We’d been offline for well over three weeks, the PSN’s downtime giving many gamers chance to catch up on some single player stuff (or, of course, defect and jump onto other ships) but over the weekend things started to grind back in life, culminating in a stuttering restart on Sunday and everyone (except Japan) back online Monday. It’s been an odd few weeks, people generally feeling a bit left in the dark but hopeful that Sony would get everything fixed and we – the loyal gamers – would get rewarded.
Well, yesterday evening the various territories announced their Welcome Back packs – a selection of PS3 and PSP games that PlayStation gamers could opt for, once the Store’s back online. Whenever that’s going to be. Were people happy? Well, despite the games being offered generally being pretty good titles, the general concensus around the internet (and from 11 pages of comments here on TSA) is that Sony’s most loyal gamers are feeling a little bit hard done by – mainly because they’ve already bought most, if not all, of the games listed.
Let’s take a look at the European options, then. First up, the PS3 games. We’ll be able to pick two out of the following five: LittleBigPlanet, Infamous, Wipeout HD, Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty and Dead Nation. Now, we don’t know about you personally, but that’s really not a bad selection of games. You’ve got the wonderful (albeit slightly dated now with the superior sequel) LittleBigPlanet, a massive third person action game in the shape of Infamous, one of the best racing games ever created with Wipeout HD (and the Fury add-on), cute platformer Quest for Booty and top down zombie blaster Dead Nation.
Really, what did you expect?
We’ve seen comments around the net from those that had already bought all five complaining that there’s nothing in there for them – but these are popular, high scoring games, so anyone regularly buying them would have already got them – that’s going to be the case whichever five titles Sony picked. And of course they’re all first party titles, we’d imagine the logistics and licensing behind trying to secure third party titles would have been a nightmare, not to mention the physical restriction of having to ensure the games were available to download from the Store, you’re not getting Blu-rays here.
The PSP selection’s equally strong: LittleBigPlanet is great, ModNation Racers is one of the most rounded games on the platform, Pursuit Force is an oldie but worth looking at, and Killzone Liberation’s a decent enough filler for anyone looking for more Killzone, albeit third person and top-down. Again, all first party, all downloadable, and – yes – if you’re a hardcore Sony fan you’ve probably already got them.
But what were Sony supposed to do? Offer credit for every account? Even if it’s just £20 – a rough figure pulled from approximating the value of the above games – that’s over one a half billion pounds, hardly realistic in anyone’s eyes, right? Could they have offered newer games? Certainly – although Dead Nation’s recent enough the others are a little dated now, but we weren’t ever going to get LittleBigPlanet 2 (it’s still selling) and inFamous 2’s just around the corner, so presumably Sony thought a refresher with the first game might have been a good idea.
Warhawk, though, should have been on there. With Starhawk announced and hype at an all time high, securing the first game would have ignited interest and got people talking about Lightbox’s 2012 offering. Why it’s not on there is anyone’s guess, licensing, perhaps – who knows – but swapping the third person multiplayer shooter for the rather short Ratchet and Clank episode might have swayed people’s minds a little.
And if you have got all five games (and the PSP titles) then at least there’s 30 days of PlayStation Plus to keep you going – but hey – let’s hear your opinions…
hazzarules
So they should have offered us games that we didn’t have ( because they are bad quality) then?
Tzares
emm yes.. perhaps something that came out this year?
not their HUGE successes that sold like butter when they came out.. cus most of us already got them… 8/
djhsecondnature
Like Dead Nation you mean?
djhsecondnature
Bah! As soon as I typed that I new I got it wrong. Out within the last year, but not this year. Nevermind.
Tzares
Im one of those who own all of the games they are trying to give away..
Yes they are all great games, but theyv already given away 2 of them with ps+, and the others have been day one sales at ps+, so it really feels like im getting f’ed over cus i actually like sony enough to get the ps+…
and it really wouldnt be that hard to please us “naggers”..
expand the list and add some games that are more relevant.. not the ones that came out 4 years ago.. (yes yes dead nation is new..)
on the positive side i just won a bet aboute these games 8]
Jambo
Sony, damned of they do, damned if they don’t.
