Helldivers 2 Community actually made Sony cave

M

madpawn119

n00b
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
Messages
21
https://x.com/PlayStation/status/1787331667616829929

Tweet says playstation
"Helldivers fans -- we’ve heard your feedback on the Helldivers 2 account linking update. The May 6 update, which would have required Steam and PlayStation Network account linking for new players and for current players beginning May 30, will not be moving forward.We’re still learning what is best for PC players and your feedback has been invaluable. Thanks again for your continued support of Helldivers 2 and we’ll keep you updated on future plans."

For context: Late last week it was announced that all Steam PC players would need to sign up for a PSN (Playstation Network) account. Apparently only 69 countries can actually sign up for a PSN account. Using a VPN would result in a ban.

Just nice to see a community actually getting a large entity to listen to their concerns.
 
Oh good.

Ill be honest, i know its my fault but i dont read everything agree to for a video game. So i actually had no idea this was going to be a requirement. My natural reaction is skip for create account and yes to you must agree to this after you already paid for it stuff.

Seriously though, why are the terms for car loans less pages than a video game?

Helldivers 2 eula is 3400 words gtfo.
 
I found out this morning that the studio knew that PSN linking was coming, but if I heard why they didn't enforce that on release, I've forgotten. That doesn't reflect well on them.

I read yesterday that Sony was refusing refunds, but Steam was granting them. That's probably what tipped Sony--the company who's put rootkits on game install CDs--into backing down.

madpawn119 said:
Apparently only 69 countries can actually sign up for a PSN account.
Click to expand...
I said elsewhere last night: "Good news, Sony fixed the problem for people who live in countries where PSN isn't available, by delisting the game on Steam on those countries."
 
1_rick said:
I found out this morning that the studio knew that PSN linking was coming, but if I heard why they didn't enforce that on release, I've forgotten. That doesn't reflect well on them.
Click to expand...
It was something to do with server load is why they didn't add it.
1_rick said:
I said elsewhere last night: "Good news, Sony fixed the problem for people who live in countries where PSN isn't available, by delisting the game on Steam on those countries."
Click to expand...
I know it doesn't look good for arrowhead, but when the contract was signed 8 years ago the PSN login was not stipulated in the contract. Arrowhead was going along with it so Playstation could do all the tickets and moderation. Arrowhead has 4 people assigned to that job and they simply can't keep up. I'm sure they will come up with a better solution and on without a PSN account.
 
1_rick said:
I found out this morning that the studio knew that PSN linking was coming, but if I heard why they didn't enforce that on release, I've forgotten. That doesn't reflect well on them.

I read yesterday that Sony was refusing refunds, but Steam was granting them. That's probably what tipped Sony--the company who's put rootkits on game install CDs--into backing down.


I said elsewhere last night: "Good news, Sony fixed the problem for people who live in countries where PSN isn't available, by delisting the game on Steam on those countries."
Click to expand...
It was enforced on launch.

https://hardforum.com/threads/helldivers-ii.2028063/post-1045877620
 
Armenius said:
It was enforced on launch.

https://hardforum.com/threads/helldivers-ii.2028063/post-1045877620
Click to expand...
The thing about the verbiage in that screenshot is that it doesn't really imply that it would be enforced to where if you can't link, you can't play the game. It just says later users will be asked to "TRY" to link their account again.

Plus, none of that really addresses the issue of the 100+ countries without legitimate PSN access still being able to purchase the game at launch. Should never have been sold to those countries in the first place if this was going to be forced from the start.
 
Its good that Sony realized that this was a horrible decision, especially when they approved the game for sale in many countries on PC that are not permitted to make PSN accounts (and we're not only talking North Korea / Russia / China here where the restrictions come from that country's side, but plenty of other places - I saw a user from Estonia, one of the most broadband friendly countries in Europe discussing the lack of PSN support) thereby making the only option for such an enforced policy is "Use a VPN and hope you dont get caught, Sony banning your PSN account and likely HD2 as well". As far a the review bombng on Steam, I can't say how much of a role it played , but I'm willing to bet that between Steam giving refunds, the delisting of the game in regions that can't make a PSN account (beancounters at Sony could easily see how many copies were sold in PSN-free places and exactly how much money and player base they were turning down with this choice), and similar likely played a greater role. Still, its good that they're reversing course; there were similar PR issues with the announcement pre-launch of the rootkit/ring0/low level anticheat nProtect GameGuard, but they unfortunately did not revert THAT decision - though I am hopeful maybe after the first year they will not re-up the subscription to it, given it was already paid previous to launch. I must admit however that Arrowhead is doing a surprisingly good job managing it though, as HD2 is perhaps the first or second title known to be using it where Linux and Proton/WINE users are supported.

