"That trailer is a tiny slice," Concord Exclusive Interview

Summary

Concord, a 5v5 hero shooter from Firewalk Studios, is set to launch on PS5 and PC this year, following a July beta. Developed by veterans from Destiny, Call of Duty, and Apex Legends, Concord offers immersive gameplay and a rich narrative through weekly vignettes. Despite initial trailer criticism, the team emphasizes the importance of gameplay feel and character depth, with a focus on responsive controls and a lore-rich universe. Monetization will be through cosmetic items, ensuring the core experience remains accessible.

Takeaways

• 🎮 Concord is a 5v5 hero shooter developed by Firewalk Studios, featuring a team with experience from Destiny, Call of Duty, and Apex Legends.
• 📅 The game is set to release on PS5 and PC later this year, with a beta version scheduled for July.
• 🔥 Initial public reactions to the game's trailer were mixed, with some criticism regarding its tone and dialogue.
• 🕵️‍♂️ The developers emphasize that the trailer only shows a small part of what the game offers and express excitement for players to experience the full game.
• 🌌 Concord has been in development for five years, aiming to provide immersive and fluid gameplay with a strong focus on character depth and backstories.
• 👥 The game's design philosophy revolves around the 'round the corner' test, ensuring players can make quick combat decisions based on character abilities and advantages.
• 🎨 The art and character design are deeply intertwined with gameplay, with each character's appearance and backstory influencing their abilities and playstyle.
• 📖 Concord introduces a unique storytelling element through weekly vignettes that explore character backstories and the game's narrative.
• 🛍️ The game will have a one-time purchase price of $40, with additional cosmetic items available for purchase that do not affect gameplay.
• 💼 Firewalk Studios is committed to supporting the game post-launch with new content, including maps, modes, characters, and ongoing narrative development.
• 📈 Despite comparisons to Overwatch, the team believes Concord has a unique identity and gameplay experience that sets it apart from other hero shooters.

Q & A

What is the game Concord about and who is developing it?

Concord is a 5 versus 5 hero shooter game developed by Firewalk Studios. It is set to be published on PS5 and PC later this year, with a beta version coming in July.

What is the background of the team behind Concord?

The team behind Concord consists of veterans from renowned shooter games like Destiny, Call of Duty, and Apex Legends, indicating a strong expertise in the genre.

How long has Concord been in development?

Concord has been in development for half a decade, showcasing a long-term commitment to the project.

What was the public's initial reaction to the game's trailer?

The initial public reaction to the game's trailer was mixed, with some criticizing its tone and dialogue.

How does Kim Crin, Concord's director of IP, respond to the criticism of the trailer?

Kim Crin emphasizes that the trailer only shows a small part of the game and expresses excitement for the full experience to be in players' hands, hoping that the depth of characters will unfold over time.

What is the core identity of Firewalk Studios in terms of game development?

Firewalk Studios' core identity lies in creating immersive and fluid gameplay that feels tremendous in players' hands, with every action being responsive.

How does the game ensure players can make quick decisions in a competitive environment?

The game uses the 'round the corner' test to ensure that players can make split-second fight or flight decisions based on the characters they encounter.

What is the significance of the character design in Concord?

The character design in Concord is significant as it helps players quickly understand who they are up against and what they bring to the table, enhancing the gameplay experience.

How does Concord incorporate storytelling into its gameplay?

Concord uses vignettes, weekly shorts that explore character backstories, the season's overarching narrative, and more, to incorporate storytelling into the gameplay.

What is the monetization strategy for Concord?

Concord will be released for $40 or around £35, and it plans to monetize through cosmetic items that do not affect gameplay, while keeping all gameplay relevant content and narrative free for players.

How does the development team approach the comparison of Concord to other games like Overwatch?

The team acknowledges the comparisons but believes that Concord has a unique identity and gameplay experience that sets it apart from other games in the genre.

What is the philosophy behind Concord's moment-to-moment shooting gameplay?

