A former developer who worked on the cancelled PlayStation console exclusive Concord has called out online commenters comparing it with Bungie’s recently showcased Marathon.
Bungie revealed more about its next shooter at the weekend including its release date: 23rd September. Yet the lack of marketing and mixed response to its visual style has sparked comparisons with Concord, and claims that Marathon will be Sony’s next flop.
The anonymous developer and artist took to reddit to respond to the comments, asking players to not “punish others for our mistakes”.
“Many players know about Concord, and what happened with that project. Concord failed to inspire players, and the message was heard loud and clear,” the developer admitted.
“It was gut wrenching to see our project fail, and be the laughing stock of many online. I have learned that failure is what drives me to succeed. No one feels as bad as the people who put their time on the line, hoping it will entertain the masses of gamers across the globe. I am not asking for pity, or even sympathy because, after all this is the name of the game, you win or lose. The margin for success is very thin. I took a chance, and lost.
“Some of you probably smell blood in the water, and probably want to roast me for no longer lurking, and exposing myself. I hope you don’t, and see that people create these projects, and work very hard to be the next big thing. Seeing the faces of the developers on the Bungie stream, gave me hope, and excitement for what is to come for Marathon.
“I commend them for taking a chance, trying something foreign to them, that isn’t proven, nor guaranteed to succeed.”
The developer concluded: “I worked on Concord, and did my best. We came up short, please don’t punish others for our mistakes. We are all human beings who are trying to create something special, and Marathon is no different. Be kind, and be cool, as video games are meant to be fun.”
Former Firewalk/Concord dev talks Marathon
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Concord was part of Sony’s live-service push that followed its purchase of Bungie in 2022 for $3.6bn.
However, Concord was taken offline just two weeks after its release due to low sales and player numbers, as Sony and developer Firewalk Studios admitted “our initial launch didn’t land”.
The following month, Firewalk was closed. It seems unlikely Concord will make a return.
Marathon, then, is the next big hope for both Sony and Bungie, as the Destiny developer seeks to prove its online shooter and live-service prowess, and follow in the footsteps of last year’s Helldivers 2, which became PlayStation’s fastest-selling game ever.
Sony recently confirmed Marathon won’t require a PlayStation Network account to play online on PC and Xbox.