GAMERTIMES

PlayStation recently made headlines by removing their first-person shooter, Concord, just two weeks after its release. According to the PlayStation-focused podcast Sacred Symbols, the game, which reportedly cost a staggering $400 million to develop, was once internally hailed as “the future of PlayStation.”

I spoke extensively with someone who worked on Concord, and it's so much worse than you think.

It was internally referred to as "The Future of PlayStation" with Star Wars-like potential, and a dev culture of "toxic positivity" halted any negative feedback.

Making it cost $400m. pic.twitter.com/F5O0oy4gaQ

— Colin Moriarty (@longislandviper) September 20, 2024

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Sony has since issued refunds to all players who purchased the game. Insiders suggest that a pervasive “toxic positivity” within the company stifled any critical feedback on the game’s direction. The game’s director, Ryan Ellis, stepped down last week, as reported by Kotaku. According to three sources familiar with the situation, Ellis was visibly emotional when addressing the team post-launch, acknowledging the game’s disappointing performance.

“Ryan was passionate about the project and believed in creating a joyful experience for players,” a former developer shared with Kotaku. “Despite the outcome, he’s a genuine person with a lot of heart.”

Earlier this month, Sony announced its decision to take Concord offline, remove it from sale, and offer refunds to all players. This move came after reports indicated that the game had sold fewer than 25,000 copies across PS5 and PC since its launch on August 23.

In a statement, Ellis expressed gratitude to the community: “Concord fans — we’ve been paying close attention to your feedback since the game’s release on PlayStation 5 and PC. We appreciate everyone who has been part of this journey aboard the Northstar.”