Sony's Concord: A $400M Gaming Disaster That Media Ignored - Here's Why

BigGo Editorial Team
Sony's Concord: A $400M Gaming Disaster That Media Ignored - Here's Why

The gaming industry has witnessed numerous failures, but the story of Sony's Concord stands out not just for its massive financial loss, but for how it managed to stay under the mainstream media's radar. Community discussions reveal several key factors behind both the game's failure and its lack of media coverage.

Market Saturation and Identity Crisis

One of the primary reasons for Concord's failure, as pointed out by gaming community members, was its entry into an already saturated hero shooter market. The game offered no significant distinguishing features from its competitors, making it virtually impossible to carve out its own niche in a crowded space dominated by established titles.

The Scale of Failure

The numbers are staggering:

  • Development cost: Approximately $400 million
  • Revenue generated: Merely $1 million
  • Active players: Peak of only 700 concurrent players on PC
  • Total sales: Estimated 25,000 copies
  • Lifespan: Mere 14 days before being pulled from stores

Media Coverage Disconnect

The lack of mainstream media attention to this colossal failure highlights a persistent gap in how video games are covered compared to other entertainment mediums. Community observers note that while movies and their industry developments are regularly discussed in casual conversations and mainstream media, video games often remain confined to specialist press coverage.

The Silent Treatment

Interestingly, Sony's approach to handling this failure may have contributed to its limited media coverage. Unlike movie flops that often generate extensive press coverage, Sony chose to quietly remove all traces of Concord from their digital stores and websites. This push-driven nature of entertainment news, relying heavily on press releases and official communications, meant that without Sony actively discussing the failure, mainstream media had little to report on.

The media's reaction to Sony's Concord failure is starkly contrasted with how other entertainment flops are often covered
The media's reaction to Sony's Concord failure is starkly contrasted with how other entertainment flops are often covered

Potential Future

Recent rumors suggest that Concord might be planning a relaunch through Steam, though some community members are skeptical, comparing it to the Morbius situation where a failed product attempts a comeback based on its notoriety. However, given the scale of the initial failure and Sony's attempts to erase the game's existence, such a comeback seems unlikely.

This case study serves as a fascinating example of how even in our interconnected world, a $400 million entertainment failure can go largely unnoticed by the general public, highlighting the continuing disconnect between gaming and mainstream media coverage.