Anything but Social engineering bullshit that the mentally ill team is doing.
Honestly I think Sony and Nintendo doesn't need astroturfing because their brand is strong and they know wtf they are doing.
Astroturfing is just a toxic corporate tactics.
100% Sony (and Nintendo) don't need astroturfers. But, I do think Sony need a relatable face/mascot who can engage with the community better, and keep the record straight, as it were, about PlayStation stuff among enthusiasts spaces and games media.
So much of the absolute BS FUD that games media do towards PlayStation wouldn't even be considered if SIE had a Phil Spencer-like on their side to act as a mascot. But Sony already have someone way better than Spencer: Kevin Butler. He could be pretend-CEO of SIE and mascot all at once, do podcasts & interviews, give him a team of misfits, and all that kind of stuff.
The best part being, no creepy para-social stuff like with Xbox & Phil Spencer/Aaron Greenberg/Sarah Bond etc., because everyone would know Butler & co. are mascots. He's not
actually the CEO, he's a parody of a CEO.
It's funny how brain-broken folks continue looking for the first person at sony to approve "pc ports". They can't accept that every decision-maker at Playstation supports it because it's an easy call. "straightforward decision for us" as Jim Ryan said.
Meanwhile you conveniently ignore Jim Ryan's own words that PC is competition for PlayStation.
I get it: you're a PC guy so of course you want everything in one spot that's convenient for you. But the PC initiative Sony has, as-is, will cause long-term problems and that's just unavoidable. They have to make adjustments.
You can't say you prioritize the console above all, while releasing better versions of those games 2 years later (or even sooner) on PC. Hell, even with the case of putting HFW in PS+ a year after release was a questionable move IMO. There are other, and better, ways Sony can increase their software revenue and profits that don't involve porting the marquee 1P traditional games to PC.
Or at least, not doing so for several years (literally in this case, say 4/5-6 years after release on console). Now the GaaS titles? Yes, prioritize those for console & PC Day 1 when possible. But even there, console players should get a few bonus perks for free, since they have to pay the same price as PC players, but also have to pay to play the game online while PC players don't.
Throwing in those free bonuses and perks helps balance that out, and
shows that they care about & prioritize the console audience. Not just talking like they do every once in a blue moon with actions that speak the opposite, like a certain other console brand.