I'm glad people are pointing the majority of their animosity toward Sony as opposed to Arrowhead on this, but ultimately the supposed rationale of Sony needing PSN to handle support tickets is skeptical to say the least. While I grant that the massive success of HD2 means it may be hard for Arrowhead's smaller staff to handle all the issues with internal CSRs, the existing publisher and close relation with Sony owning the Helldivers IP , the PSN integration and cross-platform etc.. lean it more to other reasons on Sony's side. There are many ways that Sony could handle CSR work for tickets on HD2 without making each user create a PSN account on PC. Users being skeptical and accusing Sony of attempting to pursue invasive data mining through requiring each PC player to create a PSN/link it is not an unrealistic concern, no matter how they claim it was just to take over customer support duties. Clearly with the reverting of this requirement they'll be making use of alternate means of customer support (its entierly possible to do so in a B2B way between Arrowhead and Sony, without each individual user having a PSN account just for that. Something like game keys, whatever hashes that HD2 clients use connecting to each other, the bridge between PSN based PS5 users and Steam based PC users etc..there are lots of ways to have account identifiers if someone looks, completely transparent as far as the player is concerned). , but that will be a wise decision to not have to deal with the bad PR, refunds, removed listings in many countries that would have otherwise been offering sales etc.

Helldivers 2 is in a strange place, balancing on the razor's edge of company approval. Players will be vehement in their condemnation of certain behaviors like this, but the game itself is good and it honestly seems like Arrowhead is for the moment giving an open handed approach - which means people are willing to put up a certain amount of BS because its frankly so unusual for a "live service" game not to be a monetization exploitative hellstorm. I hope that Sony doen't pressure them to make stupid decisions (like reducing the amount of SuperCredits you can unlock by playing the game. At the moment its quite reasonable playing well, and yes a minor amount of people willing to grind in very specific ways can a ton of them, but that's such a small part of the playerbase that its just not worth punishing everyone else and losing all that goodwill to crack down on a few people who are willing to spend hours farming credits), but for now it seems that Arrowhead is holding the line, adding new content at a reasonable pace, and overall its just quite fun. However, the community will hopefully demonstrate that this acclaim is not unconditional and they need to keep a level of service in spite of voices who want to squeeze every bit of short term profit no matter the effect on the game or its playerbase.
 
Last edited:
Democracy and liberty has prevailed. 😁 It was possibly the dumbest game Sony could have tried to pull this stunt on. For months people have been learning to work together against a common foe, building passion for the game, and now that this shit was about to happen they turned that energy against Sony.

Personally for me the PSN requirement is of no consequence, I own PS5 and a paid PSN account (free games makes it worth it even if I do not play online), but if I were Estonian... Bloody hell they are practically our brothers just accross the pond south of here, such a short distance that I could almost swim there from Helsinki port to Tallinn. Estonia is pretty much just as developed country as Finland is when it comes to computers and online stuff, it makes no sense why they cannot make a PSN account. They would have been left out if Sony decided to be stubborn donkeys, along with 120 or so other countries.
 
I did my part and already changed my review to positive. Even though I linked my acct at launch to my old PS3 era PSN acct, so it didn't really bother me. I'm glad Sony dialed it back so quickly because this would have impacted my wife, family, and friends had they not.
 
Last edited:
Hurray for internet solving fake problems.. when legit problems with the game still exist... Good effort guys. (y)
 
Dion said:
Hurray for internet solving fake problems.. when legit problems with the game still exist... Good effort guys. (y)
Click to expand...
Sony is who has to take care of the account merging.

Gameplay mechanics is the developers responsibility.

These are separate things, and just because the mower is broke doesn't mean you shouldn't fix the leaky sink.
 
Dion said:
Hurray for internet solving fake problems.. when legit problems with the game still exist... Good effort guys. (y)
Click to expand...

It's not a fake problem.

It's literally revoking you being able to play, having already purchased the game and having been playing, depending on where you live.

It was a _major_ issue in the making
 
So where are those guys now who insist we shouldn't complain about anything, just shut up and consume? I'm hoping you join the "raging nerds" and start speaking up about problems from now on.
 
Dion said:
Hurray for internet solving fake problems.. when legit problems with the game still exist... Good effort guys. (y)
Click to expand...

Firstly, I'm sure the people from over a hundred different countries suddenly losing the ability to play the game without breaking the TOS seen this as more than a "Fake problem".

Secondly, Arrowhead had nothing to do with this, this was a publisher stipulation (see Sony) they had no control over. Hell even SELLING the game in countries that they couldn't sign up for without breaking Sony's own TOS is enough to be pissed at Sony over this. (Again this is the publishers job, not AH)

Thirdly, even if this was AH problem the devs that fix patches probably still wouldn't have anything to do with fixing this. Chances are the devs behind game mechanics don't handle the backend authentication or account systems.

