PS fans need to circle the wagon. Online Gaming gated by a subscription service (PS Plus Essential) is NOT acceptable, is wrong, and should STOP!

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Should Sony stop paywalling online play behind PlayStation Plus Essensial subscrition service?


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Box

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6 Apr 2023
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Why is that not the case on PC?

You don't want to pay $80 for online but ur fine to pay $1000's of dollars for PC parts?

Eventually PC will also have paid online, it's not a matter of if but when.

Most MMOs are already behind a paywall anyways, most online PC games are filled to the brim with micro transactions.
 
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You don't want to pay $80 for online but ur fine to pay $1000's of dollars for PC parts?

Eventually PC will also have paid online, it's not a matter of if but when.

Most MMOs are already behind a paywall anyways, most online PC games are filled to the brim with micro transactions.
Are you suggesting that $1000 going into PC parts funds online gaming on PC? If Yes, explain. If No is the point that PC affordability is a problem?

As for eventually PC doing the same, I very much hope that it does not. Not everyone should suffer cause others do - the paradigm. "Don't wish thy neighbor harm". Reminds me of Xbox fanboys wishing Sony started releasing PS exclusives to PC. This way PS fanboys wouldn't have ammo to bash Xbox fanboys online cause MS decided to do so first and degrade the Xbox platform differentiation. Xbox fanboys did get their wish... sort of. Changed a thing? Nope.

Most games on consoles with an online component are full of microtransactions as well.

The first point is a misdirection, the second is wishful thinking and the last point is obviously inconsequential and irrelevant to the question.

It's ok. Not gonna push further, I think it's clear for anyone with a brain.
 
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Plextorage

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It's about time PS fans spoke with one voice on this topic. No more vacillations, no more fear. These corps love divide and conquer and gaining the benefit of the doubt. There is only one way you can exert leverage as a consumer against them, and that is with a unified voice, backed by action.

Online gaming gated behind a subscription service is not OK, will never be OK, and should STOP!

PlayStation pay-walling online play behind PS Plus Essential is strictly a profit move to force its consumers to fatten their pockets - a captive audience.

The recent blatant, unjustified price increase for PlayStation Plus shows the venality of it all - out in the open. No more dressings, no subtleties - a fuck you in the raw.

All the taking points of yesteryear to justify this have crumbled with time.

The defense always goes like this and boils down to something like this: "Sony needs the money to maintain PSN" ......meanwhile that very same Sony becomes a third party publisher for PC, a platform that does not gate online play behind a subscription or even on Xbox, who gates it but keeps the profit for themselves. This is the very same Sony that allows F2P games on its own platform to be outside the subscription paywall, while regular titles do not.

It's so absurd that now you get penalized more financially by being part of the PlayStation platform and ecosystem than being outside of it and consuming their content on other platforms. The complete reverse of what should happen - say what loyalty programs are in fact. It's crazy, absurd, and just plain disgusting greed - it's not even a wise forward thinking move. More like primitive ape thinking.

Folks need to get it in their mind. It's all fucking bullshit. Stop trying to give them the benefit of the doubt - they're not your friend, nor loyal if there is such a thing. Unite with one voice, even if you think your voice is worthless grand scheme - it's not OK.

If this goes on unchallenged Sony will continue to gradually milk you till you're dry. Where does it stop? Whereever they fucking believe it should stop.

Moreover this move is anti-gaming through and through. The more money that is spent on this artificial subscription, the less money that is potentially being spent directly on supporting game purchases and supporting developers of a consumers choice. It's even unhealthy for the industry as a whole.

If the PS Plus subscription service and all its tiers provide so much value as the marketing by Sony will have you believe then let it stand on its own weight. If people want to pay $80 a year for 2-3 cherry picked games a month then by all means. But no other strings attached like online pay-walling.

BTW the same goes for Xbox with Gamepass (Core etc) and all the other bullshit they've brought to this industry ever since the Xbox 360 took off. But we know that audience over there has literally 0% fucking chance of forcing Microsoft to do anything - it's as hopeless as it comes. MS is the king of scum.

What can you do in the meantime? AUTO-RENEW OFF and Unsub (if you feel you're not getting your money's worth and are being ripped off - simple as that). No other way. These execs out there (namely Jim Ryan, and Sony's CEO) are business hustlers and are banking on you doing nothing and taking it up the ass. They got 49 million PS fans hooked. They're that manipulative, calculative and cut throat.

Huh? Why you didn’t yell about that when Jack Tretton announced mandatory online play behind paywall 10 years ago? That was the biggest price increase.
 
