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Arrowhead Studios confirm PSN Account Requirement decision was on Sony - Game received over 15,000 negative reviews and is now 'Mixed' on Steam

Dr. Claus

Banned
Explain.

I am saying that Sony would likely see the issue with regions not being included in PSN and change their TOS. They aren't trying to hurt players and sabotage the game. Why do you have to act like a 5 year old online? That doesn't make more noise than commenting under a Helldivers tweet on playstations account. Sony see's it, they're not blind. All companies see issues as they are communicated, they watch even the most minuet online interactions.

Asking for refunds and making a negative review for a game you are suddenly getting denied access to is, for you, no different than a 5 year old throwing a tantrum? Money speaks. Requesting money back for a purchase you are now denied access to is a perfectly reasonable thing to do. So is making a negative review about the situation.

As I said before, I am only defending those who live in the countries who can't freely create PSN accounts without risk of account closure. Those who can? They *are* being babies about it.

As for Companies paying attention, the Helldivers devs literally stated, in their discord, that Sony isn't paying attention to most of what is ongoing and that the negative reviews and refunds are actively giving the devs more room to stand in negotiations. They work.
 
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tmlDan

Member
Asking for refunds and making a negative review for a game you are suddenly getting denied access to is, for you, no different than a 5 year old throwing a tantrum? Money speaks. Requesting money back for a purchase you are now denied access to is a perfectly reasonable thing to do. So is making a negative review about the situation.

As I said before, I am only defending those who live in the countries who can't freely create PSN accounts without risk of account closure. Those who can? They *are* being babies about it.

As for Companies paying attention, the Helldivers devs literally stated, in their discord, that Sony isn't paying attention to most of what is ongoing and that the negative reviews and refunds are actively giving the devs more room to stand in negotiations. They work.
But they haven't been denied access yet, it hasn't even been implemented.
 

DrFigs

Member
But they haven't been denied access yet, it hasn't even been implemented.
Yeah I'm confused about the post earlier showing someone was banned for using a vpn. why? why did this person do it if the devs are saying they'll have a solution
 

near

Gold Member
I just want the hate train to be consistent. I have no problem with any company getting called out but even most people hating on some companys for doing shit are in other cooperations pockets tho.

I still didn't see a thread the whole day for league of legends requiring vanguard now. It seems we are all biased one way or another.
I think some are being disingenuous in their outrage, 100%. But I don't think there is anything wrong with being disappointed here, even if it doesn't affect you directly. I myself hate having multiple accounts on PC, I still do it because I want to enjoy those games. Am I not allowed to be outspoken on the topic, even if I am part of the problem by signing up? This isn't exclusive to Sony, it has happened with almost every launcher/login mandate in the past, people don't like it, rage, and end up signing up all the same.

There was a thread about it btw under a different title:

 

bender

What time is it?
Anyone can see my account, mate. Please point to which console/company I tie my entire life around. Don't worry, I will wait.

No need to wait, mate. I've already pointed out the tone of your discourse in this very thread. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and say that your desire for honest discussion is in earnest, but I don't think you know how to accomplish goal.
 

Dr. Claus

Banned
But they haven't been denied access yet, it hasn't even been implemented.
So as long as it hasn't happened yet, despite the statement that it will, no one should complain?

If Ubisoft tomorrow announces that by the end of June, everyone who isn't subscribed to their subscription loses access to the games, no one should have the right to complain until it happens?

No need to wait, mate. I've already pointed out the tone of your discourse in this very thread. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and say that your desire for honest discussion is in earnest, but I don't think you know how to accomplish goal.

Sure Jan GIF
 
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Gaiff

SBI’s Resident Gaslighter
I don' need a pre-paid card for creating account, just for buying game. Sorry if you misinterpreted
Alright. Still, I don’t think, "create an account with fake information," is the message Sony wants to send. It’s indeed against the TOS, so they can’t encourage this.
 
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near

Gold Member
Yeah I'm confused about the post earlier showing someone was banned for using a vpn. why? why did this person do it if the devs are saying they'll have a solution
My guess is that they could've been in mainland China, where PSN isn't available. They possibly tried to sign up via a VPN and Sony picked up on it. Or it could be fake. But like others have pointed out, you can have multiple PSN accounts, but can anyone verify that they can have an account from a different region within a banned region? That might clarify things. Because I have had PSN accounts from 3 different regions for 16-17 years with no issues, but I'm in a region that is not banned.

Edit: lol I think I misread your post, maybe ignore me.
 
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tmlDan

Member
So as long as it hasn't happened yet, despite the statement that it will, no one should complain?
Never said they shouldn't, but fake refunds, asking Valve to get involved, people not from those regions getting mad. It's irrational.

Now they believe an associate comms manager knows anything about discussions (not negotiations, they're not hostages), with Sony.

