Ska Studios Clarifies Salt and Sacrifice Pricing Mishap

Yes definitively not a good look for Sony. I’m sure most companies would had turned a blind eye for the price of the game in countries like Brazil.

Jeez, that’s not great. One of the major benefits of PC in less developed countries is the price scaling. This just feels like an overreach by Sony even if there’s contractual reasons. It’s not like Sony are publishing on PC.

For the Payers.

Well if i paid for a game to be timed exclusive and find it cheaper on another store I'd be p****d off as well, Sony would be losing customers who game on both playstation and pc as they would choose the cheaper version

And the centralisation of PlayStation strikes another negative. Shouldn’t be too hard to offer regional pricing. But then Sony don’t even let Japanese devs submit games in Japanese anymore. Total regression.

Sony does things other companies do. Water is wet. Perhaps price fixing may be why the poverty line is rising worldwide. After all, when the UK government announced a tax cut on fuel, every major energy and petroleum company announced a sudden jump in profits. I think Sony aren't going to be judged too harshly ten years from now.

The publisher can't control the individual prices on PSN? That doesn't make any sense because other games clearly have specifically set prices in certain regions. See Stretch which is 1USD/10HKD/1.69GBP, clearly this publisher is trying to rip off UK gamers, if it were auto set it would 79p.

I can understand Sony's decision, but they should push for regional prices on PS Store instead of forcing fixed prices in other stores.

To be fair to them, Nintendo is even worse, they never ever reduce their prices for older games. Either way, buying new games in Brazil is more difficult every year...

very funny, raising the prices in countries where piracy is never even questioned and is considered standard practice. What a way to promote piracy!

What Sony did is just plain stupid.
To put it in a money perespective, Salt and Sacrifice now costs around 10% of the minimum wage in both Brazil and Turkey.

Regional prices should be a thing.

Corporations 1, Consumers 0. But that's okay because we're all Corporations, right? Score one for us!

@OthmaneAD It has nothing to do with piracy, it's the fact that you can't control individual regional pricing on Playstation.

It's just funny how people will get upset over this when I bet most of you are in the countries where you actually saved money from it.

@HeeHo lmao and as I speak one appears 😂

Is that why alot of games are priced the same in £ & $ even though they aren't worth the same I always thought it was the publishers

@mucc my country doesn't even have a ps store and we're obliged to use the french store which has prices for a purchasing power 3x greater than ours. I bought hundreds of games from the french store but would have purchased a lot more if we had prices like those from turkey or brazil have.

From what I hear the games not that great. Watched a few videos and read a few reviews, including here of course. Its a hard pass. So the cost doesn't matter for me. Hope those that love it bought it early.

@BReal I like when you said it doesn’t affect anyone here so it’s a none issue…smh.

Unrelated but does anyone else see amogus in the image

One of the reason Sony should give other Countries their own PSN if Sony wants to gain more sale from PS Store. And also what’s the purpose of selling their PlayStation consoles in other countries if they don’t give them their own PSN and let them use their currency.

@BReal Is almost as if that's what you wanted with your comment trying to egg people on, also you can say with certainty that there's 0 commenters from Brazil, Turkey or any of the effected countries here? How arrogant can someone be 🙂

@UltimateOtaku91 "Well if i paid for a game to be timed exclusive and find it cheaper on another store I'd be p****d off as well"

Well that's one way to look at it, I suppose looking at it through a customers perspective would be straight Tiny Toons! I'm glad were finally standing up for the little guys with Sony only worth about 135 billion and Microsoft a measly 2 trillion we need to protect these corporations with our lives from the entitled bully consumers like myself 😤

This is a bit odd..i bought it for £12.99 and i didnt really wonder why it was so cheap for such an excellent game..the main issue i have with sony is how over inflated the store prices are on the digital versions of games that have no packaging or shipping costs and no storage space being taken up in a wharehouse but are still £60 to £70 and then sony think they are doing their customers a solid by dropping them to £58 in a sale..really that needs looking into before anything..

