Concord Shutdown Used By UK’s House of Commons In Debate On Improving Video Game Consumer Protection & Preservation

Concord, the live service title developed by Fireswalk Studios for PS5 and PC and shut down after only a few weeks, has been brought up by the UK’s House of Commons recently during a debate on the need to improve video game consumer protections and video game perseveration.

A Member of Parliament noted that while Sony Interactive Entertainment did offer its consumers refunds, this doesn’t always happen. The Crew and Anthem were also used as examples of other titles that have been or will be shut down and made unplayable.

A recent example is Concord, a game released for PlayStation 5 and Windows in August 2024. Following a disappointing launch, Sony Interactive Entertainment made a commercial decision to shut it down. To their credit, they did refund all purchases, but this isn’t always the case.

Related Content — Upcoming PS5 Games 2025: The Best PS5 Games Coming Soon

I know the honourable members will agree that where publishers fail to make the life span of a game clear at the point of sale, they must be held accountable. That’s why I welcome the strengthened consumer protections, including the digital markets, competition and consumers act 2024, which came into force earlier this year. This legislation rightly requires traders to provide clear, timely, and accurate information to consumers, including the longevity and functionality of digital products.

The Stop Killing Games movement was also discussed in the UK House of Commons, with MP Ben Goldsborough leading the debate. He observed that the games industry provided some 75,000 jobs in the UK and £7.6 billion, and said in his opening statement:

Gamers still feel the deep sense of personal possession, because they invest more than money. They invest time, effort, imagination, and friendship. When a game shuts down without notice, that investment is lost. This is about fairness, responsibility, creativity, and protecting a cultural legacy […] of which the United Kingdom should be proud.

Concord was released for PS5 and PC in August last year but was met with lukewarm reviews and crucially failed to attract much of an audience, resulting in Sony puling the game offline just a few weeks after launch. The format holder later confirmed that Concord would be shut down for good and its developed closed, despite taking a reported eight years and many millions to develop.

[Source – Eurogamer]