They have another month to overturn the decision or give instruction, just keep notifying Sony and they will give an updated FAQ about it.

Remember it's more complex than Sony just allow it, there are specific regional and governmental rules and legislation that add complexities to these things, hence the image in this thread that the UK requires an ID for you to sign up.
 
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Fabieter

Member
I think some are being disingenuous in their outrage, 100%. But I don't think there is anything wrong with being disappointed here, even if it doesn't affect you directly. I myself hate having multiple accounts on PC, I still do it because I want to enjoy those games. Am I not allowed to be outspoken on the topic, even if I am part of the problem by signing up? This isn't exclusive to Sony, it has happened with almost every launcher/login mandate in the past, people don't like it, rage, and end up signing up all the same.

There was a thread about it btw under a different title:


Well I get what you mean because iam still bitter that physical pc gaming got destroyed. I do know the benefits but I know enough about pcs to do stuff myself. People pushed it away and caved anyway. It's exactly what I mean.

Well I read that thread but it was an entirely different topic.
 
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I think I know what this really is about. With Xbox in shambles, a lot of former fans have jumped ship to PC. Now, they're devastated that one of the currently hot games is reminding them of PlayStation. :messenger_beaming:
 

Three

Gold Member
You underestimate the amount of folks that live in places like the Phillipines who play these games. It is an unneeded change to a game that has been selling extraordinarly well. If Sony wanted to make PSN accounts creatable in those other countries, or change their TOS, then I would have no issue. That isn't the case though.'


It is against TOS and can earn you an account ban.
Where are you from? I love how people like this, who probably live in the EU or US are fake concerned about people in the Philippines when you have somebody from the actual Philippines telling you they're doing just fine with PSN in the country:


That's not a real issue. The Philippines do not have PSN accounts natively, but we have many tens of thousands of PlayStation gamers here. When you ask PS support or go to their FAQ, they just tell you to either create a Singapore or HK PSN account. What's against TOS is using VPN, which is not necessary for creating or using a PSN account for another region. I've been using different PSN accounts for different regions since the inception of the PSN.

The logic itself doesn't make any sense to begin with. If you're on vacation and you bring your Vita along, Sony is going to ban you because you're logged into your US PSN account while vacationing in Italy?


So I ask Dr. Claus Dr. Claus why not just say you don't want to create an account (if you even play HD2) why create fake concern for people who haven't actually had any issues?
 
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Holy shit PC gamers are whiney bitches. It takes 2 min to create an account. You don't put down a credit card number nor a street address either. No concern of hackers getting your info. And developers have already said people in countries without PSN will still be able to play the game. So much fake outrage, unbelievable. It would be funny if Sony greedily forces steam players to purchase PS+ down the line. The meltdown for PC gamers would be legendary
 
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bender

What time is it?
Funny enough i never got a refund for Stomping Land even though the devs abandoned the game a few months after release.

Sadly, I think visibility of the product is a factor in Steam's decision making. Steam also made an exception for The Day After (I think that was the name of it) after it turned out to be a huge scam.

fake edit: I Kickstarted the Stomping Land.

Well, there you have it. I knew Valve would honour the refunds. Let's see how Sony decide to move forward with this, I doubt this will change their plans much though.

What's the review bombing campaign at and what percentage of those people do we think would request a refund?
 
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AmuroChan

Member
This is how you make this all go away. Make the account linking optional, but say that linking will allow for cross-progression, cross-save, and trophy support in the future. Also, if you're a PC-only gamer and creating a PSN account for the first time, you will receive a voucher to redeem one of the other PS games on PC for free as a thank you.
 

near

Gold Member
What's the review bombing campaign at and what percentage of those people do we think would request a refund?
gxuSSGq.png


58k is kind of insane. Hard to say how many of those genuinely care about the issue, and how many of those are actually affected. Doubt we'll ever get some real clarity on refund numbers unless AH/Sony make a statement at the end of this all.
 
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bender

What time is it?
gxuSSGq.png


58k is kind of insane. Hard to say how many of those genuinely care about the issue, and how many of those are actually affected. Doubt we'll ever get real some clarity on refund numbers unless AH/Sony make a statement at the end of this all.

Let's be overly generous and say 1/3rd of the reviewer bombers follow through and are granted refunds. Is 20K in lost sales enough to make Sony blink? Maybe.

This is how you make this all go away. Make the account linking optional, but say that linking will allow for cross-progression, cross-save, and trophy support in the future. Also, if you're a PC-only gamer and creating a PSN account for the first time, you will receive a voucher to redeem one of the other PS games on PC for free as a thank you.

I don't think you'd need to offer a game, you just make a nice in-game cosmetic exclusive to signing up for the PSN account (what Ubisoft does with their titles) and/or offer some premium currency for every trophy earned.
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Let's be overly generous and say 1/3rd of the reviewer bombers follow through and are granted refunds. Is 20K in lost sales enough to make Sony blink? Maybe.

