Sony "In The Process Of Learning" From Concord As Live Service Push Continues

Summary

• Sony is learning from the failure of Concord by implementing more gates in the development process.
• Sony intends to combine single-player games with live-service games in order to optimize their title portfolio.
• Despite Concord's closure, Sony had success with Helldivers 2, learning lessons from both failures and successes.

Concord closed down within 11 days, and its developers, Firewalk Studios, was unceremoniously shuttered a few short weeks later. It was a tough time for Sony, in a year when the company laid off hundreds of staff members.

Gaming Cannot Afford Another Concord

The video game industry is in a very dangerous place right now.

Speaking in a recent Q&A, PlayStation President, COO, and CFO Hiroki Totoki shared his thoughts on what happened to Concord and how Sony will apply those lessons in the future.

Hiroki Totoki Reflects On Concord's Failures

Using an interpreter during a recent investor Q&A (via VGC) Totoki said:

"Currently, we are still in the process of learning. And basically, with regards to new IP, of course, you don’t know the result until you actually try it.

Currently, we are still in the process of learning.

“So for us, for our reflection, we probably need to have a lot of gates, including user testing or internal evaluation, and the timing of such gates. And then we need to bring them forward, and we should have done those gates much earlier than we did.

“Also, we have a siloed organization, so going beyond the boundaries of those organizations in terms of development and also sales, I think that could have been much smoother.

“And then going forward, in our own titles and in third-party titles, we do have many different windows. And we want to be able to select the right and optimal window so that we can deploy them on our own platform without cannibalization so that we can maximize our performance in terms of title launches. That’s all I have.”

It's another stark admission of just how bad things were, given that the company president had so much to say.

"Helldivers 2 Was A Huge Hit"

Despite Concord's failures, Sony had mixed success with its live-service titles this year. Sony senior vice president for finance and IR Sadahiko Hayakawa called Helldivers 2 "a huge hit" during the same call.

Hayakawa said, "We gained a lot of experience and learned a lot from both [Helldivers 2 and Concord]. 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 so as to strengthen our development management system.

We gained a lot of experience and learned a lot from both [Helldivers 2 and Concord]

“We intend to build on an optimum title portfolio during the current mid-range plan period that combines single-player games – which are our strengths 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.”

Hayakawa's comments echo those from Sony's press release, which originally announced Firewalk Studios' closure. In the announcement, the company confirmed its live-service ambitions will continue, saying it will "continue to advance our live-service capabilities to deliver future growth in this area."

Helldivers 2

WHERE TO PLAY

The Galaxy’s Last Line of Offence. Enlist in the Helldivers and join the fight for freedom across a hostile galaxy in a fast, frantic, and ferocious third-person shooter.

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BECOME A LEGEND
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LOADOUTS
Rain down freedom from above, sneak through enemy territory, or grit your teeth and charge head-first into the jaws of combat. How you deliver liberty is your choice; you’ll have access to a wide array of explosive firepower, life-saving armor and battle-changing stratagems… the jewel in every Helldiver’s arsenal.

REQUISITION
Super Earth recognises your hard work with valuable Requisition. Use it to access different rewards that benefit you, your squad, your destroyer ship and our overall war effort.

THREATS
Everything on every planet wants you dead. That’s what we’re dealing with. Each enemy has distinct and unpredictable characteristics, tactics, and behavior – but they all fight ferociously and without fear or morality.

THE GALACTIC WAR
Capturing enemy planets, defending against invasions, and completing missions will contribute to our overall effort. This war will be won or lost depending on the actions of everyone involved.

We stand together, or we fall apart.