News God of War Ragnarok PC port suffers review bombing on Steam due to PlayStation Network account requirement

[Admin]

God of War Ragnarok's PC port has been tainted by a PSN account requirement, at least according to the backlash it's getting on Steam.

God of War Ragnarok PC port suffers review bombing on Steam due to PlayStation Network account requirement : Read more

 

[koseke3410]

I am sorry but how's that a "review bombing"? It's perception like this that downplays the problem.

It is a genuine feedback from customers who PURCHASED the game and want to play it (or attempt to).

The game people buy is a sum of all its parts, not just story & graphics.
The "packaging" (ie. publisher's crap) is unavoidable part of the purchase and negative feedback about it is as valid as "bad graphics", or "poor story" etc
Having to jump through extra hoops to play the game is unacceptable and unjustifiable in this case (single player game).

If you think it's not that bad, think of some edge cases where you need to provide scan of you ID/Passport to play the game if Sony account registration fails!!!

in a similar manner, if you book a dinner in a specific restaurant but on arrival they tell you that you actually have to go to another restaurant across the town, not the one you book with, then you sit down to order but they say they need to scan your ID/Passport before you can actually start eating ... would you rate the restaurant positive? No matter how great the food was, I wouldn't.

 

[Konomi]

People complain about it, yet still buy the game even though it says an account is required. Nothing new there. Have they tried not buying the game? Sony can ignore reviews, but can't ignore lack of sales.

 

[TheBeastInside]

Actually, no sales usually convinces execs to not do ports and justify that with numbers.
So buying and providing feedback is the only way to be heard in this case.
If they weren't another bunch of standard greedy corps, they would've considered that this is an annoyance to users.
It feels like many companies don't care much these days about what buyers want (or defnitely dont want), try to be pushy up front and apologize later or bring the more user friendly decision to the product.

 

[canadianvice]

It is well then. This use of third party crap has to end. I'll admit, a login is the lesser sin, but it reeks of the "please install my store for one game you bought elsewhere" cancer that I wish so much would be attacked with the same enthusiasm the real condition is.

They'll never do it, but I genuinely wish valve would make it a policy, and by extension other stores, that no game sold on the platform was allowed to require installation of an independent storefront.

Anyway, more aligned with the article, I genuinely hope that Sony learns by the endless vindictiveness of jilted PC players, and these anti-consumer trends begin reversing.

Let the peasants lick the boot.

 

[ivan_vy]

"Requires 3rd-Party Account: PlayStation Network (Supports Linking to Steam Account)" still people buy the game and complain it needs a 3rd party account. Have they tried Not to buy the game?

 

[thestryker]

While I don't care about them requiring an account I don't understand why this isn't similar to Ghosts of Tsushima where it was optional. I'm assuming it's part of their push to sync achievements and all that sort of nonsense. They can pull performance metrics and all that without an account and many games do that already.

I've noticed as time goes on the gaming crowd has gotten extra tribal despite the actual damage having been done decades ago when Valve started walling things behind Steam.

 

[Sluggotg]

I bought Half Life 2 on release day. It was not a fun experience installing. It took hours and I had to Join their new "Steam" thing and had to be logged into Steam to play the Single Player Game. They publicly said you would not have to be logged in to play. That was not true. I spent 3 months working with Valve to try to play it without being actively logged into Steam. Their last suggestion was to remove my Network card when playing HL2.
Eventually I could play even if the internet was down that day. Yes I still have my Steam Account, (I prefer GOG), it is a good service. but No where on the game packaging does it say, "Must Join Steam and Must be Logged in, to Play this Single Player Game".

So, yep, I do not like single player games that require Log in or stay logged in for DRM. If they only require a Log in check every once in a while, that is fine.

 

[TheyCallMeContra]

I am sorry but how's that a "review bombing"? It's perception like this that downplays the problem.

It is a genuine feedback from customers who PURCHASED the game and want to play it (or attempt to).

The game people buy is a sum of all its parts, not just story & graphics.
The "packaging" (ie. publisher's crap) is unavoidable part of the purchase and negative feedback about it is as valid as "bad graphics", or "poor story" etc
Having to jump through extra hoops to play the game is unacceptable and unjustifiable in this case (single player game).