20K in one, two days. If it persists and Sony doesn't change the policy, it might increase more overtime.

This is how you make this all go away. Make the account linking optional, but say that linking will allow for cross-progression, cross-save, and trophy support in the future. Also, if you're a PC-only gamer and creating a PSN account for the first time, you will receive a voucher to redeem one of the other PS games on PC for free as a thank you.

They don't even have to offer anything, just revoke the decision to make linking mandatory as soon as possible.
 

Pop

Member
Sony should just remove every single one of their games from PC now. Besides Helldivers 2(since it was a day 1 release), other Playstation first party games aren't making much anyways.

Like a bunch of toddlers crying
 

near

Gold Member
Let's be overly generous and say 1/3rd of the reviewer bombers follow through and are granted refunds. Is 20K in lost sales enough to make Sony blink? Maybe.
The thing is, I actually don't think Valve will honour every request anyway. I think they might action a portion of them, many will probably still be rejected. I don't think Sony really loses significant money here either way, but this affects the overall reputation of the game and AH more than anything, and that damage has already been done.
 

bender

What time is it?
20K in one, two days. If it persists and Sony doesn't change the policy, it might increase more overtime.

We'll see another bump on the 6th and the days after but I think my 1/3rd is a gross overestimation to be honest.

The thing is, I actually don't think Valve will honour every request anyway. I think they might action a portion of them, many will probably still be rejected. I don't think Sony really loses significant money here either way, but this affects the overall reputation of the game and AH more than anything, and that damage has already been done.

Maybe. I'm sure there is some sort of discretion threshold (along with other variables around the account requesting the refund) Valve uses before getting in touch with a publisher and sorting things out.
 
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AmuroChan

Member
They don't even have to offer anything, just revoke the decision to make linking mandatory as soon as possible.

No, because their objective is to increase PSN numbers. So going back to square 1 doesn't achieve that. They need to incentivize PC-only gamers to create new PSN accounts and compensating for the annoyance this causes them.
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
No, because their objective is to increase PSN numbers. So going back to square 1 doesn't achieve that. They need to incentivize PC-only gamers to create new PSN accounts and compensating for the annoyance this causes them.

I think future launches with it built-in from day 1 with full understanding that this is how it's going to be should suffice. The reason this blew up is because this is a retroactive change made month(s) after the game has already been on sale.

It's like how they first tried to do the $10 upgrade charge for Horizon FW from PS4 to PS5 but made it a free change after fan outrage, but made it clear that future games will have an upgrade path.
 
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AmuroChan

Member
I think future launches with it built-in from day 1 with full understanding that this is how it's going to be should suffice. The reason this blew up is because this is a retroactive change made month(s) after the game has already been on sale.

Yes for future games, but they clearly want to do it with HD2 right now as well and bump up those PSN numbers for their Q2 earnings call. So to do that, you have to give people an incentive for causing them this annoyance.
 

bender

What time is it?
Players will loose interest and move on to other games, is a much bigger issue.

That's any live service game. Sony's introduced an artificial incentive for players to walk away from H2 ahead of schedule. How big of an impact this will have remains to be seen and if I were a betting bot, my money would be on largely insignificant.
 

Fabieter

Member
Yes for future games, but they clearly want to do it with HD2 right now as well and bump up those PSN numbers for their Q2 earnings call. So to do that, you have to give people an incentive for causing them this annoyance.

If they go down the free stuff part. Helldivers 2 players will likely get some free premium currency and they will got it a day. But the most likely part is that they revoke the decision with Helldivers 2 but make sure than any future gaas games is ready for account link from day one.
 

DrFigs

Member
I think most pc gamers are normal people who won't find creating a psn account that big of a deal. anymore than they found creating ubisoft, WB, microsoft, Rockstar accounts a big deal. But gamers need something to be upset at this week after the stellar blade censorship thing was a bust, so here we have it.
 

AmuroChan

Member
Let's be overly generous and say 1/3rd of the reviewer bombers follow through and are granted refunds. Is 20K in lost sales enough to make Sony blink? Maybe.

It depends what the tradeoff is. If they lose 20K in sales but gain a significant amount of new PSN accounts that they can then tout in their next earnings call, I think the 20K is a small price to pay. Remember what these corporations' priorities are. For Sony/PS, it's their fiduciary duty to their shareholders, then their core customer base the PlayStation gamers, then PC gamers is all the way at the bottom.
 
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Topher

Identifies as young
This is how you make this all go away. Make the account linking optional, but say that linking will allow for cross-progression, cross-save, and trophy support in the future. Also, if you're a PC-only gamer and creating a PSN account for the first time, you will receive a voucher to redeem one of the other PS games on PC for free as a thank you.

Free Foamstars for everyone!

Excited Happy Birthday GIF
 
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