The philosophy is centered on creating a gameplay foundation that feels good to play, with a focus on responsiveness and immersive player experiences.

How does Concord plan to sustain itself in the ever-changing gaming market?

Concord plans to focus on a solid foundation and consistent vision, with an emphasis on fun and engaging gameplay that can be expanded and adapted over time.

Outlines

00:00

🎮 Introduction to Concord: A Hero Shooter with a Rich Narrative

Concord is a 5v5 hero shooter developed by Firewalk Studios, set to launch on PS5 and PC with a beta version in July. The game has been in development for five years and features a team with experience from Destiny, Call of Duty, and Apex Legends. Despite initial criticism of its tone and dialogue from a trailer, the developers, Kim Crin and John Weiss, emphasize the importance of gameplay and character depth. They highlight Concord's unique selling point as its character-driven narrative, delivered through weekly vignettes that explore the characters' backstories and relationships, which they believe will unfold over time and engage players on a deeper level.

05:00

🛠️ The Development Philosophy and Competitive Game Environment

Firewalk Studios focuses on creating immersive and fluid gameplay that feels responsive in players' hands. The 'round the corner' test ensures that characters are designed for quick decision-making in a competitive PVP environment. The narrative and gameplay are intertwined, with character design influenced by their backstory and personality. The developers discuss how the art and gameplay teams collaborate to create authentic characters, using the example of 'Starchild', whose weapon and abilities are designed to reflect his narrative and personality. The game's lore is built into the world and characters, offering an enhanced experience for those interested, without forcing it upon players who prefer to focus solely on gameplay.

10:01

🌌 Lore and Monetization Strategy for Concord

Concord's narrative is an optional layer for players who wish to delve deeper into the game's universe. The 'Galactic Guide' and weekly vignettes provide additional lore and character stories outside of gameplay. The developers discuss the importance of building a strong foundation for the game before expanding with additional content. Concord will launch with a $40 price tag, including 16 characters, 12 maps, and six modes, with seasonal updates offering new content. Cosmetic items will be available for purchase, but they will not affect gameplay, ensuring that the core experience remains accessible to all players.

15:03

🚀 Future Plans and Addressing Comparisons with Other Games

The development team at Firewalk Studios is dedicated to creating a solid foundation for Concord, with plans for future expansion based on player feedback and interest. They are not bothered by comparisons to other games like Overwatch, as they believe Concord has a unique identity and gameplay experience. The team is focused on delivering a high-quality release and is prepared to build upon the foundation they have established. They express excitement about the potential for growth and the opportunity to explore the game's universe further, with a commitment to staying true to the game's core vision.

📺 Upcoming Beta and Additional Media Coverage

Concord is set to release later this year, with an exclusive 10-minute footage video and a Q&A session addressing community questions available on the VGC channel. The developers encourage viewers to subscribe to VGC and check out their video game podcast for more insights into the gaming world. The message concludes with a reminder of the upcoming beta in July and a sign-off from Jordan Medler.

Keywords

💡Concord

Concord is a 5 versus 5 hero shooter game developed by Firewalk Studios. It represents the main subject of the video's discussion, highlighting the game's development, features, and team behind it. The script mentions Concord's development for half a decade and its upcoming beta release, indicating its significance in the video's theme.

💡Firewalk Studios

Firewalk Studios is the developer of Concord, and the script emphasizes that the team is composed of industry veterans from renowned shooter games. This keyword is important as it establishes the credibility and expertise behind the game, setting expectations for the quality of Concord.

💡Beta

The term 'beta' refers to a testing phase of the game that will be available to the public in July. It is a key part of the video's narrative as it indicates an opportunity for players to experience the game before its full release and provides a timeframe for the game's development progress.

💡IP

IP, or Intellectual Property, in the context of the video, refers to the game's universe, characters, and story. The script discusses the depth of the IP, suggesting that there is a rich backstory and character development in Concord, which is a central aspect of the game's appeal.

