Sony reverses position & will no longer require PSN account linking for Helldivers 2. Must take the right lessons from this fiasco.

[anonpuffs]

Sony reverses course.



Lesson #1:
They need to double down on the quality of their releases and delay things that aren't ready. This backlash could have been entirely avoided by providing for a closed and/or open beta period for Helldivers where they could have found all the structural weaknesses that led up to this PR crisis - and to be clear, even if the crisis is largely overblown, it's happening and could have been prevented, and is currently heavily damaging Sony's brand image in the PC space. If they had any hopes of expanding their PC audience, this and other missteps will cost them dearly and set them back by years.

Lesson #2:
They need to heavily re-examine their PR policies and strategy. For too long they have basically made pronouncements instead of engaging with the customer base directly, as if giving out royal edicts that you must accept because it went straight from their boardroom to their legal department's writers. Sony aspires to be Apple, but they are far from it and their PR strategy is a large portion of why they aren't anywhere close. Customers do not appreciate being treated as wallets to be discarded or put away once the company is done wringing money from them.

Lesson #3:
They need to rein in their eagerness to milk every drop of shareholder-positive metrics. They are coming close to killing the golden goose just because they want some numbers for their next quarterlies. Learn to just accept you got a win and if you need people to link PSN accounts, you can't do such amateurish shit such as changing your TOS as soon as you implement an unpopular policy. Gaming was at its best when the suits didn't infest every nook and cranny, and Sony needs to remember that this industry isn't built by shareholders. It's built by gamers buying games

 

[Nhomnhom]

The main lesson is that these PC players hate them and PC ports were handled poorly from the start.

 

[Jim Ryan]

All of their games should have required a PSN login from day 1, that would have made things clear.

I think pc gamers never liked Sony, they just wanted the games and to give Sony as little as possible for them.... So I don't think Sony could have really won any positive sentiments by changing things.

But they do need to treat their own customers, on console with far more respect.

 

[Zzero]

All of their games should have required a PSN login from day 1, that would have made things clear.

I think pc gamers never liked Sony, they just wanted the games and to give Sony as little as possible for them.... So I don't think Sony could have really won any positive sentiments by changing things.

But they do need to treat their own customers, on console with far more respect.

Since when were game players supposed to think anything at all about devs? If it happens thats great but it certainly shouldn't be expected or demanded.

 

[Johnic]

They should. Will they? Absolutely not. Sony's PR is crap.

 

[klomzi]

The main lesson is that these PC players hate them and PC ports were handled poorly from the start.

This forum and it's takes.

Most Playstation ports are at very positive on Steam, some at overwhelmengly positive (at least God of War and Spider-Man last I checked).

What PC players don't like is account linking. This shitshow could have been avoided if the linking was required from day 1.

 

[ToTTenTranz]

This happened because a bunch of people at Sony have their yearly bonus attached to KPIs related to increase in number of PSN accounts and they saw HD2'sPC player base as a quick win to get their bonus guaranteed for 2024. That's my bet from my experience in corporate culture.

That's not bad by itself, but the planning and communication was terrible. They announced this on a Friday without telling what was going to happen to all the people who bought the game on Steam but live in a territory where they can't have PSN in a legitimate way. And of course these people go away to enjoy their weekend and there'll be no radio signal until Monday at best.
So now there's three whole days with zero clarification from Sony, lots of time for more negative reviews on Steam and screwing up what was thought to be a spectacular community engagement.

Right now a third of the reviews are negative on Steam. They were almost all positive until 24h ago. Another 48h of a weekend and this is only going to get much worse.

 

[JAHGamer]

All this fuss over something literally every other publisher already does Pure insanity, PC gamers really really really hate PlayStation.

Sony's PR has been abysmal this entire generation, but even the best PR team in the world cannot properly respond to this level of retardation.

But yeah a beta would've done wonders for this game.

 

[Muddasar]

Serves Sony right.

They should continue putting these childish lunatics on par with their loyal fanbase.

Maybe then they will learn a lesson.

 

[Yobo]

Nothing wrong with linking PSN but they absolute retards for how they've done it

Incentivise linking with free armour, trophies access or something.

Instead Helldivers devs are taking all the backlash and probably very turned off the idea of being acquired by Sony now if it was in the plans

 

[Yuniac]

The main lesson is that these PC players hate them and PC ports were handled poorly from the start.

I Speak for most PC gamers when I say we just want to play games, we have no vendetta against Sony, Xbox, or whoever. As other people mentioned, the good ports on the PC all have positive reviews.

