Reaction: PlayStation's Reputation Is at Rock Bottom - Where Do We Go from Here? 1
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As I wrote yesterday, fan sentiment in PlayStation is at its lowest ever ebb.

My colleague Rob Ramsey alluded to this prior to last month’s State of Play show, arguing Sony needed to deliver a banger to revive perception of its flagging brand.

I think its event was adequate but I’m not sure it did much to quell the dissatisfaction of enthusiasts. This week it decided to plunge its reputation by killing physical games.

While I think it’s important to criticise the company for its bad decisions, I think we also need to consider where we go from here. Wallowing and whining will only get us so far.

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I don’t expect an overnight recovery, and I will continue to hold the brand to account, but here’s broadly the set of steps I expect from PlayStation next.

PS Store Simply Must Improve

Reaction: PlayStation's Reputation Is at Rock Bottom - Where Do We Go from Here? 2
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Ideally, I’d like Sony to reverse its decision to stop making physical games, but I’m concerned by the fact that one of its facilities has already started retraining staff as it looks to manufacture other products.

I think fans should keep the pressure on the company to change its stance, but if that’s simply not possible, then I believe the PS Store is in need of a vast and swift upgrade.

There’s no doubt that Sony’s digital storefront is among the worst and least flexible out of all the options, and if the company is going to force us to interact with it then it must take some necessary steps:

  • The firm’s refund policy is not fit for purpose and must be completely revised to at least be on par with its contemporaries, like Steam, which provide full refunds on digital games within a two-hour play window.
  • Pricing must be more consistent across regions and territories. In some countries like Brazil, digital PS5 games cost significantly more than they do on Xbox or Switch.
  • Sony must provide multiple avenues to purchase digital games, including a variety of vouchers from retailers. Currently it only sells PS Store credit top-ups.
  • Additional and oft-requested functionality must be added to the PS Store, including the ability to gift games to other users, as well as fixes to wishlists.
  • Improvements must be made to account security, especially in the wake of multiple accounts recently falling victim to social engineering scams.

Sony Must Communicate Clearly and Effectively

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I’m certainly not advocating for Xbox-style engagement from PlayStation’s upper-brass, but it’s clear its hands-off approach is not fit for purpose anymore.

The company has failed to engage with fans all generation, allowing toxic stories to linger and keeping its executives out of the public eye.

While I don’t believe we need to hear from bosses Hideaki Nishino or Hermen Hulst on a daily basis, I do believe it’s important they address their audience, explaining decisions and outlining their plans in a clear and concise manner.

Even if this is conducted through official channels, like the PS Blog, it’d represent an improvement on the stand-offish nature of the company today.

PlayStation was at its best when it had engaged leaders like Shawn Layden, Andrew House, and Shuhei Yoshida serving as ambassadors. The company today is a shadow of its former self.

PS6 Must Provide a Method to Play Physical Games

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While the PS6 looks poised to be a digital-only device, Sony cannot abandon the decade of physical purchases fans have made for the PS5 and PS4.

The company must provide an adequate solution to play these games, whether it’s via an optional disc drive or some kind of physical-to-digital transfer programme.

Furthermore, the company must communicate its solution clearly and effectively; there can be no room for ambiguity here. That goes hand-in-hand with the above, and executives who are able to address fans clearly and consistently.

I do wonder how much the rumoured handheld aspect of the PS6 is factoring into its plans here, as that’s unlikely to support physical media at all. If that’s the reason, then it would be beneficial for Sony to come out and communicate it, rather than take this cloak-and-dagger approach.

Obviously all of the above needs to come alongside a company committed to delivering exceptional games, but among all of the chaos, I do have faith that titles like Marvel’s Wolverine, God of War Laufey, and Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet are going to deliver.

Sony needs to get back to an approach that lets its software sing, and stop shooting itself in the foot with unforced errors like we’ve seen much of this generation.

The above are just a handful of steps I think the company needs to take, but ideally I want it to go above and beyond to win back trust. This situation isn’t irrecoverable, but it’s going to take some real elbow grease as we move into the PS6 era and beyond.