If you think it's not that bad, think of some edge cases where you need to provide scan of you ID/Passport to play the game if Sony account registration fails!!!

in a similar manner, if you book a dinner in a specific restaurant but on arrival they tell you that you actually have to go to another restaurant across the town, not the one you book with, then you sit down to order but they say they need to scan your ID/Passport before you can actually start eating ... would you rate the restaurant positive? No matter how great the food was, I wouldn't.

I mean, I'm clearly taking the side of the reviewers here. "review bombing" is just the accepted terminology at this point, regardless of validity

 

[TheyCallMeContra]

While I don't care about them requiring an account I don't understand why this isn't similar to Ghosts of Tsushima where it was optional. I'm assuming it's part of their push to sync achievements and all that sort of nonsense. They can pull performance metrics and all that without an account and many games do that already.

I've noticed as time goes on the gaming crowd has gotten extra tribal despite the actual damage having been done decades ago when Valve started walling things behind Steam.

Tsushima has an online multiplayer mode

 

[thestryker]

Tsushima has an online multiplayer mode

How is this relevant at all?

It has shared achievements which only works if you're logged in which is what I was referring to.

 

[Elusive Ruse]

People who can’t read are able to write reviews? Curious!

 

[atomicWAR]

People who can’t read are able to write reviews? Curious!

"Requires 3rd-Party Account: PlayStation Network (Supports Linking to Steam Account)" still people buy the game and complain it needs a 3rd party account. Have they tried Not to buy the game?

I went through the reviews myself on steam. Some folks are buying the game with a willingness to set up a PSN account but hit brick walls. Some are hitting road blocks like confirmation texts not coming through to their phones... their other option is to submit a government ID or refund. I certainly wouldn't want to give my ID for a game. Others on linux have trouble getting the PSN login run. It's not impossible to do but not straight forward to accomplish either. Others have difficulty connecting to a PSN server etc etc etc. And while yes there is some "review bombing" as well (is it though? or is this a valid complaint, particularly in countries where PSN is a no go) it is hardly as one sided as the article portrays. Personally I think "review bombing" in the case of third party logins is a fair tactic. This isn't some DEI or hate based bombing but an honest critque of the PSN requirement.

 

[Giroro]

Seems like Sony knows they made a bad product, and is blaming the customer for not liking it.
The flamebaiting then generates a bunch of vital publicity, which in turn sells more product.
Sony always does this, especially with their movies. They're a bunch of professional trolls. Don't feed the trolls.

 

[TheyCallMeContra]

How is this relevant at all?

It has shared achievements which only works if you're logged in which is what I was referring to.

Tsushima's multiplayer is cross-platform so it makes a kind of sense for there to be a PSN requirement for it, even if it's stupid. as the author I obviously don't approve of Sony enforcing this

 

[ivan_vy]

I went through the reviews myself on steam. Some folks are buying the game with a willingness to set up a PSN account but hit brick walls. Some are hitting road blocks like confirmation texts not coming through to their phones... their other option is to submit a government ID or refund. I certainly wouldn't want to give my ID for a game. Others on linux have trouble getting the PSN login run. It's not impossible to do but not straight forward to accomplish either. Others have difficulty connecting to a PSN server etc etc etc. And while yes there is some "review bombing" as well (is it though? or is this a valid complaint, particularly in countries where PSN is a no go) it is hardly as one sided as the article portrays. Personally I think "review bombing" in the case of third party logins is a fair tactic. This isn't some DEI or hate based bombing but an honest critque of the PSN requirement.

a sudden high volume of PSN requests might saturate the system, knowing this situation before, a cautious customer might try to create an account before and check if their country can log in, not blaming the customer but if SONY servers/service sucks, better be wary about them.

 

[CelicaGT]

Sony....sigh....remember that rootkit? Ya, me too....

 

[ivan_vy]

Seems like Sony knows they made a bad product, and is blaming the customer for not liking it.
The flamebaiting then generates a bunch of vital publicity, which in turn sells more product.
Sony always does this, especially with their movies. They're a bunch of professional trolls. Don't feed the trolls.