Scum bags I have always been more playstation than xbox but I really hope Microsoft wins this generation & I think they will. Sony are awful

I get it and understand it but its just something else to add to the pile of c**k ups from Sony this Gen.

@HeeHo "Better than being a shill"

Perfect example of how the internet works in extremes. If you agree you're x, if you disagree you're z. No nuance, no opinion allowed. The only explanation is a 0 or a 10. Nothing in between.

I, for one, welcome our new corporate overlords.

sony take a 30% cut where as epic take a 12% cut of course it should be cheaper on epic store

It's contractual language known as "Minimized Advertised Pricing" (MAP). It's a very common practice. The agreement specifically states that the company selling the item can't offer it at a cheaper rate, or with additional bonuses at the same cost.

@HeeHo From the sounds of it, this story is being misrepresented by both PushSquare and the developer of salt and sacrifice. Pushsquare states that the developer is required to have price parity, and even some prices are going down. Therefore, Salt and Sacrifice could be made cheaper on PSN and the contractual obligation is met. People on here want to hate on Sony, and we should when it's reasonable. This story is just clickbait.

@Northern_munkey Agree. Have yet to see Farcry 5 for sale for 64.99 in a shop or Black ops 4 for sale for 84.99. I am pretty sure there was a tab channel that operated the same with greatly inflated original prices. It got shut down as was misleading consumers.

‘For the UK, that’s good news – it’s actually gone down from £15.99 to £12.99.’
🤔🤷🏼‍♂️
I mean you say ‘good news’ and you contradict yourself.
Push uk based ‘Oooft! The bad press keeps a-coming,’

Edit
Bad press about what exactly?
I mean as in ‘keep coming’ I’d like to know what other ‘bad press’ is about ?
Or is that about cats and dogs? 😅

Sony are just awful at this point. They already lost all their goodwill with most gamers, and they just keep going

I'm guessing this is also why FFVII Remake has a ludicrous price point on the Epic Store, just so that it matches the PS price point

Again. A lot of you guys can't filter out anti consumer from running a business normally.

It's not anti and pro. There's a middle ground.

@RevGaming no, no! Everything is anti-consumer and you're just a corporate shill. Stop trying to make sense. You should always attack the company because they have money, unlike the little guy, who doesn't. Context doesn't matter.

@Sakai is that a "source: dude, trust me" kind of statement?

So these guys signed a contract saying they wouldn't do it and they went a did it so Sony called foul. That seems pretty fair tbh. They were willing to take Sony's money and the terms that came attached.

@naruball

Sorry. I won't ever talk again hehe.

@BReal what a great attitude to have, “doesn’t affect me, so why should I care?”. Life must be great for you alone on your island

Sadly Not a good look for Sony, lots of little things chipping away at Sony this generation. To name a few; rise in price of their games, no game pass style system, pro backward compatibility (although they look like they may be coming), having to pay for PS5 game upgrades, the terrible way they handled GT7s launch - trophies locked behind micro transactions or serious grind and online only - sad times. Not the Sony of the past like the PSOne which was new, exciting, dynamic and edgy Sony. They used to be out there to turn heads and pull gamers into the power of PlayStation. Sony of today is totally different to how it used to be

@BReal "I'm not affected by it, so I don't care about anybody who is."

Not selfish at all, are you?

That's just business

Nothing to see here just Sony PlayStation being Sony PlayStation .."for the players"

When sony say "for the players" they mean for the PlayStation players, in which in this case benefits us playstation players. Only people who should be moaning about this are pc players who have genuinely been effected and xbox players who need to bash sony to let off some steam after their recent delays and baron looking year ahead

@naruball "You should always attack the company because they have money, unlike the little guy, who doesn't. Context doesn't matter."

The context is that Sony is the second highest grossing company in gaming, making billions every year. The context is that massive companies like Amazon have seen continous increases in profits. The context is these companies paying pennies in taxes. The context is the cost of living going through the roof. The context is the little guys are being forced in to poverty, while companies scrape at every penny. And stories like this reminding you how they behave.

