Hell Divers 2 now requires PSN (PlayStation Network) accounts. A few days ago, I wrote about how nobody likes game launchers. Explaining in detail how you used to be able to play a game via Steam (which is also a game launcher).
And before that, you didn’t even need Steam, it wasn’t always there. Nor was it always as dominant as it has become. Not too long ago, we used to be able to buy a AAA game and just play it, without any game launchers involved. But now, more and more publishers want you to either use their game launchers, or two (mandatory) user accounts, before you can play your games. Two accounts, every time! – A Steam account, and the publisher/studio’s own account. Sigh.
Allow me to rant a bit:
To laymen like myself, it would seem as if Steam is now being envied by (arguably) smaller game distributers. All because, players buy their PC games (even PlayStation’s ported games) mostly from Steam. The launcher then acquires, and continues to track player’s gaming data. Player stats and info is pure gold, to anyone who runs a gaming company. So now, traditional console-publishers like PlayStation also want a piece of that data-pie. Currently, they have all the stats they need from PlayStation console users, but now, they desire to harvest PC user data (Steam’s territory). At the end of the day this war leaves us (the end-user), as the biggest losers, because we are forced to give all our data to both of them (in cases like these).
And, as a cherry on top – needing multiple verifications, and linking multiple user accounts before you can launch a game, is NOT user intuitive. But, publishers like Sony don’t seem to care about that stuff. Anymore. User what? – Intuitiveness? ROTFL (an entire floor covered with money, obviously).
Hell Divers 2 now requires PSN (PlayStation Network) accounts.
When Hell Divers 2 originally came out, having a PSN account was just optional. And then, boom! The game got extremely popular. Some might even say – ridiculously popular! And, we all know that big publishers don’t like popular things, unless they can harvest all of your personal info details, and player data. And, as a direct result of the popularity, Sony made it mandatory for everyone who owns the game to register on PSN. Those who refuse, would find the game suddenly unplayable.
This is the way every big publisher operates these days. Blizzard, Sony, Ubisoft, everyone. And, I feel sorry for the game studio who made Hell Divers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios). When choosing a publisher, studios need to be careful. Others opt to just publish their games themselves, small wonder why.
With regards to this whole PSN situation; one player said, “When player numbers drop, Sony will blame “entitled gamers.” Another disgruntled player also added, “Return the game for a refund. It’s unacceptable.” Which was a reply to another player who lives in a country where PSN is not available.
Another problem with this mandatory PSN linking is that – Sony now wields the power to shutdown Hell Divers 2, when they see fit. Which is something that has already been done on other games. The unspoken reason for those shutdowns usually involve studios wanting you to stop playing THAT particular game. And, go buy the newer game. Whether you want the new game, or not. Just go buy that one instead. And then, they’ll do the same thing again, and again, and again. When new games come out (next year, or next month, or whenever).
Conclusion
Additionally, another sad thing in all of this is that – not everyone is allowed to open a PSN account. That service is NOT available globally. So, players who bought Hell Divers 2, and really loved the game. May now find themselves stuck. Sigh. Unless they fraudulently open free US accounts, which will eventually/probably get discovered and banned. Double sigh. This is why I also wrote an article on How to choose the games you should play, and the games you should avoid.
