Sony is "very, very committed to building a diverse and a resilient live-service portfolio."

Sony Re-Commits To Live-Service Games, Says Bungie's Marathon Won't Suffer Concord's Fate

Sony is "very, very committed to building a diverse and a resilient live-service portfolio."

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Now Playing: Marathon | Official Gameplay Overview Trailer

As reported by IGN, Hulst said feedback from Marathon's latest alpha test was "varied," but he maintains that the live-service category remains a "great opportunity" for the company. Concord, Hulst said, was "insufficiently differentiated" in a "hyper competitive segment" of gaming, referring to live-service multiplayer games.

"We have reviewed our processes in light of this to deeply understand how and why that title failed to meet expectations and to ensure we're not going to make the same mistakes again," he said.

Hulst said Sony now has a "much more rigorous process" in place for "validating" the company's hypotheses as it relates to a game's creative and commercial possibilities.

For Marathon, Hulst said the aim is to create a "very bold, very innovative, and deeply engaging title." The response to the Marathon alpha test was mixed, and Hulst said the whole idea of offering early tests is to gain feedback that can then be used to improve the product.

"This cycle of test, of iterate, test again, that is such a key component of the live-service success, both leading up to launch but also throughout the life of the game," he said.

Hulst did not, however, comment on the controversy surrounding Marathon as it relates to Bungie admitting it found stolen art assets in Marathon.

GameSpot's Marathon preview said, "In a world of free-to-play titles, a paid game that is light on content but full of hopes, dreams, and ambitions may not be enough to inspire in others the same confidence I have in Bungie."

Marathon is slated for release on September 23. Some theorized it could be delayed, but it remains on track, at least as of now.

In regards to Sony's live-service plans in general, Hulst said the company is "very, very committed to building a diverse and a resilient live-service portfolio."

In related news, it was confirmed this week that Sony cut staff at the studio behind Days Gone after cancelling a live-service game at the studio. Before this, Sony reportedly canceled a live-service God of War title, and developer Naughty Dog canceled The Last of Us Online back in 2023. Recently, it was reported that Sony's multiplayer heist game Fairgame$ was reportedly pushed to 2026 following concerns.

Sony's Live-Service Game Status Report -- Canceled, Released, Shut Down, Upcoming