💡Vignettes

Vignettes are weekly shorts that explore character backstories and the overarching narrative in Concord. They are a storytelling device used in the game to engage players with the game's lore and characters, enhancing the overall gaming experience.

💡Gameplay Foundation

The 'Gameplay Foundation' is a core philosophy of Firewalk Studios, emphasizing the importance of creating an immersive and fluid gaming experience. It is a central theme of the video, as the developers discuss their focus on making the game feel responsive and enjoyable to play.

💡Round of the Corner Test

This term is used to describe a design principle in Concord where characters need to be easily recognizable to allow players to make quick combat decisions. It illustrates the game's focus on competitive PVP gameplay and the importance of character design in facilitating strategic decisions.

💡Environmental Storytelling

Environmental storytelling refers to the narrative elements embedded within the game's environment and character design. The script mentions this concept as a way to add personality and backstory to characters without detracting from the gameplay, showing the integration of narrative and art in the game's design.

💡Galactic Guide

The 'Galactic Guide' is a feature outside of the matches in Concord that provides lore for the entire IP, allowing players to explore the game's galaxy and history. It represents an optional layer of depth for players interested in the game's world beyond the gameplay.

💡Live Services

Live services in the context of the video refers to the ongoing support and content updates that the developers plan for Concord after its launch. This includes new maps, modes, characters, and stories, indicating the game's intention to maintain player engagement over time.

💡Monetization

Monetization in the script discusses the game's business model, which includes a one-time purchase price and optional cosmetic purchases. It is relevant to the video's theme as it outlines how the game will generate revenue while ensuring that gameplay remains fair and accessible to all players.

Highlights

Concord is a 5 versus 5 hero shooter developed by Firewalk Studios, featuring veterans from Destiny, Call of Duty, and Apex Legends.

The game will be published on PS5 and PC, with a beta release scheduled for July.

Concord has been in development for five years and was showcased at Sony's state of play presentation.

The game's trailer received mixed reactions, with some criticism regarding its tone and dialogue.

The developers emphasize that the trailer only shows a small part of the game's extensive development.

Concord's IP and characters will be explored through weekly vignettes, revealing their depth and backstories.

The game's core identity focuses on immersive and fluid gameplay that feels responsive in the player's hands.

The 'round the corner' test ensures characters are balanced for quick, competitive decision-making.

Environmental storytelling on characters is achieved through their design, accessories, and color schemes.

Vignettes are an integral part of Concord's narrative, offering a layered storytelling approach.

The game's lore and narrative are optional layers for players who wish to delve deeper into the game world.

Concord's development team works in unison, with gameplay, narrative, and art influencing one another.

The game will launch with 16 characters, 12 maps, and six modes, with seasonal content updates.

Monetization will focus on cosmetic items, with all gameplay-related content and updates included.

The developers aim to create a strong foundation for Concord, with room for future growth and expansion.

Comparisons to Overwatch are acknowledged, but Concord is intended to have a unique identity.

The team is committed to supporting Concord post-launch with ongoing content and updates.

The life service model for games is a concern, but Concord is built on a solid foundation for longevity.

The developers are excited to see how players receive the game and its narrative delivery methods.

