After announcing their intention to “persuade” PC players into buying a PlayStation console by limiting the releases of single-player titles, Sony has now revealed that God of War: Ragnarok will be released on PC on September 19th.
However, there’s a catch. Previously, Sony previously exploited the success of its surprise hit Helldivers 2, a live service game, by requiring PC players to create a PlayStation Network account for “moderation purposes.” In response, the Helldivers 2 community review-bombed the game, resulting in hundreds of thousands of negative reviews.
Sony eventually retracted their PSN mandate but kept the game unavailable for purchase in over 170 countries where creating a PlayStation Network account wasn’t possible or required a personalized ID.
Sony then applied this mandate to their next PC release, Ghost of Tsushima, which requires a PSN account to play its relatively small online “Legends” component. Despite being primarily a single-player title, Ghost of Tsushima was barred from sale in over 170 countries due to the PSN mandate.
Despite being primarily a single-player title, Ghost of Tsushima was barred from sale in over 170 countries due to the PSN mandate required for its online mode.
Would you like to guess where I’m going with this? God of War Ragnarok, the underwhelming cinematic sequel to the God of War reboot, was designed in consultation with Sweet Baby Inc.
The game lacks any online component or multiplayer mode, being purely a third-person, over-the-shoulder, button-mashing interactive movie that features a race-swapped depiction of Angrboda and a disgusting fat Thor.
Despite this, the absence of an online component in the game is irrelevant, as Sony will still require PC players to create a PlayStation Network account to play God of War Ragnarok.
Coincidentally, this also means that God of War Ragnarok will be barred from sale in over 170 countries. This further demonstrates Sony’s agenda with the PlayStation brand, as they seem desperate to push PC players into their own ecosystem.
By requiring PlayStation Network accounts, they not only gain the ability to ban problematic PC players but also expand their surveillance on more users.
Sony’s recent hit sensation, Helldivers 2, took the company by surprise. The live service game, free from modern tropes like egregious microtransactions and political messaging, resonated with players simply for being fun.
Remarkably, the game managed to outsell Sony’s own first-party titles, such as Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, in half the time.
Helldivers 2 released back in early February and had sold over 12 million copies as of May 5th. More copies than Sony’s own single-player titles in a fraction of the time.
Due to Helldivers 2’s immense success, with half of its players on PC, Sony sees an opportunity to encroach upon the PC ecosystem and potentially monetize it. This is why they now mandate creating and linking a PSN account even on games that have no multiplayer functionality.
Sony’s strategy aims to push PC players into buying a PlayStation console, hoping the PC community will rush to purchase a $500 device, along with mandatory monthly subscription fees, to access a sparse library of regressive sequels to games they previously enjoyed.
Meanwhile, their live-service titles will be released on PC from day one, hoping to replicate Helldivers 2’s success with upcoming games like Concord.
Sony’s motto, “Play Has No Limits,” starkly contrasts with reality. The company readily intervenes and demands censorship of games that don’t meet the globalized standards required for BlackRock’s ESG financing. Recent examples include Tsukihime and Princess Maker 2 Regeneration.
Despite claiming that “Play Has No Limits,” Sony is willing to exclude their games from sale in 177 countries worldwide simply because they force PC gamers to create a PlayStation Network account.
The upcoming release of God of War Ragnarok, a purely single-player experience from start to finish, will be subjected to the same requirement. Unlike Ghost of Tsushima, which had an online component, there is no justification for this mandate in God of War Ragnarok.
Sony will not stop. They’ll continue to become more bold and brave in an attempt to encroach upon PC players by forcing them into accepting their ecosystem, I know it sounds retarded but the prospect of Sony attempting to charge PC players with PlayStation Plus subscription becomes even more audacious and likely with each subsequent game they release on the PC platform.
On the plus side, Sony tends to be negligent with DRM protection for its PC game releases, likely because they are maximizing their overheads. They don’t invest in DENUVO anti-tamper DRM, which is why their PC releases are often time-gated to create hype and encourage double-dipping on sales. Sony’s library of cinematic “exclusives” costs hundreds of millions of dollars to develop, requiring them to sell millions of copies just to break even.
This financial pressure often leads them to bundle these games with consoles to drive sales and attract more casual gamers into subscribing to a monthly service to access online features, it’s not financial viable for them to maintain this stance, they will ultimately cave to PC players in due time.
God of War Ragnarok faced criticism for its lackluster narrative compared to its predecessor. It was heavily criticized for adhering to the modern PlayStation exclusive formula, which often feels like playing an interactive movie with simplistic one-two button attack combinations.
Personally, I wouldn’t even bother pirating the game, as I’d prefer to keep my PC free from any involvement with Sweet Baby Inc.
However, for those who still wish to play God of War Ragnarok, the only conceivable and morally conscious option might be to pirate the game instead. Sony has arbitrarily restricted the game from being sold in over 170 countries to force PC players into creating a PlayStation Network account, even for single-player titles like this.
They do not deserve your patronage.
