As a longtime PlayStation gamer with a soft spot for exclusive titles, I’ve been following the developments of Helldivers 2 and Concord with great interest. Helldivers 2 was a breath of fresh air this year, defying expectations with its budget-friendly price tag and free content updates that kept the community engaged. The game captured the essence of cooperative multiplayer and live-service titles in a way that left me hopeful for the future of gaming.
PlayStation made a strong statement in the gaming industry this year with the release of Helldivers 2, which demonstrated the potential of live-service titles in a unique way. Previously, the acquisition of Bungie set the ball rolling, but it was Helldivers 2’s affordable price tag and an ongoing stream of free content updates, along with an active community, that convinced many that high-quality live-service games exist.
Unfortunately, Concord, the upcoming console-exclusive for PS5 from PlayStation, may fail to capture the same level of appeal as Arrowhead Studios’ popular title with its mix of hero-shooter and sci-fi themes. During the recent open beta on Steam, the game reached a peak of 2,388 players. Although this number is larger than that of Suicide Squad, it falls far short of the player base for the viral PlayStation hit released earlier this year.
Although Concord’s player base on PS5 and PC might help sustain the game for a while, there’s a looming challenge for its upcoming title, Marvel Rivals, from NetEase Games. By leveraging the Marvel Intellectual Property, Marvel Rivals introduces a hero-shooter reminiscent of Overwatch. As Overwatch enthusiasts consider switching allegiance, Concord may not have enough time to gain traction before being overshadowed by its formidable competitor.
Concord, like Marvel in its name, offers two distinct gaming experiences: a paid one for $39.99 / £34.99 and a free-to-play version called Marvel Rivals. The downside to the latter is that it seems to adopt a character rotation system similar to MultiVersus upon release. Despite this inconvenience, it’s less costly than PlayStation’s hero shooter with a mid-tier price point.
As someone who has been closely following the gaming community and industry trends for years, I can’t help but be impressed by the numbers I’ve seen regarding Marvel Rivals and Concord’s recent closed betas. Based on my observation, it seems that Marvel Rivals has truly outperformed expectations, with over 50,000 peak players since its inception. That’s a significant number, especially when compared to the upcoming title from PlayStation, which hasn’t even disclosed its beta player count yet.
I can’t help but express my concerns about the upcoming release of Concord on PS5 versus PC. The situation is fluid and unpredictable – plenty could shift between now and launch. For instance, many potential buyers might opt for the PS5 version instead of the PC one. Additionally, if Marvel Rivals, a NetEase publication, turns out to be successful, they could alter their monetization strategy, potentially damaging goodwill before the game even debuts. It’s not a promising sign when a title published by PlayStation doesn’t seem to gain traction prior to its release.
Read More
Sorry. No data so far.
2024-07-24 12:12