Concord is dead and Firewalk Studio is closed [PS5, PC]

[Shifty Geezer]

Who was the leadership on this? Ryan, right? I think he just sucked at his job. I imagine Firewalk presented some great business-speak at the meetings (or wild parties), flexed their Industry Leadership credentials, and played him like a venture capitalist. Previous Sony heads would have acted a lot more professional I think with more due diligence and far greater business savvy.

 

[Cyan]

Sony 'learned a lot' from Concord failure, will now leverage the strength of 'proven IP'

Sony 'learned a lot' from Concord failure, will now leverage the strength of 'proven IP'

Following some live service hits and misses, Sony feels single-player titles have a 'higher predictability of becoming hits.'

www.gamedeveloper.com

 

[see colon]

Cool, now we can have the Last of Us Part 1 Remastered Director's Cut we deserve.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Yeah, probably the wrong lesson to learn. Maybe learn how to develop new IP sensibly, starting small and refining. Okay, article implies that where title doesn't:

"We intend to build an optimal title portfolio during the current mid-range plan period that combines single-player games, which are our strength, and which have a higher predictability of becoming hits due to our proven IP, with live service games that pursue upside while taking on a certain amount of risk upon release," continues the report.

 

[Globalisateur]

Yeah, probably the wrong lesson to learn. Maybe learn how to develop new IP sensibly, starting small and refining. Okay, article implies that where title doesn't:

"We intend to build an optimal title portfolio during the current mid-range plan period that combines single-player games, which are our strength, and which have a higher predictability of becoming hits due to our proven IP, with live service games that pursue upside while taking on a certain amount of risk upon release," continues the report.

They learned nothing. They are still chasing at the unicorn Fornite formula. Like you said they should have simply done (and increased) what they were doing before, MP modes in SP games like Killzone or TLOU factions. Those MP modes were actually fun and had character. This is also how COD was mostly designed. SP + MP modes until, years later, they removed the SP part.

At the beginning of the gen people were simply asking for TLOU2 factions ! The formula was already there in the first game, it was a fun MP mode they just had to improve on TLOU2.

 

[see colon]

The problem is that there is too much money in live service. And it isn't just Fortnite. EA Sports College Football, FC, and Madden have evolved into live service games, as have the 2k sports games and GTA. Sony had a big hit this year with Helldivers 2. These are all big games this year. They are chasing live service because that's where the money and the growth is. The mistake they are making is that they are making bets that are too big, so when they miss, it hurts them even more.

 

[Cappuccino]

They learned nothing. They are still chasing at the unicorn Fornite formula. Like you said they should have simply done (and increased) what they were doing before, MP modes in SP games like Killzone or TLOU factions. Those MP modes were actually fun and had character. This is also how COD was mostly designed. SP + MP modes until, years later, they removed the SP part.

At the beginning of the gen people were simply asking for TLOU2 factions ! The formula was already there in the first game, it was a fun MP mode they just had to improve on TLOU2.

COD still has a single player mode, same as it’s had for decades. The only exception was Black Ops 4.

The problem with trying to get live service to work is you need an actual good game first, then make it have a live service component. COD was an excellent multiplayer game and that meant making it a battle royale worked. Apex had a solid foundation as a Titanfall shooter essentially which is why it works.