Concord’s failure sparks discussions at Sony

Sony and its console, PlayStation, have become a landmark in the gaming industry and one of their strengths is precisely the platform’s exclusive games. But with the new generation, it seems that this type of asset is becoming increasingly weaker, as the list of original franchises is decreasing.

This decline was not only felt by gamers, but also by the company’s own CFO. Hiroki Totoki recently spoke about the matter and revealed that Sony is failing in the creation of original intellectual properties (IP), and is currently lacking in franchises that have been “nurtured from the beginning.”

Read also:

Disaster! Concord doesn’t please and Sony decides to take the game offline
PlayStation will have an open space in SP to celebrate the launch of the game Astro Bot

Failure of Concord and challenge in creating IPs

This reflection came to light in the same week that PlayStation announced the removal of Concord, its new game that was pulled from the market less than two weeks after its release.

The decision to unexpectedly close the title generated a wave of sympathy and surprise in the industry, and came as a sign that Sony intends to reconsider Concord’s position in the market, perhaps even with the possibility of bringing the game back for free.

In addition, the move also ended up bringing more focus to how the company has been dealing with its franchises. In his speech, Totoki made it clear that Sony faces difficulties in creating and nurturing intellectual properties from their early stages.

According to him, there is a lack of this “early stage” that could threaten the company’s future if not addressed properly. Analysts like Atul Goyal of Jefferies also echo this concern, noting that to thrive in the entertainment industry, it is essential to create or acquire strong IPs. “If you don’t start creating or acquiring the ones that do that, the risk is that someone else will,” Goyal said.

Concord’s situation serves as a case in point. Launched with high expectations, the game was quickly pulled from the market so that the team at developer Firewalk could “determine the best path forward.”

All this happening around the game is a way of showing how new franchises need to make an effort to adapt to a gaming market that is already highly competitive, and how they need to attract the attention of players in the face of other already established and successful IPS.

Sony still has strength in its consolidated franchises

Despite the challenge of creating new franchises, Sony continues to capitalize on its established IPs and they still have weight in the market. Titles such as The Last of Us, Uncharted, Horizon Zero Dawn and Crash Bandicoot are successful examples that show the company’s ability to develop captivating characters and stories that attract audiences. And Sony is far from abandoning its roots.

One of the most anticipated releases of the year, Astro Bot is a clear homage to the company’s franchise history. Not only does the game feature bots that resemble iconic characters from classic titles like Ellie and Joel from The Last of Us, Nathan Drake from Uncharted, and Aloy from Horizon, but it also serves as a celebration of the characters Sony has created over the years. This appeal to nostalgia shows that while the company may struggle to create new hits, it still has a vast repertoire of IPs that it can explore and revitalize.

Therefore, the company’s challenge is not only to maintain its already established franchises, but also to ensure innovation in the market, bringing new stories and characters that attract the public’s attention.

The decision to close Concord at least shows that Sony is willing to step back and review its strategies, even exploring new alternatives, so that its games have more impact on the market.

Fonte: eurogamer