People just want to have a good time, linking accounts, and not being able to play a game you bought isn't. No one is out to destroy Sony.

 

[quest4441]

Who cares about the steam reviews, if this results in the game dying, Arrowhead is not made up of my relatives- they can all get laid off for all I care. The Community Managers of arrowhead are cancerous anyways so no sympathy from me. Both sides are obnoxious

 

[Yuniac]

All of their games should have required a PSN login from day 1, that would have made things clear.

I think pc gamers never liked Sony, they just wanted the games and to give Sony as little as possible for them.... So I don't think Sony could have really won any positive sentiments by changing things.

But they do need to treat their own customers, on console with far more respect.

You are right, if it was since day 1, all of this could have been avoided.

Also, on liking Sony: It's just business, you sell me a game, I buy it and play it. We do not have to like each other to conduct business respectfully. PC gamers have no reason to be Sony fans, they are PC gamers.

 

[Etifilio]

I Speak for most PC gamers when I say we just want to play games, we have no vendetta against Sony, Xbox, or whoever. As other people mentioned, the good ports on the PC all have positive reviews.

People just want to have a good time, linking accounts, and not being able to play a game you bought isn't. No one is out to destroy Sony.

you want to play games from a platform without supporting the platform, that’s the issue

 

[Yuniac]

you want to play games from a platform without supporting the platform, that’s the issue

How? Do you want us now to buy PS+?

Why would I support it? What does it do for me?

I support the platform I'm playing the game ON. Not wherever the game came from.

If Sony doesn't want to sell us their games, I respect their decision but if they do, don't expect special treatment.

 

[Etifilio]

How? Do you want us now to buy PS+?

Why would I support it? What does it do for me?

I support the platform I'm playing the game ON. Not wherever the game came from.

If Sony doesn't want to sell us their games, I respect their decision but if they do, don't expect special treatment.

you want valve to have a monopoly in PC gaming and you think all other platform holders and publishers need to bend the knee and not impose requirements on their own games, you get mad and nervous just about the possibility of Sony having its own launcher, for example, and guess what? if Helldivers 2 was on their launcher instead of Steam all of this toxicity torwads arrowhead and the game would not be happening because you would need a PSN account not only to play the game, but to access the launcher, Valve’s monopolistic fanboys are to fault for this, not Sony, not any other platform or publisher demanding link of accounts

 

[klomzi]

you want valve to have a monopoly in PC gaming and you think all other platform holders and publishers need to bend the knee and not impose requirements on their own games, you get mad and nervous just about the possibility of Sony having its own launcher, for example, and guess what? if Helldivers 2 was on their launcher instead of Steam all of this toxicity torwads arrowhead and the game would not be happening because you would need a PSN account not only to play the game, but to access the launcher, Valve’s monopolistic fanboys are to fault for this, not Sony, not any other platform or publisher demanding link of accounts

Every post you write make you sound afraid of PC gaming.

 

[quest4441]

Meh this all could have been solved by not launching games for the so called PCMR, these guys are not worth it and most of them are poor to buy games anyways, 1060 and 2060 are what these master race guys buy

 

[Yuniac]

you want valve to have a monopoly in PC gaming and you think all other platform holders and publishers need to bend the knee and not impose requirements on their own games, you get mad and nervous just about the possibility of Sony having its own launcher, for example, and guess what? if Helldivers 2 was on their launcher instead of Steam all of this toxicity torwads arrowhead and the game would not be happening because you would need a PSN account not only to play the game, but to access the launcher, Valve’s monopolistic fanboys are to fault for this, not Sony, not any other platform or publisher demanding link of accounts

Look, I have no problem with the Sony launcher on PC, they can make one if they want lol. I have no problem if Sony puts 10 different requirements before you can play their games. AS LONG as it is communicated from the start and people can decide whether they do it or not. Thats it.

And I don't want Valve to have a monopoly on PC gaming because they already do, and they deserve it because they fight for the gamers and we support it. You do you, we do what we do.

 

[Yuniac]

Meh this all could have been solved by not launching games for the so called PCMR, these guys are not worth it and most of them are poor to buy games anyways, 1060 and 2060 are what these master race guys buy

Such a shortsighted, narrowminded, pathetic way to look at things.

PC gamers are PCMR fat basement dwellers who just pirate games and never pay their power bills.

It's 2024 and you still think PC gamers are some sort of embarrassment to society? Please interact with people more.