Console exclusives coming to PC

[danutz_plusplus]

I suppose they don't want to bother making an SP-only version of the game, which is understandable enough because they'd need to adjust the price and would still be yelled at because players can't multiplay.

They already have a SP-only version of the game. It's on the console disc. That's how most PS games function. Except the ones that are purely multiplayer.

At least, there's the console option.

That's the weird thing. If there's already the option to do that via console, what's crawling up their but about allowing the same thing on PC.

 

[Redglyph]

They already have a SP-only version of the game. It's on the console disc. That's how most PS games function. Except the ones that are purely multiplayer.

I mean for PC.

That's the weird thing. If there's already the option to do that via console, what's crawling up their but about allowing the same thing on PC.

That's what I tried to understand above. More complicated for them for a little benefit..

 

[danutz_plusplus]

That's what I tried to understand above. More complicated for them for a little benefit..

And I still don't see the benefit. Blocking the sale completely on PC (but for some reason allowing it on console) vs allowing the sale at least for the singleplayer part. Seems like all negatives to me.

Plus the PC players in those parts are still gonna get it pirated, with all the DRM and checks removed.

 

[Redglyph]

And I still don't see the benefit. Blocking the sale completely on PC (but for some reason allowing it on console) vs allowing the sale at least for the singleplayer part. Seems like all negatives to me.

Plus the PC players in those parts are still gonna get it pirated, with all the DRM and checks removed.

I'm not any more sure than you are. I just think that it's a lot of complications that they must estimate not worth the PC sales in those countries.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

This is fine.

 

[Redglyph]

Time to buy shares, then.

 

[JDR13]

They already have a SP-only version of the game. It's on the console disc. That's how most PS games function. Except the ones that are purely multiplayer.

Where did you read that? I'm just curious because I'd be surprised if it works that way. I doubt it's actually separate games.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

Where did you read that? I'm just curious because I'd be surprised if it works that way. I doubt it's actually separate games.

Not sure I understand what the confusion is.

All PS3 and PS4 games (I can't vouch for 5) that are meant for single-player will work without ever connecting the console to the internet. So the version that's on the disc is already implemented so that it never needs to phone home.
Of course they encourage you to connect, and get updates and whatnot. But you don't have to. That's how I played all my ps3 and ps4 games for the longest time.

So they don't need to implement a SP-only version of the game since that's their default version. My answer was to the assumption that a special SP-only version needs to be made. It doesn't need to be made. That's the default. So they'd just have to port that same version to the PC, which they'd be doing regardless. They just need to maintain the fact that the game never needs to phone home.

 

[Redglyph]

So they don't need to implement a SP-only version of the game since that's their default version. My answer was to the assumption that a special version needs to be made.

No, that's not the issue. if the game can connect, it's a problem for Sony in those countries. So they'd need to make a version that cannot connect at all, even if the PC has a connexion (which they all have) and if the player is willing to connect.

Unless I misunderstood you.

 

[JDR13]

All PS3 and PS4 games (I can't vouch for 5) that are meant for single-player will work without ever connecting the console to the internet. So the version that's on the disc is already implemented so that it never needs to phone home.
Of course they encourage you to connect, and get updates and whatnot. But you don't have to. That's how I played all my ps3 and ps4 games for the longest time.

Yeah, I guess I misinterpreted what you meant at first. I thought you were saying that the modes are put on the disc as different games. That obviously wouldn't make sense.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

No, that's not the issue. if the game can connect, it's a problem for Sony in those countries. So they'd need to make a version that cannot connect at all, even if the PC has a connexion (which they all have) and if the player is willing to connect.

Since the game is already written to work in both scenarios:
- to be able to connect, if connection can be established, and phone home
AND
- to fail gracefully without the user even noticing that it failed to connect (be it that no internet connection was found, or that the server refused the request because it came from an IP from a country that's banned, or that it's an unauthenticated request, since no PSN session has been established, etc)
It's the same version. They already have to make it fail gracefully, otherwise it hinders the user experience when their internet is down, or when PSN is down, or whatever other case of lack of connectivity.

If I understood your point correctly.

EDIT: And it's very likely that all of this has already been coded once as a "PSN library" that all games use, so it's not like they need to re-implement it for every game. It's likely Sony implemented that as part of the PS SDK and forces all devs to use that when integrating with PSN.

 

[Redglyph]

If I understood your point correctly.

I don't think so.

I understand the game works with or without connection. That's the problem: it can connect if there's a connection. Sony doesn't want that for the people in those countries.

Unless there's another way to stop those players from having a PSN account (which I doubt). But if it were the case, Sony would allow the sales in those countries.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

That's the problem: it can connect if there's a connection. Sony doesn't want that for the people in those countries.

Yeah, and if Sony wants that they can simply not allow users from those countries to setup a PSN account. Which they already do. So no PSN account, no connection.
Of course, they need to IP ban clients from those countries, and IP ban known VPN servers to not allow those sorts of tricks (though, I hear they don't really bother with VPN servers, since it's so troublesome to protect against)
The way they essentially keep users out is that they'll require you to use a credit/debit card that's been issued by the country you're stating when creating the account. That's a lot more troublesome to get around for the simple user.

