pointed out the challenges posed by Sony’s siloed organizational structure. He suggested that collaboration across various departments could enhance both development and sales processes, thus leading to a smoother overall operation.

Strategic Timing of Game Releases

Another critical insight shared by Totoki is the importance of timing in game launches. Sony aims to refine its strategies for launching both first-party and third-party games to avoid potential sales cannibalization between titles. This nuanced approach could significantly affect the performance of future releases.

Comparing Concord and Helldivers 2

In a related commentary, Sadahiko Hayakawa, Sony’s senior vice president for finance and investor relations, discussed the contrasting futures of Concord and Helldivers 2. He stated, “We intend to share the lessons learned from our successes and failures across our studios, including in the areas of title development management as well as the process of continually adding expanded content and scaling the service after its release to strengthen our development management system.”

Focus on Single-Player Experiences

Despite the setbacks in the live service sector, Hayakawa assured that Sony would continue to prioritize single-player games, highlighting them as a core strength of the company. He acknowledged that while the pursuit of live service experiences presents higher risks, they will remain a part of Sony’s strategic approach to diversifying their gaming portfolio.

As the gaming landscape continues to evolve, Sony’s commitment to learning from both successes and failures will be crucial in reshaping its future in an increasingly competitive market.

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