But that's just business.

@thefourfoldroot Sony don't let developers submit games in Japanese anymore? Since when? That is mad from a formerly Japanese company.

@OthmaneAD I don't think you are obliged to buy games from any particular country's PSN store. If you so choose it's not difficult to have an account from any country.

@Juanalf It's not about siding with the little guy or the big guy, it's about setting a consistent standard. The little guy agreed to the terms, which actually do not dictate that they increase the prices on the other stores, they just have to be the same, or at least not cheaper elsewhere. They took the deal and no doubt a decent amount of money. It just seems like the developer of the game is virtue signalling, and it seems to be working on quite a lot of people.

@Apfelschteiner
I know, it’s crazy, but in order to be certified for sale everything needs to go through California now, and they only allow discussion and submission in English, even for games that were only planned for release in Japan.

https://nichegamer.com/new-sony-censorship-policy-is-forcing-even-japanese-developers-to-censor-themselves-in-japan/

@thefourfoldroot Thanks for the link. This is madness and really is a form of cultural imperialism from California.
I have my concerns about certain Japanese habits to fetishize really young women, but if I agree that others' cultural standards should not be forced on me, I can't in good conscious force my standards on others. America fetishizes violence and is very weird about sexuality and nudity.
The concept of diversity is a straight-up lie, it really is if you don't think our way, then your voice will be silenced. The crazy part is that Sony/PlayStation is supposed to be a Japanese company.

A Swing and a miss yet again for Sony.

I think The LEGO Group did something similar last year, raising the price of numerous sets by up to 20% (to make costs more consistent across Europe). They were already absurdly overpriced to begin with.

@JJ2 Yes. This story could have been reported with a positive spin (lower prices for some…). It could have been reported neutrally… But the tone of the article is extremely negative, to continue this narrative that Sony are somehow failing us - when the reality is, they’re the only console maker delivering the goods (and the only console maker that has been delivering the goods consistently for some time).

@themightyant
Well, yes, it has most certainly continued to be a problem because it is still the policy. True, it was worse for devs during the transition period that was forced on them mid development, with lots of obvious censorship or cancellation of PS versions; now many devs have learnt (sadly) to just make their games to the new standards for PlayStation, or just flat out stopped releasing games for the system and focus instead on Switch. PS games are still releasing with less content and fewer modes than the switch and PC equivalence though.

You are totally correct that it is cost cutting to an extent, but it is also socially aware / PR, openly stated by Sony.

This is not the main point in the context of this article though, rather it is the fact that Sony now have forced this centralisation that has negatively impacted many devs, especially Japanese devs where they would not necessarily have anyone on staff who speak English. It just speaks to this new mindset.

Sony used to have regional arms, but they regressed.

It's a contract, get over it.

@ShadowofSparta actually it’s great 👌

@Juanalf I’m not just arrogant I’m entirely selfish too

Sony didn't "demand" the price to be changed and nowhere did Shane say they were pissed. Shane/the developer is obligated to keep price matched on all platforms. The problem is that some smaller countries get thrown into regions where their money is worth less since you can't set pricing by individual country. On the flip side in some countries it saves you money. This isn't just a PS thing by the way and happens on other platforms.

@mucc exactly. Some people live to be offended though, even though it doesn’t affect them or anyone they know

Game is cheaper in some regions though, why isn't that the sub header?

Pushsquare is 100% the most negative platform-exclusive site out there. And it's a shame. Why stir up and make your own readership angry/sad/bitter.

Makes zero sense.

