I see another Low IQ hanging fruit still not getting through the skulls of some.
"It's been like this since 2013".
Yes and No.
Since 2013 the online paywall has existed on PlayStation, but none of the third party publishers releasing games on PlayStation affected by the online paywall are responsible for setting the online paywall - hence third party publishers have treated their consumers on all platforms equally from that standpoint, from 2013 - 2023 (today).
The online paywall debate for the PS ecosystem prior to today is whether it should exist or not based on several other types of argumentation.
What has changed from 2013 to today is that SONY, not any other third party publisher with no control over the paywall, but SONY itself has decided to treat consumers of its published games in a two tiered system. From this day forward, PlayStation owners pay $80 + $70 = $150 for access to Sony's traditional multiplayer games, while consumers of the same Sony published title on PC pay $70. Sony is the company engaged in unequal treatment of consumers, not other third party publishers. Before Helldivers II there was no clear cut instance of Sony treating its consumers in a two-tiered system. That is, the online paywall existed on PlayStation but all of Sony's consumers in the PlayStation ecosystem were treated equally with the paywall by Sony. With Sony becoming a third party publisher, specifically of traditional Multiplayer Games, that is no longer the case, there is no uniformity of treatment by Sony for ALL of its customers. PlayStation costumers are getting the short end of the stick and PC costumers are not. The difference is Sony's expansion of its consumer base from just PlayStation but also PC.
That is to say, you can bash Sony with sound reason today, whereas before, Sony could excuse itself behind mountains of bullshit to justify the online paywall - as shaky as those grounds are. There is nowhere to hide today under any argumentation. It's clear cut unequal treatment.
This also applies to MS and Xbox with Xbox Live Gold (Gamepass Core now). I belief Xbox's drop off point was when they released Gears 4 on Xbox and PC in 2016 (which happens to have a traditional MP component). So for Sony it's 2013 - Feb 2024. For Microsoft, it was from 2002 to 2016 I believe. It's MS and Xbox - the shitstains of gaming that obviously serve as inspiration for all of it. Unfortunately the Xbox fanbase is toothless and fightless. I think it's becoming clear that the PS fanbase is also toothless and fightless despite all the hollering about being "different".