Has Sony Hit Comeback Gold, and Is Concord Next in Line?
Helldivers 2 is an online multiplayer experience developed by Arrowhead Game Studios and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 5 and PC platforms. The gaming community was blown away by the improvements made in the sequel, and it brought two different player bases together as they stood together against a hostile alien force that meant to take away the freedom of Super Earth amidst the Second Galactic War.
The game developers of Arrowhead Game Studios received their fair share of problems. The gaming community quickly turned on the developers after the short-lived PlayStation Network mandate for PC players, which was quickly retracted. However, the damage had already been done, and the developers struggled to deliver great content, affecting the game’s overall quality. It took time, but the game is getting back on its feet, as seen in the daily active player counts.
Helldivers 2 Is Finally Getting Back up on Its Feet After the Controversies and Backlash
The game developers of Arrowhead Game Studios went on a difficult journey of highs and lows. The game had a great start, and the servers were quickly overwhelmed by the number of players trying to get into a match, which speaks volumes of the overall quality and the game gained momentum from previous updates; unfortunately, Sony Interactive Entertainment has a knack for getting in the way and the recent mandate to link an active PlayStation Network account for PC players drove a wedge between the developers and players.
Sony Interactive Entertainment quickly saw the backlash and retracted the mandate; however, Helldivers 2 has been abruptly removed from 115 regions outside the PlayStation Network coverage and sent the game and the developers to a dark place since then. Nevertheless, director Johan Pilestedt did not stop and worked hard to restore the game to its former glory, and game the developers recently shared an announcement of the changes that players will see throughout the next 60 days and it is safe to assume that the team passed with flying colors now that the player count is rising gradually.
The gaming community is convinced that the game’s chances of being nominated for Game of the Year are now back on the table after the recent changes and shift in public opinion. Arrowhead Game Studios did not falter and succumb to public pressure and continued to work on the vision of developing a great multiplayer experience. Perhaps this comeback story could inspire Sony to give Concord a second chance after being shut down mere weeks after it went live for the PlayStation 5 and PC platforms.
Recent reports have surfaced about the potential budget Sony Interactive Entertainment provided Firewalk Studios to produce Concord, and it will forever go down as the most expensive flop in gaming history. The game did not stand a chance against the fierce competition offering the same gameplay experience and Sony overestimated the game’s chances of even competing.
Firewalk Studios Could Have Learned a Lesson or Two From Arrowhead Game Studios for Concord
Director Ryan Ellis was initially optimistic about working on an ambitious online multiplayer experience with the vision of an over-arching storyline. Unfortunately, Ellis miscalculated and did not think about how the gaming community would react negatively to his dream project. The staff of Firewalk Studios is comprised of gaming veterans, and to see 8 years of work going down the drain is upsetting.
Sony Interactive Entertainment could see the writing on the wall and pulled the plug on the servers early to avoid further embarrassment. The gaming community anticipated seeing the game get buried with all the backlash and controversies; however, there is always a slim chance for Sony to return and revive the project.
Arrowhead Game Studios endured all the punishment for something they have no power over and managed just fine. Concord could have experienced the same success as Helldivers 2 if Sony held on a little longer before snuffing the dream.
Firewalk Studios spent the last 8 years working on this project, and to see it fail spectacularly and for the gaming community to explicitly say that they are not interested in a different level of pain from a certain point of view. Sony Interactive Entertainment bought the IP and could always repurpose it wherever the company sees fit.
Do you think Concord could have been a massive success like Helldivers 2? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
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