Sony commented on Concord's lack of success, stating, "When it comes to introducing new intellectual property, the outcome remains uncertain until the attempt is made"

Sony's executive team has shared insights into the unsuccessful performance of their live service shooter, Concord.

According to a report by VGC, during an earnings call post the release of their latest financial results, investors queried the leadership on Concord's downfall.

Sony's president, COO and CFO, Hiroki Totoki, explained via an interpreter that while the company is continually learning about live service games, it has identified several improvement areas for future projects.

"With new IP, the outcome is uncertain until tested," stated Totoki.

He mentioned the necessity for numerous evaluation stages, such as user testing and internal reviews, and noted the need for earlier implementation of these processes.

Totoki also pointed out organizational silos as a challenge, affecting both development and sales, and suggested smoother cross-departmental collaboration.

"In future releases, both proprietary and third-party, we need to choose optimal launch windows to avoid market cannibalization and enhance our performance," he concluded.

Concord launched on August 23 but was withdrawn 11 days later due to poor sales. Refunds were issued to buyers, with Sony planning to collaborate with Firewalk Studios to determine future steps.

Nonetheless, Sony later disclosed Firewalk Studios’ closure along with Concord's permanent discontinuation.

In another section of the earnings call, senior vice president for finance and investor relations, Sadahiko Hayakawa, highlighted that despite Concord's failure, the company achieved success with other live service game launches in 2024.

"This year saw the introduction of two live-service games," Hayakawa noted. "Helldivers 2 was a major success, whereas Concord ceased operations. We learned significantly from both experiences."

Hayakawa detailed plans to circulate these learnings across their studios to refine title development management and enhance service scaling post-release, ultimately aiming to bolster their development framework.

Additionally, Hayakawa reiterated Sony's dedication to expanding its live service game offerings, with plans to release six such titles by March 2026, as previously announced last year.