Culture Killed Concord

Summary

The video script discusses the failure of game development studio Firewalk Studios due to a flawed culture that neglected customer feedback. It highlights the importance of adapting to market changes and player preferences, as seen in the downfall of games like Concord and Vanguard. The script emphasizes the need for a healthy feedback loop and a culture that values player input to create successful games, as well as the challenges of character design and pricing strategies.

Takeaways

• 🚫 **Culture is Key**: A company's culture can make or break a game, as seen with Concord, where a failure to address customer feedback led to its downfall.
• 🔍 **Market Evolution**: Game development must adapt to the evolving market; Concord failed to adjust to changing player preferences during its six-year development.
• 📉 **Rapid Market Shifts**: The gaming industry changes rapidly, as illustrated by the shift from EverQuest to World of Warcraft, which affected the development of Vanguard.
• 🗣️ **Feedback Loop**: A healthy feedback loop is crucial for game development; Concord's lack of it contributed to its failure to meet player expectations.
• 👥 **Team Dynamics**: A hostile work environment can stifle feedback, leading to a broken feedback loop and poor game design decisions.
• 💡 **Iterative Development**: Game development is iterative and requires constant adjustment based on feedback and market trends.
• 🎭 **Character Relevance**: Creating characters that resonate with the target audience is critical; Gotham City Imposters struggled with this.
• 💸 **Pricing Strategy**: Pricing a game correctly is vital; Gotham City Imposters initially struggled with its pricing before becoming free-to-play.
• 🏆 **Validation with Customers**: It's essential to validate game concepts with the target audience to ensure the game's appeal and success.
• 📈 **Adaptability to Change**: Studios must be willing to adapt and iterate on their games based on feedback and market changes to succeed.

Q & A

What was the primary issue that led to the downfall of Concord according to the script?

The primary issue was a culture problem within the company where they failed to validate issues with customers effectively, leading to a lack of necessary adjustments in the game.

How long was Concord in development before its shutdown?

Concord was in development for over 6 years before it shut down after only 12 days.

What was the estimated cost of developing Concord?

The estimated cost of developing Concord was over $250 million.

What was the market situation when Concord started its development?

When Concord started its development, OverWatch had just been released and was a spectacular success, which likely influenced Concord's design.

What is the importance of a healthy feedback loop in game development according to the script?

A healthy feedback loop is crucial as it allows a studio to adjust and evolve the game based on player feedback and changing market trends.

What happened to sigil games and their game Vanguard as mentioned in the script?

Sigil games failed to adapt to market changes and player feedback, leading to the downfall of their game Vanguard.

Why did the sigil team refuse to accept feedback about their game Vanguard?

The sigil team was designing Vanguard to be more like the original EverQuest and refused to play and adapt to the changes in the market, leading to a broken feedback loop.

What was the issue with the characters in Gotham City Imposters?

The issue was that the characters were not inspiring enough for the target audience, which was younger players who did not find humor in playing as average people cosplaying Batman.

Why did the team behind Gotham City Imposters decide to make it a free-to-play game?

They decided to make it free-to-play after gathering feedback from their target market and realizing that the game did not have enough content to justify a $60 price point.

What is the significance of a $40 price point in the context of the script?

The significance is that if a game is shipped for free, it's challenging to change the price later and charge more, as players anchor on the initial free price.

What is the role of a studio culture that values feedback in making successful games?

A studio culture that values and acts upon feedback is essential for identifying and addressing issues, leading to the creation of games that resonate with the audience.