Sarcastic Gamer writes:
"Product sampling is an age-old and VERY effective marketing method. If you can get someone to actually put your potato chips in their mouth, drive your car, or smell your perfume, they are far more likely to become a paid consumer of your product. With this in mind I’ve been considering Sony’s “generous offer” of free PSN+ and Qriocity for a month for everyone, and I’ve got concerns with this scenario. With all due respect to Sony and what must be a really tough time within the walls of PSHQ, this isn’t an apology… It’s a marketing ploy. If PlayStation Network were a restaurant where a customer had a bad experience, what they are currently offering as an apology would be like the manager of the restaurant asking if you’d feel better if she let you smell the pie." (continues)
For Southeast Asia, new price changes.
Prices effective starting May 1st, 2026.
Replies(1)Looks like PlayStation took a hit with Marathon and is now quietly adjusting prices worldwide to recover the losses
Lets be honest raising prices doesn't do that when no one's buying it. I imagine the profit it greater selling 10 times more at a lower price
LMFAO Your comment alone says a lot more about you than anything else. When has one game not selling 10 million copies made a company raise the prices of their console? Then Xbox would be costing $5000 by now lol. You remind of the crazy drug addicts on the street rambling on about conspiracies. xD You sure you don't need a hug, buddy?
One game that Sony payed $200 million for. lol
Also, you sure were quick to get triggered. Maybe your the one who needs a hug?
If nothing else, we should be united against the real issue here. AI and unnecessary tariffs that are effecting all gamers.
The price increases are due to the RAM demand associated with AI and the US-Iran war. You can look to any business news website and local news to see that. Heck, even the 2026 Asus Zenbook Duo I've been eyeing has faced delays and has had a price increase of $400; that laptop has two specs. Asus is doing a staggered release with per-orders for the lower spec now and shipping in May and pre-orders for the higher spec that I'm eyeing starting in June. Basically, all computer manufactures are affected. It'll most likely start affecting smart phones too if it hasn't already. I can't remember the last time any major console maker (Nintendo, Sony, Sega, etc) increased the price of their console mid cycle outside of Microsoft just to make more profit.
War is causing gas prices to rise. Transport of everything requires gas so the prices of those items go up as well. So it does have an impact
The blockage of the Straight of Hormuz due to the US-Iran war has affected raw components used in semi-conductor manufacturing such as bromine, aluminum, and helium. Iran had attacked the liquified natural gas (LNG) plant in Qatar which is a large producer (1/3 globally) of helium which is used in semiconductor etching. So it's the both the war and the RAM crises.
Former Xbox executive Ed Fries comments on the early days of Xbox, the opinion of Japanese game companies, and more.
Replies(2)I dont think that'll ever happen. But i must say back in the day, they were definitely trying because they were more cash rich than their competitors.
I think MS were and still are the richer company. They tried to acquire Sega back in the day (and considered doing so again more recently), they obviously bought exclusivity to Halo which was originally shown as a Mac title. I don’t think as a company MS can claim the moral high ground here. It’s a wilful lack of self awareness.
Of course Sony would try exactly the same if they had the resources, but when the PS2 dominated the industry was in a much healthier place with an abundance of great third parties.
This has been a depressing generation as far as first party decisions are concerned. The fact we are debating business plans rather than which game is better is a sad reflection of the state of things.
There was Nintendo as well, Sony wouldn't have had a monopoly. In fact, the world would be better today if Xbox never existed in the first place. They pretty much brought all bad practices we have today. We might have gotten all of it either way, but not this early. In term of franchises, I don't think there is anything Microsoft released that would actually be missed if it didn't exist. Even Halo the world wouldn't notice if Halo didn't exist.
I think almost everyone will agree that a monopoly is not good for the industry. But that being said, the competition needs to be smart and strategic with their business. Simply buying up publishers and traditional third-party studios just to keep them out of the other companies reach is not a sustainable practice. That goes for all parties so don't think I'm just referring to Xbox.
I'm no business guru by any stretch of the imagination but I firmly believe that the best way to drive consumers to your software and hardware is to invest smart in your first-party studios. Give them full support and guidance in making unique, fun games that are only available to play in your ecosystem and the gamers will come.
But first party studios aren't enough. They only make up a small portion of the industry. Without 3rd party there would be no industry for Microsoft or sony.Developing games take time and money and sometimes you gotta make moves to stay competitive.
Nah, I never said first-party was enough. I said it’s the ‘best way’ to drive gamers to your platform. 3rd-party is a free-for-all and there’s no guarantee that gamers will use your hardware to play the game. If you want to push your own software and/or hardware you need first-party, or at least exclusive deals with third-party studios.
Then why be so emotional and continue to talk about it. Xbox will never die be ause it stays in so many people's head.
How can you even see him being "emotional" in that comment?
If anything, you're the emotional one, constantly trying to go at anyone that says anything against Microsoft. So when you call him emotional, it comes off as deflection
Replies(2)Sony uploaded gameplay footage of Crimson Desert on a base PS5 running in what appears to be Quality Mode at a stable 30fps at 4K.
Talk about crappy picture choice!
on topic: I keep saying this: PSN free subscribers dont deserve anything! They dont PAY for the service so they dont deserve reimbursement! Xbox live subscribers were reimbursed because they pay for the service, PS+ will/should be the same though. This isn't a rant, its just the way it works.
Now sony could give something as a gesture of cutesy which is what their doing.
Bubble up if you agree
i aggree but i cant give you a bubble tho your crippled just like me :(
nope. I think EVERYONE deserves something. A month free of ps plus is awesome I think. Not my problem you started paying $50 bucks a year for CRAP. I like playing online for free, part of the reason why I moved from 360 over to ps3. We're lucky to get anything. I just hope my $5 is still in my PSN.
Everyone shouted...'I'd better get a free game'
You've got your free game, you've also got a product trial.
You've also got reimbursment of costs to keep check of your credit.
What do you want?
And what part of a ps+ subscription should we be refunded?
I've got free games/themes/and I bought a 50% discounted game.
I'm going to get the same again next month....do you even know what plus is?
The only thing I have not been able to do is upload my game saves to the cloud.....
I THINK I'LL LIVE!
But doesn't that free game go away the moment you DON'T pay for PSN+? I am not asking rhetorically... I'd like to update the article to reflect your point.