LogInIt lacks the "unique value" that could offset the "switching cost".
Firewalk Studios
If there is any positive effect of Sony’s flopped Concord on the whole industry, it could be that it makes people think — think hard about the topic of why such a pricey project failed so badly and how to avoid it in the future.
People have different opinions on this topic; some might say it’s because of its minor aesthetic adopted or the high $40 price tag for a live service game, especially when many competitors are available for free, among many different answers. For game developers of the same genre, it’s an even more serious question to consider.
NetEase
In an interview with Video Gamer, Thaddeus Sasser, game director at NetEase, who has worked on the newly released PvP shooter Marvel Rivals, shared some thoughts. In his opinion, the game failed to "bring any unique value," which has the consequence that players don’t feel the necessity to switch to the $40 game. "There’s a switching cost. I’ve already invested in Overwatch, I’ve got 15 skins for Pharah, I’m not going anywhere."
Three months after Concord was taken offline, Marvel Rivals made its debut and saw a sweet launch. It managed to attract more than 10 million players in three days and received positive responses from the community so far. Sasser believes that, opposite to Concord, Marvel Rivals gives players "that reason" to join and play:
"I think the trick is that you need to have that reason that people want to come and play your game and I think Marvel Rivals does that exactly with the superhero. I don’t know about you, but when I heard the concept of the game I was like ‘Oh my God I want to go be Storm in a game’, ‘I want to go be Doctor Strange in a game’. I want to be those heroes in the game, that sounds awesome."
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