The developer behind Days Gone, Bend Studio, remains committed to producing innovative content despite Sony's recent decision to cancel its unannounced live-service game. Last week, Sony pulled the plug on two live-service projects under development at Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games. While Bluepoint was reportedly working on a live-service version of God of War, the specifics of Bend Studio's project remain undisclosed.
A Sony spokesperson confirmed the cancellations to Bloomberg, reassuring that neither studio would be shut down. Instead, Sony plans to collaborate with both studios to define their future endeavors.
Sony's foray into live-service gaming has encountered significant challenges. While Arrowhead's Helldivers 2 achieved remarkable success, selling 12 million copies in just 12 weeks and becoming the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game ever, other ventures have not fared as well. Sony's Concord, for instance, turned into a major disappointment, surviving only a few weeks due to low player engagement before being discontinued. This followed the cancellation of Naughty Dog's The Last of Us multiplayer project. Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida expressed that he would have opposed Sony's aggressive push into live-service games if he were still in a leadership role.
In response to the cancellations, Bend Studio's community manager Kevin McAllister took to Twitter to thank fans for their support and hinted at future projects, stating, "Thanks for the love and support everyone, especially to those that have reached out. P.S. We still plan on creating cool shit."
Bend Studio's most recent release, Days Gone, debuted on PlayStation 4 in 2019 and was later released on PC in 2021.
In a recent financial discussion, Sony's president, COO, and CFO Hiroki Totoki reflected on the contrasting fortunes of Helldivers 2 and Concord. He acknowledged that Sony should have implemented earlier development checkpoints, such as user testing and internal reviews, to identify and address Concord's issues before its launch.
Totoki also critiqued Sony's organizational structure, suggesting that a more integrated approach across departments could have mitigated the issues faced by Concord. Additionally, he pointed out that Concord's launch timing may have been suboptimal, potentially clashing with the release of Black Myth: Wukong on PS5 and PC.
Sadahiko Hayakawa, Sony's senior vice president for finance and IR, emphasized the importance of learning from both successes and failures. He noted that the insights gained from Helldivers 2 and Concord would be shared across Sony's studios to enhance development management and post-launch content strategies.
Looking ahead, Sony continues to develop several live-service titles, including Bungie's Marathon, Guerrilla's Horizon Online, and Haven Studio's Fairgame$. These projects represent Sony's ongoing commitment to expanding its portfolio with a mix of single-player and live-service games, balancing proven IPs with new ventures that carry inherent risks.
