I had a feeling it was too soon to start celebrating.
Nearly a week has passed since players rallied together in what was seen as a victory for Helldivers 2. They united against Sony’s authoritarian decision to mandate a PlayStation Network account for accessing the online live service game.
This move sparked widespread social uproar and led to hundreds of thousands of negative reviews bombarding the game.
This requirement was set to become mandatory from May 30th onwards. However, it posed a challenge for players from countries where creating a PlayStation Network account is outright prohibited.
Furthermore, users found misrepresenting their country of origin during account creation risk having their accounts terminated.
Despite Sony selling the game in regions where PlayStation Network account creation was prohibited thanks to the requirement of a PSN account. In response to the impending PSN mandate scheduled for May 6th, they removed Helldivers 2 from sale in 174 countries on May 4th.
Despite bowing to public pressure regarding the retroactive imposition of a PlayStation Network account upon PC players for the sake of surveillance and banning problematic gamers, Sony has not reinstated the game for sale in any of the affected regions.
If anything Sony has further restricted the sale of Helldivers 2 in additional countries, despite apparently abandoning the PSN requirement they’re continuing to alienate consumers by prohibiting the game in regions where PlayStation Network accounts cannot be created.
With Sony backtracking on their mandated account requirements, many of those who vocally opposed the company on social media have had their opinions swayed and no longer see it as a significant issue.
Despite the Helldivers 2 community continually being deceived by Sony after declaring “victory,” tens of thousands of gamers have changed their negative reviews back to positive following Sony’s announcement. However, the battle continues to unfold.
Sony is rapidly solidifying its position as one of the worst publishers among all major game companies, competing with the likes of Activision and Electronic Arts. It appears more than just a coincidence that Sony pulled Helldivers 2 from sale in countries where PSN accounts were prohibited, despite initially selling the game in these regions with the knowledge that it would require an account.
This action is likely illegal if not highly immoral. Moreover, despite backtracking on May 6th, Sony has further restricted the game’s availability by removing it from additional countries, including Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia. As a result, Helldivers 2 cannot be purchased in 177 countries globally despite its PSN requirement being shelved.
Adding to the controversy, another Sony published title, Ghost of Tsushima is set to release on PC on May 16th. As mentioned previously, the game plans to introduce a new PlayStation UI that integrates achievements and friend lists through a PlayStation Network account.
Coincidentally, the online functionality of the game itself also requires consumers to create a PSN account, a requirement that has not been reversed unlike with Helldivers 2. Furthermore, the game is similarly restricted from purchase in all 177 countries that are unable to purchase Helldivers 2, despite Ghost of Tsushima being primarily a single-player title with a cooperative multiplayer mode called “Legends” being a secondary feature.
The real “democratic” struggle of Helldivers players appears to have been overlooked. Sony’s backtrack seems more like an attempt to save face in the wake of monumental public outcry. Hundreds of thousands of individuals review bombed the game, and countless others, even those who didn’t own the game, voiced their opinions on the matter or reported on it.
Even though they claimed to reverse their decision, Sony still prevents the sale of the game in regions where PSN accounts are prohibited, and they have even increased the number of restricted countries after the fact.
Their upcoming title, Ghost of Tsushima, is a single-player game and is also restricted from being purchased in 177 different countries. While the community celebrated victory when the decision was supposedly reversed, Sony’s stance remains firm.
Sony is one of my most hated companies for their hypocritical stance on censorship. While they have actively intervened in Japanese game developers’ content, particularly regarding fanservice, they have simultaneously promoted and released mature-rated games featuring nudity and realistic depictions of sex.
The company’s double standard has become increasingly evident as it has consistently imposed censorship on Asian developers for over a decade. Sony’s enforcement of these policies has significantly impacted titles such as Stellar Blade with a day one censorship patch and demanding the artbook for Tsukihime: A Piece of Blue Glass Moon be censored for its PS4 release.
Sony is often criticized for its actions that seem to suppress Japanese creativity while promoting a progressive agenda tailored for global audiences. There’s a noticeable hypocrisy in how individuals react to depictions of “anime girls” showing even a hint of skin, often labeling such content as pedophilic or objectifying women. However, these same individuals may enthusiastically support games that sexualize male characters or explore queer relationships.
It’s not unexpected that the company hasn’t fully reversed their decision on the PSN mandate, considering that Helldivers 2 is still blocked in 177 countries even a week later.
This situation, especially when it affects games like Ghost of Tsushima, provides further justification for piracy. If Sony is going to restrict access to half the world simply because of PSN requirements for online components even in SINGLE PLAYER titles, there’s little reason to support them financially.