Transcripts

Concord is a 5 versus 5 hero shooter

from firewalk Studios the game will be

published on PS5 and PC later this year

with a beta coming in July the team

behind the game is made up of

powerhouses in the shooter genre with

veterans from Destiny Call of Duty and

Apex Legends among them concard has been

in development for half a decade the

public got its first real look at the

game earlier this year during Sony's

state of play presentation the trailer

which showed off the game's cast didn't

go down massively well with some

criticizing its tone and dialogue well

we've now had three hours to play the

game and the chance to speak to Kim crin

Concord director of Ip and John Weiss

nusi lead character designer on the game

about concord's plans for the future the

gameplay philosophy and that

controversial trailer yeah that trailer

that moment is such a tiny slice of

everything that we've been working on

for years and years and years we're

excited for the game and for the IP to

be the game to be in people's hands the

IP to be in people's minds um I think

I'm personally very excited for the IP

for folks to delve into the galactic

guide if they're if that is something

they choose to do for these vignettes to

come out on a weekly basis you'll start

to fall in love with the depth of the

characters that's something that you

learn week to week that's their

personalities will unfold their

relationships will unfold for you their

backstories none of that is something

you can get in a in a tiny little slice

of it but that's a start that's that's

there there's something there so so I'm

glad folks watched it I'm glad they

participated and I can't wait for them

to see more more to see everything that

is there part of the core identity of

firewalk in the games that that we make

and will hopefully continue to make is

um is our gameplay Foundation uh we have

a team that is uniquely skilled at

building building very immersive and

fluid gameplay that just uh feels

tremendous in the player's hands the

second they pick up the controller the

game just comes to life and that like

every action is responsive and I've been

a player of these games my whole life

these games are what I love to play uh

and I know that it's all about how does

it play right and and so that's like for

me that's the moment I want players to

come into the Beta uh if they don't like

it after the beta that's fine um but I

think yeah the the initial reaction is

all about like how does it actually play

in your hands so with such a focus on

unique characters and a Fantastical

setting how does that translate to a

competitive game environment when

players have to be able to make

decisions without a moment's hesit

our sort of like not fancy designer term

for it is the round of the corner

test but it's an actual term that we use

as we develop these characters and sort

of the the idea behind it is that um

it's a competitive PVP game which means

that for players to be competent they

need to be able to make split-second

fight ORF flight decisions um it's an

asymmetrical game so some characters

have advantages that other characters

don't have um when two characters Round

the Corner into a combat space we need

players to be able to immediately make a

an intelligent fight ORF flight decision

um and so they need to see that

character and get a really strong read

and understand who I'm up against versus

what I'm bringing to the table do I

fight or do I peace out and and try to

take this you know like find an

advantage in another way yeah and I

would say even given so that that they

passed this Round the Corner test

there's so much that we can do in a

shape of a character the I'll call it

environmental storytelling on a

character there's so many ways and we

have an brilliantly amazing art teams

from the concept art all the way all the

way down uh and the the kinds of

Storytelling that we can put on the

shape of any character it's incredible

the ideas that our artists come up with

to help represent some of the Back

stories the ideas that our artists come

up with that feed into the back stories

just like John was saying that's what's

so cool about this process is neither

gameplay nor narrative nor art drives we

all steer together and we find each idea

influences the whole so it is very

iterative it's very building it's very

layered and so yeah we can we can add a

lot of Personality through where they

dress What accessories they're wearing

what color their skin is yeah one of

concord's most unique selling points is

its vignettes which will dish out the

game's narrative these weekly shorts

will explore character backstories The

Season's overarching narrative and more

we wanted to know about the

implementation of such storytelling

devices and how it fits into genre where

plenty of players will just simply want

to play the game yeah I think that's

great too so the way we approach the the

lore and the narrative to this is that

it is an added layer for folks that want

to to invest in it and it's there and

you know it will come across to

everybody who's playing you'll you'll

get little pieces even if it's not your

jam and that's totally fine if it's not

and that's one of the reasons that we

build it completely out of that gameplay

seat it starts there it starts with that

Vision that fantasy for how you feel

when you pick up the controller and

everything builds of that so even if

you're somebody who uh you know you're

just there for the gameplay we hope that

the flavor that you do absorb enhances

