While 'Battlefield 6' saw a significant drop in Steam players from its launch peak, 'ARC Raiders' has maintained a high player base, indicating strong ongoing interest in the latter compared to the declining popularity of the former.
Dispatch is an episodic superhero game from AdHoc Studio that offers a TV-like experience with each episode designed for a single gaming session, providing a satisfying and well-calibrated narrative that respects players' time, contrasting with the endless grind of live-service games.
Hermen Hulst, CEO of PlayStation Studios, emphasized the importance of early and cost-effective failure detection in game development, citing lessons learned from the Concord game's failure and implementing stricter testing processes to improve quality and variety in future releases.
Sony's failure with the short-lived live-service shooter Concord led to increased oversight and testing in development, as Sony aims to improve future projects and diversify player experiences, despite challenges with upcoming titles like Bungie's Marathon.
Sony's PlayStation boss Herman Hulst defends the company's ongoing push into live service games despite past failures like Concord, emphasizing that failures lead to better testing and understanding, and highlighting a focus on diverse player experiences rather than solely on the number of releases.
Sony's PS5 boss Hermen Hulst emphasizes quality over quantity in live service games, implementing rigorous testing and fostering diverse player experiences. The company is also focusing on creating IP with cross-media potential, aiming to build brands that support both gaming and broader entertainment ventures, while learning from past failures like Concord.
A year after its release, Sony's Concord is considered the worst video game launch of all time due to its disastrous player count, massive financial loss, and quick shutdown, marking a significant failure in the industry and raising questions about Sony's judgment in its live-service game strategy.
Sony's game developer Jade Raymond's project Fairgame$ has reportedly been canceled, highlighting Sony's struggles with its shift to live service games, criticized by analyst Michael Pachter who also claims Sony has lost its way in managing its gaming strategy.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's success signals a shift away from the industry's reliance on live-service games, highlighting a player preference for strong, affordable single-player titles, though blockbuster releases like GTA 6 may still influence industry direction.
Sony admits its push into live-service games is facing challenges, citing the failure of Concord and delays with Marathon, but remains committed to the genre, highlighting ongoing projects like Helldivers 2 and Bungie's Destiny 2 as part of their strategy.
Sony's CFO acknowledges that the company's shift to live service games has faced challenges, including failures like Concord and delays like Marathon, but highlights significant progress over the past five years with successful titles like Helldivers 2 contributing to revenue. Despite setbacks, Sony remains committed to learning from mistakes and improving its live service offerings.
Warner Bros. is developing another live-service DC game following the failure of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, aiming to leverage popular IPs but facing challenges in creating successful ongoing content, especially within the superhero genre.
Warner Bros. Montreal is hiring a senior executive producer to develop a new AAA game based on DC Comics, with a focus on live service elements, indicating the studio's continued interest in long-term engagement games despite the failure of Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League.
Wargaming's live-service extraction shooter Steel Hunters, launched in April and peaking at fewer than 4,500 players, is being shut down after only six months due to unsustainable development and poor player engagement, with servers remaining online for 90 days and plans to support custom games and unlock all Hunters.
Steel Hunters, a mech battle game from the creators of World of Tanks, launched in early access on Steam but failed to attract a significant player base and was announced to be permanently shut down by Wargaming after just three months, highlighting the challenges faced by live service games today.