Reviving Concord: How Fans Are Resurrecting a Classic While Sony Tries to Erase Its Legacy

Last week, a group of dedicated fans, known as the Concord modders, celebrated a small victory: they successfully got custom servers running for the game Concord. This comes over a year after Sony famously pulled the plug on the game. Although Concord didn’t attract the audience Sony had hoped for, the idea of it living on through fan efforts was exciting. However, Sony doesn’t seem keen on this revival. The modders received copyright claims on their YouTube videos, which showcased the game on these new fan servers.

According to TheGamePost, two of their videos were taken down after a claim from MarkScan Enforcement, a firm that protects intellectual property online. As of now, these takedowns affected only the videos, not the actual project itself, but the modders are understandably cautious. They’ve paused invites to their Discord server, where they share updates.

“Due to worrying legal action we’ve decided to pause invites for the time being,” said Red, one of the developers involved in the project.

If Sony does try to shut this project down completely, it might seem petty, especially since the fans are trying to keep a game alive at no cost to the company. While it’s true that Concord is Sony’s intellectual property, it’s frustrating to think it could disappear entirely when many developers poured years into it.

Typically, companies encourage fan projects, seeing them as ways to reignite interest in older games. For example, fans of the classic game RollerCoaster Tycoon once created an unofficial multiplayer mod that gained substantial popularity. This demonstrates how fan efforts can breathe new life into forgotten titles.

The situation with Concord raises larger questions about corporate attitudes towards fan-made content, and how these interactions can impact gaming culture. As the gaming community continues to evolve, fans are eager to keep old games alive, but companies must find a balance between protecting their assets and encouraging passionate fans.

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