that and it and it and it it just feels

like it's part of that package and

ideally if if you're there for the

gameplay it just runs in the background

and it's so seamless because it's built

into those characters in the world it's

built into the world and so if that's if

that's not where you want to invest you

don't have to if it is where you want to

invest we do give you the option and

that's one of the reason that the

galactic guide is outside of the matches

as well so it's the lore for our entire

galaxy for the entire IP you can choose

to participate in that or it can just

exist there and you you know it's just

this Galaxy and you happen to be playing

in it uh we're really excited for that

and then the vignettes as well uh

they'll build out the stories of all of

these characters uh and and that is opt

in it's all tied together as well like

the gamep play is obviously there it's

the it's the thing that players are

going to see and feel uh the second they

step into the game but the our approach

to building these characters um were the

the whole team is involved creatively at

all points um it creates opportunities

for the gameplay to be enhanced by the

details of the character uh like for

example um as we were developing

Starchild we started with uh a Berserker

a battle rager that was it we were just

trying to make a character that that

that feels like a Berserker and plays

like uh like a menacing you know active

battle rager and as we're building this

character over time and all the teams

are contributing okay what kind of

weapon does he have okay probably a

shotgun that's a good you know Close

Quarters like dominant weapon and the

art team makes this this shotgun that's

got a spike on it um and then so I was

like oh that's that's the coolest thing

I've ever seen um and so then it's like

okay well how can we how can we use that

with gameplay um so we make his melees

are all about swinging that Spike and

then we ended up giving him a whole

dedicated power melee button that is

this sort of like raw

visceral uh swing of that shotgun he

just takes his gun and he hits you with

um and that all came from uh all the

teams working together and going back

and forth and you know the the the

concept art team probably wouldn't have

made the shotgun that way if Kim's team

hadn't you know built up The Narrative

of who that character is and where they

come from and this is how they fight um

so it's it's all the things working

together um and it just it it it gets

elevated on all levels and it makes the

characters feel more authentic yeah and

he's a battle poet too yeah I think

we're playing in a pretty unique space

here uh and really like like John was

saying it started so much together there

was never there was never a time when

this narrative uh and this IP and the

lore wasn't going to be part of what we

were developing we were just looking for

the best ways to roll that out to

players so it it actually very uh

genuinely built out of like all right

these characters are becoming real

people how do we want folks to have a

chance to fall in love with them how do

we get that information out there this

galaxy is a real Galaxy how are we going

to allow players to explore that so

there comes the galactic guy now you can

see the whole galaxy you can visit not

just the worlds that you're going to

play on map but a bunch of other worlds

that build out the hundreds of years

history of our galaxy all right these

characters they mean something star

child just to keep on that example he's

from callous he's from the blood tree

Forest the ancestors are buried in these

trees and he he goes through this ritual

to earn that diamond skin that he rage

Rush rushes with what is he like when

he's just hanging out okay so that's you

know that inps the idea of like what are

these people like when they're just

people and and then we get the vignettes

and we the reason that we're building

out the vignettes is so you can fall in

love with the characters and see what

they're like off the battlefield as well

so it just it came out of we want to

tell this story we want players to have

a chance to invest and we build out the

tools to allow us to do that and to

connect the vignettes are something that

uh was really developed really close to

the Inception we knew that's something

that we wanted to do we knew that was a

delivery system for narrative that we

wanted to pursue and that Weekly Cadence

has been something that we've been

committed to since the very beginning

that has been our idea our ideal our

Target uh and there has been a lot of

work put towards making sure we have we

can support it making sure the story is

there making sure that it was developed

in concert with the game that the that

all of the uh content that you'll see

season to season is represented in the

vignettes that you'll see season to

season uh and we're excited to see how

players uh receive that yeah there's a

lot of content in the pipe like like you

know we have a team that is has

experience with live Services games and

so you know we're focused on the launch

right now but we're also working very

hard on what's going to happen after

with the game launches while kcard has

some trappings of a free toplay title it

will be released for $40 around

£35 we wanted to know what other ways

the game plans to monetize especially

when it has to fund a huge amount of

ongoing content with viget Concord we're

going to launch with our 16 characters

our 12 maps and our six modes and that's

