Sony Defends "Welcome Back" Reward Choices

[AetherWolf]

...But with the PSN Plus, aren't a few Playstation Classics free too?

Last I checked the original Spyro the Dragon was free with a Plus subscription.

 

[Captain_M]

If you already have all of the games that PSN is offering for free, then you have nothing to complain about, because obviously you have more money than I do. (Or perhaps a serious game addiction issue. Perhaps that's why PSN's downtime was also such a problem. Go on and soul search on that one.) Additionally, there are strategic ways to use the one free month of Playstation plus. Like, say, oh, I dunno, gee, getting a bunch of downloadable games on the Playstation store for half price before it expires. All drawbacks have opportunities, and all opportunities have drawbacks.

 

[Schadrach]

People are HONESTLY complaining about receiving FREE games?

Maybe they should learn: don't look at gift horse in the mouth.

They could have offered a somewhat wider selection on the free games, or maybe even "any two Sony first party titles (these don't really cost them anything except for potential lost sales, since the publisher they'd have to pay a cut to is themselves) available on PSN at the date PSN Store comes back up"? That second one would do less to kill retail value on the titles by distributing the price depression across more titles, while also cutting the odds that someone would be unhappy that they, you know, were too good of a customer in the past and so don't get the same "Welcome Back!" goodies as everyone else.

I don't really have much of a choice in the offering, I'm going to get a second copy of something I already own on disc, because I have no other option aside from not redeeming the second game at all.

 

[masticina]

It is a good list.. I mean yes they are great games! If you don't yet have any one of these titles it is a great way to get two of them for "free" [well a gift for Sony being in trouble that is].

They could have offer.. $5 off on a stupid 2 hour PSN DLC game.. No they offer 5 choices of what you can pick two GREAT games. So on that point they did what they could.

 

[headshotcatcher]

People are HONESTLY complaining about receiving FREE games?

Maybe they should learn: don't look at gift horse in the mouth.

Not so sure I'd call stolen credit card information or leaked personal data a gift-anything. Also, free doesn't exactly make up for the aforementioned non-gifty things that happened because Sony was asleep at the helm.

There aren't even any reports of money getting stolen yet, so yeahh..

Because stolen personal information always and immediately results in stolen money? Really? I thought Identity theft was something people worried about. I though people would dislike having their names and personal information sold or misused by others. Shows what I know...

Don't worry, it could happen to the best of us

 

[Adam28]

Although I am definitely pleased with what Sony EU is offering me, having owned only LittleBigPlanet. I can still see why some people would be a little disappointed, some people prefer discs and may not wan't to trade in their games for a download, that and they may have bought the games off the PSN store (since all of them I believe were available prior to the network going down).

 

[LobsterFeng]

Wait, where do I get this free stuff, do I just go to the Playstation store or something?

 

[electric_warrior]

I wanted LBP and inFamous when they came out but was put off by the cost, so this is a great outcome for me. I don't even use PSN very often!

 

[The_Tron]

while I admit these free games are quality releases, it just bugs me that the games they're offering I already own. So my "sorry for screwing up" reward is kinda pointless. Honestly I'd just prefer another month of playstation plus free. I don't wanna sound ungrateful, just like they said, there's no way they can please everyone.

 

[Blunderman]

Sony is under no obligation to provide anyone with either the PS3 console or PSN. All dweebs with an embarrassing sense of entitlement kindly build yourselves a bridge and get over it.

 

[poiuppx]

...Did he just say inFamous is a high quality game?!

Spoiler: I have only one reaction to that statement.

Last time I checked, high quality games don't have mediocre, dreadfully bland third person shooter gameplay, terrible characters, an even more terrible plot, and some of the worst "choices" ever offered inside a game.

But anyway, as I just got done saying in another thread, I don't care about the list of free games being mostly old stuff that all the loyal fans likely already have and is partially designed to get people to spend more money. I never wanted free games from them anyway and am happy to not download any of them or use any of the PS+ subscription.

...well, good to see the spirit of 'This is my opinion, which makes it pure undeniable fact' is alive and well. I liked inFamous, it's a AAA title, and it sold pretty damn well but it's not like it was a game EVERYONE owned. If someone hasn't played it, then hey, this is a damn good deal for them.

Ugh, I just don't get it. What do people expect Sony to do, open the vaults and offer every game they've ever even tangentally produced to be made free forever to appoligize? There's only so much you can do to appoligize from the actual console side, and I think this is a damn good attempt at it. Besides, with this much variety, unless you are INSANELY hardcore and buy/play EVERYTHING, there's bound to be for most at least two titles they haven't tried. Which now you get. For free.

