Recently, the gaming world has been buzzing with reports about Sony Interactive Entertainment’s decision to pull the plug on live service projects from Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games. According to Jeff Grubb, a well-respected insider in the industry, the culprit behind these cancellations is the underwhelming performance of Concord.
In a recent episode of the podcast “Game Mess Decides,” Grubb discussed how the troubled launch of Concord led to serious repercussions. Notably, the game’s servers went offline just two weeks after going live. This debacle has reportedly prompted Sony to take a hard look at all its ongoing projects, especially those related to live service models.
Grubb emphasized this point during the podcast, saying, “The situation with Concord appears to be the driving factor here. That’s the info I’ve been receiving.” He further explained, “Sony is still reeling from Concord’s failure. They’re currently reevaluating every project across their studios, and live-service games are facing considerable resistance to get greenlit.”
“Given the current climate, it’s unlikely any new live service proposals will pass the scrutiny, and the teams are aware of this reality,” Grubb added.
For some PlayStation fans, this shake-up might be seen as welcome news. However, it undoubtedly raises challenges for developers who have been relying on Sony’s support for live-service endeavors. As Grubb notes, these projects previously unlocked direct pathways to funding from Sony, a scenario that could be far less straightforward for more traditional game pitches going forward.
Before these recent decisions, Bluepoint Games was reportedly developing a multiplayer version of God of War. Meanwhile, details about Bend Studio’s live service game remain under wraps. On the upside, Sony is actively collaborating with both studios to chalk out their future projects. While it’s reassuring that no studios have been forced to close their doors, fans might need to exercise patience as new releases from these talented developers might not drop until the next console generation rolls around.
(Source: Jeff Grubb’s Game Mess)