all uh included content when you buy the

game seasonally we're going to provide

new maps new modes new characters and

this unfolding story so you'll get new

vignettes that are related to the

seasonal content new Galactic guide that

is unfolding the story all of that is

included all of the gameplay relevant

things there are purely cosmetic pieces

that you can choose to further customize

the look of your character uh that you

can choose to purchase every season that

content will also come out for you but

those do not affect gameplay the things

that you need to play the game the

elements that you need to know the story

The vignettes all of that because we

believe so strongly that that full

experience should be available to all of

our players so yes if you purchase

things that are purely cosmetic you know

well the Galaxy of Concord we really

designed to be um a foundation to start

from and I think I mentioned this but

it's really important to us that it

supports our players delving as deep as

they want to for as long as we're lucky

enough to have them with us and part of

that means being really true to the

thing that we're creating uh so we've

built out this lore this galaxy all

these worlds this Galactic history to

really mean something and we want to be

authentic to what Concord is and who

these people are and the worlds that

they're from and we still want players

to have fun too so the Cosmetic options

are going to um you know they're going

to lean into lore they're going to lean

into uh character personality and

they're also going to be you know fun

and expressive for players like Kim said

the fashion game is going to be strong

the F yeah I'm so excited to see the

combinations people come up with

different character concord's

development team is obviously stacked

with FPS talent and from the time we've

spent with the game that's very obvious

with such a heavy narrative Focus we

wanted to switch gears and ask about the

philosophy behind concord's momentto

moment shooting the gameplay Foundation

was a huge emphasis on the game it was

one of the things that made me want to

work there you know as a game play

designer uh knowing that um the the

founders of this studio were building a

team made of veterans who know how to

make good game play uh when I saw the

team that was going there and I heard

the vision for the game this it's where

I had to work it's absolutely where I

had to work um and so yeah that that

commitment to the gameplay foundation

and making sure that it felt as good as

we know it could feel to play the game

um was

was important before any code had been

written uh and it remains important now

up until like the final days before the

game comes out and as we look to the

Future what are we going to expand on

what are we going to build on there's

like there's so much cool stuff that we

didn't get to I mean it it it really

depends on what direction we want to go

um there's there's a ton of

whiteboarding some of it is in various

stages of

completion um you know we're just hyper

focused on just having a really great

solid release inviting the players into

our world seeing what they're excited

about doing lining that up with our

various whiteboards and going all right

that way that's execute yeah yeah like

any hero conord has faced a fate

amount of comparisons to other games so

what does firewalk think of all those

OverWatch

comparisons team yeah I think you know

uh Kim said it Kim said it well right

where um the reveal what people have

seen so far is just such a small slice

of of the game and I don't I think the

game speaks for itself when players get

their hands on it um I'm not bothered by

that at all I mean OverWatch is a great

game and that team did some incredible

stuff for the uh the genre um and I at

the same time I I strongly believe that

our game has an identity that is unique

to itself and that it plays like nothing

else out there we knew what we wanted to

do from the very beginning um and we

laid out the plan and it's been a matter

of working really hard to deliver on

that plan for many many years um yeah

and I think it has been it's but we've

stayed core to what we what we set out

to do Concord looks like the Concord we

hope with room to grow into the we had

big Ideas uh that that obviously there

we had to build a strong Foundation

First and that's what we've done and we

hope to continue building but that

strong Foundation is Concord it's what

Concord has been the life service spaces

on forgiving with games seemingly shut

down as quickly as they release so does

the team worry that in an everchanging

gaming Market that the life service ship

might be sailing game development is

full of worry it's full of worry uh but

yeah as Kim said um you know the the

vision for Concord has been consistent

and um I'm really glad that we didn't uh

we didn't try to do anything beyond just

a really solid foundation just something

that is uh simple to understand makes

sense to players and is just fun fun fun

just likeing so good to play working on

that Foundation um I'm really glad we

didn't call the shot because it means

that we can expand and we can Flex

Concord releases later this year with a

beta coming in July if you'd like to see

10 minutes of exclusive footage from

Concord check out our other video on the

channel we also have a Q&A with your

questions answered about the game until

next time be sure to subscribe to VGC

and check out VGC a video game podcast

whatever you get your podcasts I'm

Jordan medler see you later