Concord Has a Golden Cosmetic Opportunity That It Can’t Pass Up

Highlights

• Sony’s next big multiplayer game, Concord, faces mixed reactions due to concerns about monetization and lack of originality.
• Concord aims to be a competitive hero shooter under the PlayStation banner, highlighting the importance of character customization.
• Crossover cosmetics from iconic PlayStation IPs could help establish Concord as a part of PlayStation history and culture.

Concord is meant to be the next big thing from Sony’s live-service multiplayer initiative. Though PlayStation has long been the home for story-driven single-player titles, the company is looking to branch out with a number of games-as-a-service endeavors, which has met a mixed reaction from players, many of whom argue that these games tend to be generic or easily interchangeable.

Nevertheless, Sony is moving ahead with the likes of Concord, and while there have been some concerns about its monetization model and its premium asking price, its core mechanics have been regarded as strong, if somewhat uninventive in some areas. Most importantly, Concord represents a big step forward for Sony, as it’s a competitive shooter under the PlayStation banner, which is admittedly rare. As a hero shooter in the vein of Overwatch, Concord is expected to live and die on the backs of its cast of characters, and cosmetics could play a major role here, allowing players to personalize their favorite heroes with various cosmetics. With the game being a flagship Sony exclusive, there’s an obvious opportunity here that it can’t pass up.

Concord Shouldn’t Shy Away from PlayStation Crossover Cosmetics

PlayStation Has a Rich Legacy to Draw from for Concord’s Cosmetics

Crossover content is nothing new in the world of live-service games, especially in the wake of Fortnite, which leans into third-party cosmetics and events to an almost absurd degree. But Concord is in something of a unique position as a PlayStation exclusive, as it has essentially free-range to utilize PlayStation’s many iconic IPs in creative ways.

It’s easy to imagine a Nathan Drake skin for the quirky Lennox, or a Kratos skin for the burly Star Child. Unexpected Sony IPs could also make an appearance in the game via someone like Lark, whose clicker-like appearance seems primed for a Last of Us crossover. Concord could also dig into some deeper Sony cuts, drawing from seemingly forgotten Sony shooters like Resistance or Killzone for character cosmetics. This sort of fan-service may seem like a small thing, but it could go a long way toward helping Concord claw its way to relevance, making the most of its connection to Sony.

Crossover Cosmetics Could Help Establish Concord as Part of PlayStation History and Culture

In the so-called ‘console wars,’ identity and brand recognition are key. Series like Halo and Gears of War have long carried the torch for Xbox, their iconography being inextricable from the console’s legacy and history. PlayStation has attempted to replicate this sort of synergistic heritage with its multiplayer games, but with far less success. In a nutshell, Concord should strive to be unapologetically ‘PlayStation’ in the same way that Halo is unapologetically ‘Xbox.’

Linking Concord to PlayStation culture through the use of references and Easter eggs could be a good way to accomplish this. Using other PlayStation exclusives as a rubric for character cosmetics would create a cultural throughline between Concord and the history of its home console, making it feel like a proper mainstay in Sony’s vast catalog, a nexus of sorts for its long history.

Having said all that, Sony shouldn’t go overboard with this. Concord isn’t the most promising game in PlayStation’s lineup right now, with most criticism against it centering around its lack of originality and spirit. Indeed, many feel that it’s a hodgepodge of influences, sticking too closely to Overwatch‘s gameplay and the quippy humor of blockbusters from the likes of Marvel. An overabundance of PlayStation-themed skins could worsen this perception, coming across as cynical and boring, especially if they aren’t paired with a genuinely creative and memorable base game.