@themightyant I think the key issue is that they were talking about games that were only to be released in Japan. Also, it is reasonable to accept submissions in Japanese and English considering Sony is a Japanese company. The other languages are irrelevant in this context.
There is clear censorship that is illustrated by the differences between the Switch and PlayStation versions. I do care about censorship happening for these games that I have no intention of playing.
If PlayStation continues down this route of being an American company (more specifically a Californian company) then at some stage I will give up on the platform.
We should be celebrating cultural diversity. It can be as small as releasing British English subtitles for games in Europe.
I get the idea of not doubling up on work and providing a uniform offering, but that is not the right approach. It is regressive to get rid of regional arms (actually I think they still have them, they just made them much less autonomous).

@themuckman I guess the logic is just being clickbaity.

@themightyant How much do you know about Japanese culture? Most Japanese people in their 30s or younger speak English or at least can read and write English at a high level. English and Americans are way worse (how many English people do you know that speak a foreign language?), the French are also way worse than Japanese people when it comes to learning foreign languages.
Maybe you could argue that Japanese people want to use English in their Japanese cultural context.

Salt and sanctuary is amazing so this game is amazing also.thats a cool price and a smart way for people to get it on psn.word up son

dont worry guys, we brazilians are used to being robbed at gunpoint like this, no big deal

but it really goes to show how the virtue signalling sony is when it comes to money. cities can be rebuilt (with taxpayers money), but god forbid poor countries get regional pricing and allow black brazilians to afford games. playstation at the moment in brazil is pretty much the apartheid of videogames. aint no poor black skinned person gonna buy games on playstation amirite

not even the nintendo switch is this bad here, btw

Slice of humble pie anybody??

Here we go again. All the people that jumped at sony only to once again get clarification and it was nothing like everyone was getting upset about. One day push square readership might just wait for the full details before jumping the gun.

@PlatinumGamer You’re absolutely right. Once again the damage is already done, the effigies are burnt to a crisp, and the pitchforks and torches are back in the shed awaiting the next call to arms. The initial headline is what sticks because it fills people with self-righteous anger, not the explanation.

@Richnj

"The context is that Sony is the second highest grossing company in gaming, making billions every year. The context is that massive companies like Amazon have seen continous increases in profits. The context is these companies paying pennies in taxes. The context is the cost of living going through the roof. The context is the little guys are being forced in to poverty, while companies scrape at every penny. And stories like this reminding you how they behave.

But that's just business."

Thank you for missing the entire point of my post.

1. The context is that Sony is the second highest grossing company in gaming, making billions every year. Good for them

2. "The context is that massive companies like Amazon have seen continous increases in profits" Good for them

3. "The context is these companies paying pennies in taxes". And here's why context is important. I absolutely agree with this. Each company and each individual should pay their fair share and not a penny less

4. "The context is the cost of living going through the roof". This has nothing to do with the story. You can post it everywhere about anything. It's out of context.

5. "The context is the little guys are being forced in to poverty, while companies scrape at every penny" See above

In other words
consumer = good/right
company = bad/wrong

No matter the topic at hand.

@PlatinumGamer wouldn't hold my breath. Unfortunately, most people think too highly of themselves and too lowly of others to ever improve. When such a story is updated, they just move on as if nothing happened, because they're only interested in confirming their bias.

@naruball classic tall poppy syndrome

@themuckman they have already addressed it. It attracts clicks, whereas other topics that take time and effort (such as reviews) don't even get a fraction of that. It is what it is. I don't like it, but from a business point of view, I completely get it. For better or worse, we show more interest in negative stories.

@BReal had to look that up. Yup. It sure seems that way.

@BritneyfR_ee
I agree. Push has a habit of claiming Sony gets ‘bad press’ in a funny way since it’s self referenced 😅
Also I see a lot of negativity and people disrespect one another’s opinion as a result.
I can provide pet stories to cheer up people if necessary 😅🦮🐈👼🏻

@JJ2 agreed. It’s quite knuckleheaded to say the least

@JJ2 I even had one reply to me (about Sony) “why are we defending a multi billion dollar corporation”. Ahhh derrr, cos I love that corporation. And I stand with them over a one of millions website any day 👌

@naruball Didn't miss your point. You shouted "context" while ignoring the context. I was countering that by pointing out that these things do not exist in a vacuum, and that it's no coincidence that the rich continue to make sure they get their fair share of money, while not making sure they pay out their fair share of money, especially in times like right now when those extra taxes could go a long way for people.

