Here are a few discord comments about the situation from the Helldivers 2 discord:

  • @[email protected]
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    10014 days ago

    It’s insane to me that this is a hill Sony is willing to die on. So much goodwill to throw away just to collect a bit more data on users.

    Just remember, if they’re willing to enforce this nonsense, you can be sure that there will be more nonsense to come. “Sorry everyone, Sony decided we need lootboxes! But our team is on the side of the players!”

    I hate modern AAA games, I’m gonna go try out that new Stardew Valley update.

    • @[email protected]
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      2513 days ago

      Someone high up will probably lose a lot of face if it doesn’t go through. I’m assuming someone looked at numbers in a spreadsheet and asked why on earth do they have a huge pool of data they can’t legally use to enhance their ad targeting - when the developers said it might be a problem with our users they said fuck them, just ram it through. How do they backpedal without looking like out of touch idiots?

    • @[email protected]
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      513 days ago

      Does goodwill even really mean anything? I keep seeing the arguments that say “X company is cashing in their goodwill” etc. But I honestly don’t think the average person who plays AAA games give a shit about a company’s track record. If that was the case Nintendo would’ve bankrupted by now. People will probably preorder the ultimate super deluxe edition of the PS6 or god of war as soon as sony announces them.

    • @[email protected]
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      513 days ago

      It’s not even much data at all. A game dev friend of mine took a look at what is shared through Steam’s own API, and it’s just a unique ID basically verifying that the steam account belongs to that steam user. The worst they can do with that is ask if the user already owns this or that game, likely just from the same publisher.

      They probably just want the ability to better ban people if they are griefing other players (or make sure people can’t cheat their way to more super credits)

      The whole thing is such a nothing burger from sony’s part, it makes it even more absurd that they’re doing this!

      • lazynooblet
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        613 days ago

        I’ve seen this said a few times. Armed with the steam id already, what does having the PSN account improve on?

        If they can get a new steam account, they can get a new anything account.

        • @[email protected]
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          113 days ago

          If I had to guess, I’m guessing it would add another layer that MOST griefers aren’t willing to go through, but let’s be honest… Look at the shit show here. No amount of ban control has to be worth getting your game delisted in 170 countries :P

    • @[email protected]
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      313 days ago

      Honestly I’m scared for Destiny 2. The game’s on the verge of death already and it’s just awaiting a nail in the coffin, which Sony could deliver at any time.

      • @[email protected]
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        713 days ago

        did you happen to miss when they made the original content and the first couple dlc’s unavailable to play and refused to give refunds for it? Bungie can fucking die in a hole and destiny 2 has been a trash fire for years already

  • @[email protected]
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    9013 days ago

    Their business plan is forcing people to create a free account and shut people out from sales?

    Being an Executive in a huge Corp must be the easiest job in the world. How can you come up with this idea, and get paid for it?

  • @[email protected]
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    6214 days ago

    Wow, they’re really burning down all of that good will, huh? It’s like a car crash, you can’t help but to keep looking at it.

    • @[email protected]
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      4314 days ago

      Im totally with arrowhead here. I wasnt aware of PSN being banned in countries either and at least theyre trying their best to make it right again. I dont think theyre burning goodwill, sony is though.

      • @[email protected]
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        2313 days ago

        I’m with Arrowhead as well, none of this shit is coming from them, it’s coming from Sony. The most you can criticize them for is partnering with Sony in the first place.

        • @[email protected]
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          413 days ago

          I think it’s pretty shitty from Arrowhead as well, because they knew six months in advance that PSN requirement was going to happen and said nothing. That should’ve been stated front and center when people bought the game.

        • @[email protected]
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          13 days ago

          Considering this and No Man’s Sky having to spend YEARS clawing back good will, I think the lesson here is “don’t make deals with AAA publishers”.

    • @[email protected]
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      1113 days ago

      Lol, what goodwill? Sony has been on my shitlist since the music rootkit debacle that bricked a bunch of CD players.

      • @[email protected]
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        413 days ago

        Came to the comments to say exactly this. The rootkit debacle was the end of the road for me and Sony. They’re still exactly the same company, and this move proves it.

  • Eggyhead
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    4014 days ago

    Sony really wanting become a player on PC and realizing they’re a console company.

  • @[email protected]
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    1913 days ago

    A Japanese business making stupid business decisions? Why I never…

    Unfortunately, this will probably scuttle the game, if another company can get a similar game out in a reasonable time frame it’s probably GG.

  • naticus
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    1114 days ago

    Spitz isn’t a dev, they’re a Community Manager, and a tone deaf one at that.

    • @[email protected]
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      4114 days ago

      Community manager or not,he still has a Vested interest in the games success. I think this is pretty clearly a Sony being shitty thing. I hope they are trying to find a better answer because I like Helldivers but I’m also not willing to deal with Sonys bullshit.

      • naticus
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        914 days ago

        My saying they’re a CM isn’t my giving them a pass. But dev vs CM is an important distinction regardless. A CM should know how to address people publicly and not incite even more rage by belittling people’s concerns. The only apology they gave so far was the most non-apology you could imagine too.

        • @[email protected]
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          913 days ago

          I don’t disagree, but they also can’t give a real apology without pissing off the publisher who can shut it all down period. They’re damned if the do and damned if they don’t.

        • Zekas
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          013 days ago

          Could you please whine another paragraph about something if possible even more trivial?

    • @pro_grammerOP
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      414 days ago

      thanks, fixed the text a little bit.

    • Karyoplasma
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      13 days ago

      Imagine being a Community Manager and having no idea how the bullshit your publisher wants to pull off affects your community but still initially siding with them lol

      Must be a fucking easy job.

  • @[email protected]
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    413 days ago

    I bought this game, installed it, then the next day the announced this bullshit. Refunded without even loading it up. Added Sony to my do not buy from list. Hard pass.

  • voxel
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    -2713 days ago

    tbh fuck them. steam does not sell games in these regions anyway

    • Enkrod
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      13 days ago

      Bullshit, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia are EU countries, people bought HD2 and now can’t legally play anymore. Steam has already issued refunds to some.

      • voxel
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        013 days ago

        huh i thought this was limited to regions like russia, belorus, china, etc but yeah fuck sony/arrowhead then

        • @[email protected]
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          813 days ago

          Cool that you think other human beings shouldn’t be able to get content only because they were born in some arbitrary location on earth.

          • voxel
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            13 days ago

            I’m very strongly against anything being sold in russia, with sold being the keyword. they should ideally be completely financially isolated

            and well bans in countries like china are imposed by the country/govt itself rather than the developers/publishers