I honestly think some gamers won't be pleased until they see the CEO of Sony give away all his money and then freaking gut himself with a chainsaw in penance. And even then, some might say that because he didn't use a larger chainsaw, it doesn't count.

 

[poiuppx]

I have a few problems
1) Most die hard sony fans likely own all whopping FIVE games they're offering. Couldn't they have broadened the selection a bit? Why not just give us all $50 to spend on the play station store or something instead of deciding for us what we want?

2) The Playstation PLUS thing feels like a total marketing ploy instead of an "I'm Sorry" gift. It's sony's way of tring to lure in more customers into paying monthly fees. "Oh, what's that? After 30 days all that content disappeared? Guess you'd better sign up for playstation plus to get it back!"

THe second point is one I take a lot of issue with. First off, everyone who already has it is getting free time on top of their existing subscription, which is a boon to them. And secondly, just how many of those free games which would be the ones to vanish would take you more than a month to play through? I'll admit, speaking as someone who prefers to own physical copies of everything and replay stuff at my leisure, but the idea of being able to, for that month, just basically decide 'Screw it, I wanna play Spyro', and both download it and do so without cost... I'm sorry, but I don't see the downside in getting a free month of discounts and access to a handful of free games.

Heck, I take a bit of issue with the first part, too. Given the popularity of the games on offer, this is on par with Microsoft going 'Y'know, we messed up, and want to make it right. Who wants some free Halo games, or a free Fable title?'. Plus, short of basically owing millions upon millions of dollars to a third party developer or fifty, they really are limited to their own stock of titles. And honestly, I'd rather that money went into their online security and helping track down those responsible so this can't happen again. Wouldn't you?

 

[Strixvaliano]

People need to stop crying about what Sony is offering. They should be happy Sony is offering them anything since they were a victim in this more so then everyone else.

 

[Stone Golem]

humm

i own 2 of these games, have compleated 4 of them and really couldent care less about LBP

The problem i have is that they are only offering the choice of 5 games. Not saying that its a bad list but a wider selection would of been nice.

How about access to some of the older titles?

God Of War 1/2 and FF7 - 9 jump to mind or how about a couple of Indie games?

 

[psicat]

Greedy people out there if they actually complain about free games.

It's nothing to do with being greedy. People are complaining because all the games they are giving out are 3-4 years old and so the majority of PS3 owners already have them. I think Sony chose these games for that very reason, they knew most people would already have them and so they wouldn't have to give out as much free games.

If Sony really cared about their fan base and wanted to give away free goods, they would have gave away fairly new games that most people don't already own.

They've given PS3 owners far more than they were liable for and people still want more. Sounds like greed to me, or childish entitlement.

 

[Matthew Lynch]

By all means http://www.computerandvideogames.com/300332/news/sony-was-using-outdated-security-and-no-firewall-for-psn-says-security-expert/?cid=OTC-RSS&attr=CVG-General-RSS

This was debunked on several websites, you know.

http://www.dualshockers.com/2011/05/08/another-day-another-rumor-about-sonys-security-debunked/

With the site linking here, which has further evidence that this wasn't true: http://forum.beyond3d.com/showpost.php?p=1549251&postcount=491

This is not the best link I could find, there was one where an investigation revealed the claim was false. As was said by Spasford, 'I have no information about what protections they had in place, although some news reports indicate that Sony was running software that was badly out of date, and had been warned about that risk.'

The guy didn't know that for a fact, it was merely words-as was debated on several websites, this sort of sensationalized information should not be taken at face value.

I'm surprised at that. CVG is the main gaming magazine in the UK...ah well...I'm willing to admit I was mistaken...but I still think the welcome back package is a bit stupid...they cvould have offered some semi new games instead of ones that every PS3 owner and the owners dog and the owners dogs squeaky toy owns already.

 

[Skyy High]

Wait, wait, wait...people are upset with the game selection? I mean...c'mon. All of the games on offer are great, but they aren't enough?

 

[Alphakirby]

People are HONESTLY complaining about receiving FREE games?

Maybe they should learn: don't look at gift horse in the mouth.

Yeah,they are complaining about not just getting free games,but GOOD free games. I'm getting inFAMOUS and Wipeout HD+Fury.
The main complaints are "OMGZ,I ALREADY OWN THIS GAME,TAHT MAK3Z THIS L1ZT TEH FAILZ!!!11!11"
Seriously,some people are the most self intitled little shits.
I think this sums my feeling on the whiners.

 

[Riobux]

I'm sorry, but this is free stuff that you can optionally claim. Sony could of just reopened the online service and not bother with giving people anything as an apology. Anyone complaining is either trolling or still sore their father bought them a blue £30,000 car and not a red £30,000 car.