 

[Redglyph]

Yeah, and if Sony wants that they can simply not allow users from those countries to setup a PSN account. Which they already do. So no PSN account, no connection.
Of course, they need to IP ban clients from those countries, and IP ban known VPN servers to not allow those sorts of tricks (though, I hear they don't really bother with VPN servers, since it's so troublesome to protect against)
The way they essentially keep users out is that they'll require you to use a credit/debit card that's been issued by the country you're stating when creating the account. That's a lot more troublesome to get around for the simple user.

Using a VPN has become quite trivial these days. But even if players didn't use a VPN, it would still be a problem because they wouldn't be able to connect and use the multiplayer mode, even though they bought a game with that feature.

So it's easier for Sony not to sell the game in those countries rather than making an offline-only version, possibly at a reduced price. That's the only reason I see. They wouldn't have gone through all that if they could avoid it with something simpler.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

I expect that since the client is already implemented to fail gracefully, it should be a matter of absolute ease to short-circuit any attempted call to the PSN and stop it before even leaving the client. They even likely already have that and it's just a matter of a flag to turn it on.

... even though they bought a game with that feature.

Now with this you might actually be onto something. If they sell a game and a feature isn't working, they might have a hard time explaining why that isn't working in that country.
Theoretically maybe they could do the equivalent of slapping a sticker that says "multiplayer requires PSN connectivity. which we don't support in your country".
But not sure how that would fly with each and every one of those 100+ countries's customer propection laws.

But if it does come down to that, what the hell is Sony doing in not having already provided PSN access in all those countries. I mean, Valve has a wider reach than Sony? Sony is a way way bigger company than Valve, and Valve was able to figure that shit much earlier/faster?

 

[Redglyph]

Yeah, I know it's a very easy modification, but it means managing two different versions.

But if it does come down to that, what the hell is Sony doing in not having already provided PSN access in all those countries. I mean, Valve has a wider reach than Sony? Sony is a way way bigger company than Valve, and Valve was able to figure that shit much earlier/faster?

I don't know for sure, but there could be a few reasons. The most obvious to me are that they need to comply with the local law (which Valve doesn't always bother to), and they need to translate everything.

For a normal company, I'd say they need to provide support in their language, but it's obvious from Sony's websites that they don't provide any support (it's impossible to find any way to contact them).

They must be working on that. Maybe that's why they just added Japan to the approved list.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

Another example of non-dysfunction.

 

[Redglyph]

Another example of non-dysfunction.

Scratch what I said. Yep, it's a proper fuck-up.

Good luck trying to contact Sony, though. They do have a 'Contact us' page, but it turns out it's only an FAQ, so 'contact' must be another typo. Maybe there's some hidden link they forgot to remove, somewhere... I'd advise to first try finding it with the WayBack Machine.

 

[danutz_plusplus]

Scratch what I said. Yep, it's a proper fuck-up.

Good luck trying to contact Sony, though. They do have a 'Contact us' page, but it turns out it's only an FAQ, so 'contact' must be another typo. Maybe there's some hidden link they forgot to remove, somewhere... I'd advise to first try finding it with the WayBack Machine.

All companies seem to be gradually moving towards being almost unable to contact them. Only if you go to their physical store, if they have one, and if you go there they push you back to the digital, saying they don't deal with that.
I have a pretty big box-store in my country, that sells loads of stuff, and it used to have a call center, email address or contacting them directly through a web form. Well, all of that is gone. It's like working with a black box now.

On Steam I've never had contact with a human being, but that's the fortunate case, where I didn't need to. I keep hearing about youtubers, who have their whole livelyhood in the hands of youtube, and are unable to get a human being. And even if they do after loads of trying, there's no continuity between them.

It's gonna be terrible, the future we're moving towards.

 

[Redglyph]

All companies seem to be gradually moving towards being almost unable to contact them. Only if you go to their physical store, if they have one, and if you go there they push you back to the digital, saying they don't deal with that.
I have a pretty big box-store in my country, that sells loads of stuff, and it used to have a call center, email address or contacting them directly through a web form. Well, all of that is gone. It's like working with a black box now.

On Steam I've never had contact with a human being, but that's the fortunate case, where I didn't need to. I keep hearing about youtubers, who have their whole livelyhood in the hands of youtube, and are unable to get a human being. And even if they do after loads of trying, there's no continuity between them.

It's gonna be terrible, the future we're moving towards.

I know, this is a shame. And when it's possible to get someone, which is mostly on chat or on the phone these days, their name or accent is invariably unrelated to the vendor's country, they seem completely incompetent and always repeat the same thing. If I didn't know better, I'd say they follow a flowchart.

I could swear the last time I tried to get help from Google for one of their phones, it was an AI responding. That's the future (though maybe it'll be better than the flowchart).

On the other hand, it must be the worst job ever.