Live-service bets fail fast: Highguard’s collapse exposes gaming’s rush for instant profits

Industry analysis argues that live-service games are treated as instant-profit investments, with Highguard’s swift demise after a Tencent-backed launch despite 2 million players; Marathon offers promise but profitability remains uncertain, underscoring a broader pattern where investor pressure and the time-to-kill metric drive whether a game survives or fails.