It's a double standard and hypocrisy that brings people to conclusion that companies are bad. And would explain why you may see people expressing that, and why it may be relevant in this story about a corp making sure they get paid properly.

It's context you are convientiently cutting away to defend your criticism.

@naruball lol i thought you were being sarcastic or ironic if you are american...

I mean what do you expect? Even if the developer didn't apologize, if Sony paid for exclusivity it would be ruined if they simply offered it cheaper on PC.

@Shepherd_Tallon
I already have a dog. He’s a chihuahua jack russell cross with pointed ears. A lovely little dog. Nearly completely white with a black and brown bandit mask on his eyes and ears. He’s as bright as a button. Funny thing he’s not fond of my PS4 ejecting discs. I need to do it quick. When a puppy he chewed my Knack 2 box and I have to keep my discs out of reach. Fortunately he likes my PS5 better.
I also have a cat 😅

@Northern_munkey in which reply?
(I was being sarcastic in one of them)

@naruball "no, no! Everything is anti-consumer and you're just a corporate shill. Stop trying to make sense. You should always attack the company because they have money, unlike the little guy, who doesn't. Context doesn't matter." That one..👍

I hear what you are saying, but you seem quite willing to sweep stuff under the carpet as none of the small things you mentioned are that much of a big deal, but there is a bigger picture here. Either you are in alignment with what they are doing, or you don't concern yourself with it as you have more important things to worry about.
No games that I wanted to play were impacted by the changes, but I would draw the line at the DMC censorship. Sony are happy to allow or even promote disgusting (I wish they censored the sex scene in the last of us part 2) or niche sexualization (how many hot dad gay dating sims are there?), but they create or sustain an environment where DOA volleyball is somehow considered offensive and the developers decide against trying to release it on PlayStation in the West. I'm only going to touch on the fact that fetishized violence is totally fine and without moral consideration or censorship.
There is a bigger problem of a very small group of like-minded (often radical-minded) Californian leftists globally exerting their control over social discourse and culture. Gaming is supposed to be for everyone. Jim Ryan made a very reasonable comment about abortion in that it is a contentious issue and that we should respect that people hold very different opinions on it, and whilst people are allowed to have their own personal opinions, it is not appropriate for Sony to state a corporate opinion on the issue. Are we really going to start asking the heads of each studio up to what week of pregnancy abortion should be allowed and boycott any studio that falls one week above or below our own personal preference? I don't want to hear from people that agree with me. Society has been fractured in recent years by extreme intolerance. Society cannot function well without freedom of thought.

The important thing to remember is that gaming is not for one political group or type of person, therefore we should allow things that are offensive to some people and we should respect that different cultures have different standards and not just force the California standards on the entire world. It is wholly inappropriate for Sony to make a comment on divisive moral issues.

We'll have to see how far this goes, but each person has to draw their line somewhere. I was hartened by Jim Ryan's comments, so maybe there can be a course correction to tolerance and inclusion.

@Apfelschteiner well written and thought out and i hope that the push square community dont come at you with the pitch forks and burning tar barrels..

@Irae what does being black has anything to do with it, I'm Brazillian, white and poor all the same lol.
Anyway while I do think that regional prices should be a thing (specially since here in Brazil a new ps5 game costs just under 30% of what the minimum is) i also understand that sony cant stop someone from just creating an account set in another country and abuse the system so I completelly understand why they dont allow it

In Brazil we're all poor

Sony and Microsoft competing for the first prize of being anti-consumer corporations like their life depended on it.

@Northern_munkey yeah, of course that was sarcasm.

@naruball 👍i think...

@themightyant

showing big boobas on anime girls = bad

showing a sex scene in TLOU 2 = good

ah the double standards.