Goodbye Concord, Hello Teamwork, See You Soon Itsuno

Well… Concord Didn’t Last Long

Ryan Ellis, Game Director at Firewalk Studios, has released a blog post stating that feedback has been received loud and clear and that “your support and the passionate community that has grown around the game has meant the world to us”.

Concord, a first person shooter that launched on 23rd of August, didn’t have the most robust launch, pulling in only 697 concurrent players on Steam at its peak. Reviews towards the game were generally average, with nothing particularly glaring. It just didn’t catch on. And now it won’t have the chance, with sales ceasing as of the 6th of September, and full refunds will be offered to players over the coming weeks.

It’s implied that they’re going to make some changes, and “explore options, including those that will better reach our players”, but otherwise that makes it 2 weeks since it launched, to it shutting down.

But Maybe More Games Could Last Longer

The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, has joined forces with the BFI National Archive in the UK, and The Strong National Museum of Play in the US, to put out the call for improved game preservation across the globe.

A worldwide survey was held, to formally discover and acknowledge that current measures are just not good enough, due to a lack of established resources, difficulty accessing game material, and not enough collaboration between communities. Many gamers are familiar with the feeling of not being able to play an old favourite again due to it being impossible to obtain through ordinary means, and with an estimated 87% of classic video games deemed ‘missing’ in a 2023 study, even piracy or emulators might not be an option.

With the organisations teaming up, the NFSA wants to establish more structured collaboration between organisations, develop a framework so that games can be preserved legally and safely, as well as pushing for an understanding of how important this can be.

“For the last half-century, video games have become not only a massive industry, but an art form connecting people around the world through play. It is vital that institutions work together globally to preserve the history of this revolutionary medium before it is lost,” says Jon-Paul C. Dyson, Director of The International Center for the History of Electronic Games.

Good Bye Itsuno…For Now

Hideaki Itsuno, a senior developer at Capcom, has bid the company farewell at the end of August, 2024. Dragon’s Dogma being his dream game, it seems fitting for him to move on after releasing the sequel (although there might be an expansion on the way).

He’s not done with games though!

“From September, I will start developing a new game in a new environment. I hope to create fun, beautiful games that are as memorable as, or even more memorable than, the ones I have created so far”, he says.

News Nibbles!

I didn’t know where else to put this, but Bethesda removed a Doom mod due to complaints about its…political tone? It’s about the former UK Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, being resurrected in “The Tenth Circle of Hell: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”.

Attendees for PAX Aus, 2024, will be able to witness TWO unholy matrimony ceremonies. “We are literally building a real Cult of the Lamb Temple for this!” the studio, Massive Monster, said on socials.

Console players of Stardew Valley… we’ll need to wait a little longer for update 1.6. ConcernedApe has acknowledged that it’s taking a long time, there are reasons for this, but the bottom line is that it’s just not out yet. People waiting for his next project, Haunted Chocolatier, will have to wait, as development won’t continue until Stardew 1.6 is finalised.

And now for some upcoming games!

September 6

• Ace Attorney Investigations Collection – PC, Switch, PS4, Xbox One
• Astro Bot – PS5
• NBA 2K25 – PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X
• Perennial Order – PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X, iOS
• Fitness Boxing Featuring Hatsune Miku – Switch
• El Paso, Elsewhere – PS5
• Age of Mythology: Retold – PC, Xbox Series S/X

September 9

• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 – PC, PS5, Xbox

September 10

• Yars Rising – PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox, Switch
• Towerborne – PC, Xbox Series S/X