Following Sony's Q2 2024 financial report, PlayStation Co-CEO Hiroki Totoki addressed the failure of the Concord project and the controversial PSN account requirement for PC games during an investor call.
Lessons from Concord
The Concord project, which resulted in a $200 million loss and the closure of Firewalk Studios, has prompted reflection within Sony. Totoki acknowledged the need for improved internal evaluation and user testing earlier in the development process. He also highlighted the need for smoother collaboration between different departments within the "siloed organization."
"...for our reflection, we probably need to have a lot of gates, including user testing or internal evaluation...we should have done those gates much earlier..." - Hiroki Totoki
PSN on PC
Totoki also addressed the negative feedback from PC gamers regarding the mandatory PlayStation Network account for games like God of War Ragnarök and Horizon Zero Dawn. While acknowledging the pushback, he defended the policy, citing the need for safety and order in live service games.
"...for the live service games, in order to maintain order...we need to create an environment conducive to that...Having some restrictions...is very important..." - Hiroki Totoki
However, neither of the mentioned titles are live service games. They are primarily single-player experiences, raising questions about the necessity of a PSN account for PC players, especially since these games don't have significant online features.