Not a hard concept
 
Last edited:
Helldiver 2 devs already said counties that can't create PSN accounts won't be affected... Like i said.. FAKE problems.
 
M76 said:
So where are those guys now who insist we shouldn't complain about anything, just shut up and consume? I'm hoping you join the "raging nerds" and start speaking up about problems from now on.
Click to expand...
not all of us have nerd rage....
 
Dion said:
Helldiver 2 devs already said counties that can't create PSN accounts won't be affected... Like i said.. FAKE problems.
Click to expand...

Where and when it was said that? Last time I checked they did not know what was going to happen to those in countries without PSN and were desperate to reach out to Sony for clarification and hopes to reverse the decision. Even fricking Steam pulled the game from being sold in those countries.
 
MaZa said:
Where and when it was said that? Last time I checked they did not know what was going to happen to those in countries without PSN and were desperate to reach out to Sony for clarification and hopes to reverse the decision. Even fricking Steam pulled the game from being sold in those countries.
Click to expand...
Probably in the Discord where nobody can see it.
 
Dion said:
Helldiver 2 devs already said counties that can't create PSN accounts won't be affected... Like i said.. FAKE problems.
Click to expand...

Yet that violates equality. Why do those of us in PSN account allowed countries have to sign up? They clearly aren't needed to play the game or do crossplay with the ps5.
 
Can we just go back to not having a account and launcher for every single piece of software? I'm sick and tired of having accounts and launchers all over the place. Can't I just install something and use it like a normal person?
 
HockeyJon said:
Can we just go back to not having a account and launcher for every single piece of software? I'm sick and tired of having accounts and launchers all over the place. Can't I just install something and use it like a normal person?
Click to expand...
That would mean we need to get rid of Steam, just so you know. And you still need a GOG account to buy and download their standalone installers. I also don't miss needing to set aside up to 2 hours to install a game from a disc or discs, which is how long it took to install the last physical game I purchased for PC (Bioshock Infinite). With games now getting up to 100GB or larger, installing games from discs would be an absolute nightmare. Downloading digital copies is much faster than physical installation.
 
Armenius said:
Probably in the Discord where nobody can see it.
Click to expand...

AFAIK in the Discord there are only their community managers, PR guys, and they are not exactly more privy for information than their bloody CEO is, a person who was in the middle of this and who originally decided that they should drop the PSN requirement when it was not working properly when the game launched.
 
MaZa said:
Where and when it was said that? Last time I checked they did not know what was going to happen to those in countries without PSN and were desperate to reach out to Sony for clarification and hopes to reverse the decision. Even fricking Steam pulled the game from being sold in those countries.
Click to expand...
The actual CEO of AH did not know what to do for people who were in countries without PSN. Here's the CEO's response (pilestedt) on twitter before Sony walked this all back.

1715112472578.png


If the AH CEO says he didn't know what to do, then how would AH put out official messaging that those same regional customers would be "unaffected." I haven't seen that messaging anywhere either. It doesn't make sense because it totally contradicts the CEOs response. Sounds like Dion has bad intel.
 
Last edited:
Dion said:
Helldiver 2 devs already said counties that can't create PSN accounts won't be affected... Like i said.. FAKE problems.
Click to expand...
It wasn't a fake problem. The game was literally pulled from Steam, for countries which can't use PSN. And people in those same countries whom already owned the game, would not be able to play.

Thankfully, Sony was quick to rethink their approach, and restored the game for purchase and play, after the weekend rioting.
 
chameleoneel said:
It wasn't a fake problem. The game was literally pulled from Steam, for countries which can't use PSN. And people in those same countries whom already owned the game, would not be able to play.

Thankfully, Sony was quick to rethink their approach, and restored the game for purchase and play, after the weekend rioting.
Click to expand...
You see, it's only a real problem if he has to pull his head from his own ass to deal with it. If it doesnt affect him then it's "fake", despite even the ceo of AH saying they had no idea wtf to do at the time.
 
Armenius said:
That would mean we need to get rid of Steam, just so you know. And you still need a GOG account to buy and download their standalone installers. I also don't miss needing to set aside up to 2 hours to install a game from a disc or discs, which is how long it took to install the last physical game I purchased for PC (Bioshock Infinite). With games now getting up to 100GB or larger, installing games from discs would be an absolute nightmare. Downloading digital copies is much faster than physical installation.
Click to expand...

It doesn’t mean we need to give up Steam at all. I buy games on Steam that STILL require another launcher to open up when I click to play it, which is wholly unnecessary, as would be the creation of an additional account to play a game I’ve already bought on Steam.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top