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Servers cost money to maintain, Sony Microsoft and Nintendo are businesses not charities. The goal of a buisness is to make money.

If you don't want to pay that's your choice, but 49 million people have no problem paying despite what a small vocal minority of people on forums say.
Sony Microsoft & Nintendo aren't hosting the servers for 3rd party games
 
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Huh? Why you didn’t yell about that when Jack Tretton announced mandatory online play behind paywall 10 years ago? That was the biggest price increase.
I did. No one listened and was rather more happy that Sony wasn't killing physical and used games sales to care about those other things. The alternative was a Wii U, which I enjoyed believe it or not - free online there, or PC, which I also partake for gaming - although not my preferred platform - console first type.

Is that bio enough or you need more details on what OP was doing at the time of this travesty? I know purity and a clean record is important when pontificating. You do have to wonder why corrupt, lying politicians keep getting elected all the time tho...
 
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Cool hand luke

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Yep, charge what you want for subscription services, but online gaming should be free if this is the tack Sony is taking with the basic service.
 

Box

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Are you suggesting that $1000 of dollars going into PC parts funds online gaming on PC? If Yes, explain. If No is the point that PC affordability is a problem?

As for eventually PC doing the same, I very much hope that it does not. Not everyone should suffer cause others do - the paradigm. "Don't wish thy neighbor harm". Reminds me of Xbox fanboys wishing Sony started releasing PS exclusives to PC so PS fanboys wouldn't have ammo to bash their heads in on twitter/boards cause MS decided to do it first and degrade the Xbox platform differentiation. Xbox fanboys did get their wish... sort of. Changed a thing? Nope.

Most games on consoles with an online component do so as well.

The first point is a misdirection, the second is wishful thinking and the last point is obviously inconsequential and irrelevant to the question.

It's ok. Not gonna push further, I think it's clear for anyone with a brain.

It's just weird that people complain about $80 paid online but have no problem with spending thousands of dollars for a Gaming PC.

Paid Online is here to stay wether you like it or not, Just like DLC and Micro transactions.

It won't be long before we go into a digital only future as well, you can complain all day until the cows come home but it isn't going to make these companies change their mind.

49 million people are willing to pay for online on PlayStation, just make ur peace already and accept it.
 

Darth Vader

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It's just weird that people complain about $80 paid online but have no problem with spending thousands of dollars for a Gaming PC.

Paid Online is here to stay wether you like it or not, Just like DLC and Micro transactions.

It won't be long before we go into a digital only future as well, you can complain all day until the cows come home but it isn't going to make these companies change their mind.

49 million people are willing to pay for online on PlayStation, just make ur peace already and accept it.

My gaming pc does a lot more than just allow me to play games. You're comparing apples to oranges.
 

Plextorage

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I did. No one listened and was rather more happy that Sony wasn't killing physical and used games sales to care about those other things. The alternative was a Wii U, which I enjoyed believe it or not - free online there, or PC, which I also partake in using for gaming - although not my preferred platform - console first type.

Is that bio enough or you need more details on what OP was doing at the time of this travesty? I know purity and a clean record is important when pontificating. You do have to wonder why corrupt, lying politicians keep getting elected all the time tho...

You did? Where?
 
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You did? Where?
On my computer screen, and I believe on some forums. Lmao.

49 million people are willing to pay for online on PlayStation, just make ur peace already and accept it.
I've decided to make and wage war against it whenever I feel like it, whether others like it or not. So once in a while, and specially around times of potential rage due to these corps milking consumers for no reason other than greed I capitalize and raise the issue to the fore. My time, my way.

I'm not blind to the numbers or reality. Thanks but no thanks to the suggestion. You be you.

Funny, it's not about me.
 
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On the computer screen. Right. And welcome to the forum bubble.
You rather I raided the PlayStation campus on San Mateo with an artillery strike? Mind you, Redmond would be the first to go, just to build the killstreak.

Why you making this about the OP tho?

You know, discrediting the messenger is the oldest trick in the book right? Not only is it a simpleton's game, it shows the intent of the poster in question, and the malice and rage behind it..... usually. Not very sophisticated.
 
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Plextorage

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You rather I raided the PlayStation campus on San Mateo with an artillery strike? Mind you, Redmond would be the first to go, just to build the killstreak.

Why you making this about the OP tho?

Vote with your wallet. Buy a PC then, spend 1000$ for it. That's 6 years of Premium. Otherwise, bitching on forum won't to shit. Looks like you didn't learned anything.
 
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I already own a PC. More to the point, I'm actually a premium subscriber and have been a PS Plus subscriber on and off but mostly on since the PS4 released.

