In the ever-changing world of online gaming, success is often seen as heavily dependent on big investments and impressive marketing campaigns that aim to spread the word and build the initial playerbase. However, the story of Concord, a highly anticipated hero shooter, proves that point that in the gaming industry what matters is not the money and marketing, but a quality experience for the player. Despite significant financial support, Concord's journey so far has not been filled with success stories, showing the critical importance of creating a game that truly connects with players. In contrast, Elympics is dedicated to understanding and prioritizing player needs, resulting in a space where quality competition and thoughtful game mechanics can thrive. Before we dive into why listening to the players matters, let’s have a quick recap as to how did online gaming reach its current level of significance and popularity?
Brief History of Online Gaming
The history of successful online cooperative and competitive games is rich and diverse, showing how digital entertainment has evolved to bring together communities and challenge them by introducing various forms of competition, be it direct or indirect. Titles like "World of Warcraft" (2004) are perfect examples of cooperative gameplay, emphasizing player teamwork through raids and guilds. Similarly, "Counter-Strike" (1999) and its successors in the form of “Counter Strike: Global Offensive” (2012) have defined competitive multiplayer gaming, creating a lasting legacy in the esports world and setting the standard for the entire industry. On the other hand we also have constantly evolving titles like "League of Legends" (2009) and "Dota 2" (2013) that further expand the competitive landscape with their strategic depth and massive player bases.
In more recent years, "Overwatch" (2016) combined team-based shooters, or hero shooters as some call this genre, with character-driven gameplay, emphasizing both cooperation and competition just like Counter Strike did, but in a more refreshed manner. There is also "Apex Legends" (2019) that innovated the battle royale genre with its unique character abilities and squad-based mechanics. Additionally, "Destiny" (2014) and its sequel "Destiny 2" (2017) have excelled in merging cooperative and competitive elements through their robust PvE (Player vs. Environment) and PvP (Player vs. Player) experiences, setting new standards for multiplayer engagement with the recent success of “Helldivers II” (2024) that has proven that what matters the most is the community and friends you engage with during the game. Each of these games created and played throughout different eras and trends, have demonstrated the power of multiplayer gaming to create enduring communities and competitive excitement as long as the players’ needs are heard and implemented.
Cautionary Tale
Concord was introduced with a vision to rival the giants of the hero shooter genre, such as Apex Legends, Overwatch, Rainbow Six Siege, or Destiny. The game's developers promised a blend of these successful titles' best features, aiming to create an unparalleled gaming experience that will win the crowds. However, the reality fell far short of expectations. Players quickly noticed several glaring issues that severely hampered the gameplay experience and even though the game is still in Beta, the shortcomings are too severe and seem to reach deeper than expected, to the deepest core of the game itself. The movement mechanics were clunky and felt misaligned with the type of movement that’s needed in hero shooter game, making the gameplay feel awkward and frustrating. Unlike games that offer immediate respawns or creative ways to re-enter the match, Concord adopted a system similar to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, where players had to wait and watch others play. This limited players' ability to learn and adapt, leading to disengagement and frustration of many because while in CS:GO you can launch games to train your skills, in Concord you cannot, at least for now. Then there is also the lack of optimization that extends across characters, skills, stats, and maps, disrupting the game's flow and balance which should be the essence of such a game. The class system also has its severe flaws as in Concord it is extremel;y unclear and poorly defined compared to other games, leaving players confused about their roles and how to effectively utilize their characters, not mentioning the chaotic system of choosing characters across multiple playthroughs. While teamwork is essential in hero shooters, Concord's heavy reliance on cooperation made it nearly impossible to win in 1v5 scenarios, unlike in CS: GO, where individual skill can occasionally turn the tide making the game so exciting as it is today; just imagine the emotions when you are solo clutching against 5 opponents in world’s championships. All these problems impacted the interest in the game with the beta version of Concord having seen only 2,388 concurrent players at peak, with numbers often dropping below 1,000 showing how unpopular the game is. In contrast, successful beta launches typically attract tens of thousands of players, showcasing the game's potential. On top of all this there is also one more issue that has not been addressed which is interesting in the case of Concord. The game that copied best mechanisms from most popular titles failed to incorporate the key features of the genre that keep players in check and force them to behave fair, i.e. the punishment system. With Concord failing at this task, one can say the online gaming experience is far below the industry’s standards, with players frequently abandoning matches without any consequences whatsoever (which can also be a problem linked to the lack of training grounds), akin to the type of AFK (Away From Keyboard) players in League of Legends who abandon the team whenever they feel like it. However, unlike League of Legends, Concord lacked effective punishment systems for such behavior which in the future can create an extremely toxic environment where the majority of matches will end in frustration, especially when the lack of even one team member disrupts the balance as said before.
Concord's attempt to combine various successful game mechanics resulted in a disjointed and soulless experience. The game's failure to integrate these elements cohesively led to a lackluster product that could not meet player expectations and nothing seems to suggest the trend will be altered . This situation serves as a stark reminder that financial resources alone cannot guarantee success if the end product does not align with player desires.
Giving Players The Best They Deserve
The story of Concord shows that big investments and high ambitions alone are not enough to succeed in the gaming industry. Without a deep understanding of what players need and an honest commitment to delivering quality experiences, even the most well-funded projects can fail. Elympics, however, demonstrates how focusing on players, combined with thoughtful game design and community engagement, can create a successful online gaming environment that is focused around quality competition. As the gaming world continues to change, the lessons from Concord and the current as well as the successes of Elympics will surely influence the future of game development.
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