I doubt GoW is a bad product , PC technical review looks positive
https://www.techpowerup.com/review/god-of-war-ragnarok-fps-performance-benchmark/6.html
and story, gameplay it stands on 94 in metacritic

God of War: Ragnarok Reviews

The freezing winds of Fimbulwinter have come to Midgard, making survival for Kratos, Atreus, and Mimir in the Norse wilds even more challenging than before. Kratos, still bearing the knowledge of his past mistakes, wants to spare Atreus the bloody lessons he learned from his conflict with gods...

www.metacritic.com

this is more the PC community angry about the PSN requirement.
Sony pictures and Playstation are under the same SONY parent company but doubt one has to be with the quality (or anything else) with the product of the other.

 

[CelicaGT]

I doubt GoW is a bad product , PC technical review looks positive
https://www.techpowerup.com/review/god-of-war-ragnarok-fps-performance-benchmark/6.html
and story, gameplay it stands on 94 in metacritic

God of War: Ragnarok Reviews

The freezing winds of Fimbulwinter have come to Midgard, making survival for Kratos, Atreus, and Mimir in the Norse wilds even more challenging than before. Kratos, still bearing the knowledge of his past mistakes, wants to spare Atreus the bloody lessons he learned from his conflict with gods...

www.metacritic.com

this is more the PC community angry about the PSN requirement.
Sony pictures and Playstation are under the same SONY parent company but doubt one has to be with the quality (or anything else) with the product of the other.

Good talk, the President's Choice frozen pizza is a great product at the local Loblaws but I don't need a fricken PSN account to buy it. Get it?

 

[ezst036]

I'm feeling like I want to buy a copy of the game just so I can add another complaint entry on Steam. And then buy a copy of the game for my friend so that he can also write some vicious complaint on Steam as well.

This business of "creating a cloud account" for everything under the sun has simply gone too far.

No. I don't want to create a cloud account just so that I can control the colors on your stupid color-changing LED lamp. It's gone so far its ridiculous.

 

[mhmarefat]

What an absolute disaster for an amazing game: 19k playing right now lol. From what I hear they have blocked 180 countries from playing it! Absolutely disgraceful.
For comparison, god of war (2018) had like 50k players on average...

 

[renz496]

optop well then. This use of third party crap has to end. I'll admit, a login is the lesser sin, but it reeks of the "please install my store for one game you bought elsewhere" cancer that I wish so much would be attacked with the same enthusiasm the real condition is.

They'll never do it, but I genuinely wish valve would make it a policy, and by extension other stores, that no game sold on the platform was allowed to require installation of an independent storefront.

Anyway, more aligned with the article, I genuinely hope that Sony learns by the endless vindictiveness of jilted PC players, and these anti-consumer trends begin reversing.

Let the peasants lick the boot.

I know people did not like to install more software but if valve are forcing publisher like that isn't that also being anti competitive?

 

[ivan_vy]

Good talk, the President's Choice frozen pizza is a great product at the local Loblaws but I don't need a fricken PSN account to buy it. Get it?

You need an account for Ubisoft, EA, Activision, CD Projekt, and WB games, why now suddenly is a massive problem? last time I checked no one is forced to buy GoWR and the requirement has been public since weeks, unlike Helldivers 2 fiasco.

 

[Notton]

You need an account for Ubisoft, EA, Activision, CD Projekt, and WB games, why now suddenly is a massive problem? last time I checked no one is forced to buy GoWR and the requirement has been public since weeks, unlike Helldivers 2 fiasco.

PSN is banned in quite a few countries, where as steam sells mostly worldwide.
You end up in a situation where you can buy the game, but cannot play it due to your IP address.

 

[thestryker]

PSN is banned in quite a few countries, where as steam sells mostly worldwide.
You end up in a situation where you can buy the game, but cannot play it due to your IP address.

This was accurate with Helldivers 2, but after that they limited regions their games could be purchased if PSN was involved so it's not possible to buy without circumventing the restrictions.