"If you dislike it this much here, why don't you leave"

Vote with whatever.

"If you don't like the policies of the current presidential administration migrate to some other country and leave your country of birth"

Vote with your feet.

Halfwits are born every day.

The solution is clearly a policy change, an administration change etc. Now you can argue the likelihood of that happening and the odds being against it but defaulting to that other line of discourse is as idiotic as it comes. Just my two cents. Obviously if a market actor could replace the PS ecosystem for 90% of its attractive qualities, while shedding the unwanted qualities then there is no more obvious recourse than to switch... but that is not the case for the time being - Xbox is simply worse at practically every metric.

I do vote with my wallet, whenever I feel like it. Usually doesn't turn out well in this oligopoly of a market but wallet voting did do the work during the Xbox One/PS4 era for keeping DRM out and physical, and used-games sales alive. It worked to some extent during the X360/PS3 era.... when Sony thought that "getting a second job" was funny. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not.

Won't auto-renew premium that's for sure. Extra is where actual value is at but at the price increase it's a stretch as well - I buy most of what I want before it ever shows up at this service. But if decide to drop it, it's gonna be all together as usual, won't be the first time. Problem is, as always, when a traditional online game drops, otherwise I wouldn't care at all - point of the thread.

Now that you have had enough about me Plex how about some of you.

Is online gaming behind a paywall acceptable, OK or should it STOP? Do vote on the poll. Least you can do.
 
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anonpuffs

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It's just weird that people complain about $80 paid online but have no problem with spending thousands of dollars for a Gaming PC.

Paid Online is here to stay wether you like it or not, Just like DLC and Micro transactions.

It won't be long before we go into a digital only future as well, you can complain all day until the cows come home but it isn't going to make these companies change their mind.

49 million people are willing to pay for online on PlayStation, just make ur peace already and accept it.
bad comparison. a pc is something you own. you don't own anything you pay for gamepass or ps+. once you stop paying you can't use anything you paid for previously on PS+ or gamepass. the pc is a physical object that doesn't go away when i stop paying for it.
 

PropellerEar

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So probably people did prefer paying annual, instead of monthly fees.
Xbots were acting like $60/$100/$120 per year was some crazy tycoon money, when this was lifted as a pro.

I bet "well oiled wiener" Ryan was looking at the lack of annual price for GP, (well core ...what ever its called... has it now $60/year)
and was thinking how much money they are loosing. 😅
 

Vertigo

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It’s garbage to keep it going like this just to cater to Warzone and Fortnite which bypass the paywall. Either drop it or move those games behind the paywall as well. It effectively hurts competition in favor of the biggest moneymakers.
 
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It’s garbage to keep it going like this just to cater to Warzone and Fortnite which bypass the paywall. Either drop it or move those games behind the paywall as well. It effectively hurts competition in favor of the biggest moneymakers.
The absurdity doesn't end there. If you analyze the market dynamics of it you realize that it's also bad for the industry as well. Wasn't there a study saying about 30% of PS Plus subscribers would drop PS Plus if not for the online paywall? That's about 14.2 million gamers out of the 47.5 million subs - spending $60 a year on a service they do not want or wish.

So, those $60 dollars, instead of rewarding a developer through the purchase of a game of a consumer's choice - the natural healthy thing - is instead going to fatten Sony's pockets. Now a $60 sale is not a big deal as it's the price of a single AAA game but when you break it down to say a $25 dollar sale for an indie game here, and a $15 sale of another game there.... it adds up and is consequential to those getting the sale proceeds. Translate that to 14.2 million gamers and we're talking about $852 million dollars per year that is not going into funding game developers in the traditional - healthy fashion. Sony literally choosing winners and losers here... in this case Sony first and foremost, and second being the sums of money Sony pays to the devs Sony handpicks for the couple games they give out on PS Plus per month.

MS and Xbox is even worse here... Xbox Live Gold, now Gamepass Core is worse on its "game offerings" or "value proposition", and prior to the Xbox One, gave you literally nothing in return. It's not like MS cares much about the console space anyway - their goal will always be monopolistic control of the industry as a whole - a console is a means to an end to remove competitors blocking the realization of that goal. Fucking the industry in the process is a sacrifice MS is more than willing to make.

Now the counter argument is that we have no guarantee that if the paywall was removed that all those 14.2 million gamers would actually spend that $60 on gaming, and could instead spend it elsewhere. But that is like saying there is a guarantee that if you force consumers to spend $60 on plus, that there is still abundant disposable income for other games and that such spending is not affecting a gamers yearly budget and allocation of money to gaming - in this case reducing the max they're willing to spend on gaming any given year.
 
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