Concord and the Other Biggest Flops of This Generation

PlayStation, Xbox, and more are guilty of some massive flops this generation.

September 6, 2024, 3:26pm

Some of the biggest success stories in the history of gaming have happened during this generation of gaming. At the same time, some of the biggest flops in the history of gaming have also happened during this generation of gaming. To this end, a few games particularly stick out as, unfortunately, disastrous flops for those who made the games, sold the games, and ultimately, for many that played the games.

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What’s a Flop?

The definition of a flop is to be completely unsuccessful or to fail totally. A bad game does not equal a flop. To this end, the worst game of all time is not necessarily the biggest flop of all time. For something to flop, it has to not just come up short critically and commercially, but it has to have a level of expectation. In other words, if a game flops in the market, and no one is around to hear or see it, did it actually flop?

If the list below was just the five worst games of the generation, it would be a completely different list. One of the worst games of the generation could be on the list, but the quality of the game is only a component to this pseudo science that marries objective facts and subjective takes. What is true of all five of the games below though is that their failure was so significant that it became a cultural moment in gaming.

5. The Day Before

We almost didn’t include The Day Before, because many considered it a long-term scam more than a real game. It is another example of a developer getting in over their head and promising things they could never deliver. That said, it was a long-awaited and highly anticipated release that had the attentions of millions, all who were left with nothing.

4. Redfall

Creating new IP is difficult. Further, Arkane Studios has traditionally struggled to combine its critical success with substantial commercial success. Still though, Redfall was not just a messy launch — and a disappointment by the standards of Arkane — it came at a horrible time for Xbox; when the latter needed a successful, marquee release. And it wasn’t that. Rather, it was another flashpoint for Xbox, a continuation of its struggles that plagued it throughout the entire Xbox One generation and linger to the present.

3. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League may be the highest-quality of the games on this list, but that isn’t saying much. Also, context matters. Rocksteady Studios was once one of the premier studios in the industry thanks to the highly successful Batman: Arkham series. To go from Batman: Arkham to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is bad enough, but for a whopping nine years of development to divide the two releases makes this an even higher profile miss. Suicide Squad has tarnished the reputation of a once industry great, is a bad look for DC, and most importantly a reminder of the peril that comes with chasing industry trends.

2. Saints Row

2022’s Saints Row reboot didn’t just kill the Saints Row series, it took down Volition with it, something previous failures — such as Agents of Mayhem — didn’t even manage to do. By industry standards, Volition was an OG of the scene, having been around since 1993. Meanwhile, Saints Row had a great run that lasted 16 years and spanned several successful games. What should have been an easy layup turned into a highlight reel miss featuring a tone-deaf, uninspired reboot nobody asked for.

1. Concord

Concord is not just undeniably the biggest flop of this generation, but there’s a case to be made that it is the biggest flop of all time. It’s not a bad game at all, but that is not what classifies a flop. This game lost PlayStation at least $100 million, possibly significantly more. When you factor in the fact that Sony purchased Firewalk Studios based on this game, the losses get even bigger and uglier. PlayStation is a brand synonymous with high quality and success. So for Concord to come out in the fashion it did, get outsold by some of the lowest-rated games ever made, and then get unprecedentedly shut down in two weeks is a flop of remarkable proportions.