I have all or have had all of these games but the same would have been the case for any of the good games on PSN. I feel it is a great gift and welcome back package. They can’t please everyone.
hol
As far as I’m concerned, it’s a good deal & one Sony did not have to make! After all, when live had it’s issue a couple of years back, they offered 1 game, no choice, Sony could have done the same or worse still, nothing at all. Either way, Sony seem to be damned either way, me, I’m happy with it ;)
p9ul
I must be firmly in the category of “Ungrateful Bastards”.
Been a PlayStation gamer since launch day of the PSX – PS2, PSP & PS3 all bought launch day too and what am I offered my way of apology? a choice of games I already own.
I wasn’t expecting a great deal Sony but you should be at least trying to offer something new to people who’ve been with you long enough to have spent thousands in your direction. You only seem to be concentrating on newcomers to the PS brand by using these old titles as advertising for their impending sequels.
What about DLC offerings for other Sony published games? and considering Sony’s movie back-catalogue what about offering up even one Blu-ray?
Nauraph
Been a playstation gamer since launch day of the PSX – PS2 & Ps3.
I own only two of the named ps3 games. I’m happy and grateful.
moshi
and how are Sony supposed to know you have been a loyal customer from day 1 of the console! , I owned a Sony Walkman back in 88 can I claim a greater reward on my past purchases !
p9ul
They sent me postcards supposedly sent from my PS2 prior to launch with messges like “see you soon” as it made its way from Japan, so for me personally, they’ve had my details for well over 10 years – I’ve never changed postal or email address since then and they know what games I’ve bought from my trophycard.
Sony are not offering something for everyone – if they were then there wouldn’t be anyone complaining.
I don’t even want to think about how many Walkmans / Minidiscs / Trinitron’s / Bravia’s etc I’ve forked out for…
aerobes
I’m a loyal customer and have spent a lot of money with the company, over 140 items from the store not including DLC so I feel like I have every right to moan should I wish to do so.
However, I don’t actually think we deserve anything anyway so I feel it’s an extremely kind gesture on Sony’s behalf. I understand others feelings but I’ve grown to be highly apathetic about the entire situation. More so than I was initially somehow. ;)
I was never interested in any kind of welcome back package and I won’t be getting any of the items, although Auditorium would be nice to see, not for free, just available in the EU. Just having normal service resumed is more than enough for me.
Mathematicool
I have all except for Dead Nation, which I’m not particularly interested in, but I can’t see why people are complaining. What? You’re being offered free games and you’re complaining because they’re not the right free games? I wish they would shut up because Sony have the right to not give us any games at all, they should all be grateful for the fact that the PSN is free in the first place.
amiga_dude
Is PSN free?
Or did I have buy an PS3/PSP first. I can go to Game/ASDA and look at there stock at no charge. I don’t need anything before hand.
So is PSN free, no.
Business can pay £40 per person for a list of name address. This is called in business is called direct marketing, others call it junk mail. Now what did Sony loss again, this list is worth real money out there.
willbuchanan
Exactly. What did Microsoft do to compensate people when xbox 360 online got hacked in Christmas 2007? Gave away ‘Undertow’ and nothing else…and thats a paid service!
djhsecondnature
@amiga_dude – PSN is free. This whole “you pay for it in the cost of the console” is bollocks and wrong as Sony don’t count it towards costs of the PSN.
amiga_dude
PSN is free? So Sony allow Jailbreak on there do they, err no. Jailbreak is band activity on PSN, only devices which have not been hack are allowed on there. So there is a cost.
Do seriously think when get a mobile phone for free with a contract that mobile phone is free? Because all you are committed to paying for is access to airtime, not ownership of the phone.
djhsecondnature
@amiga_dude – You’re not seriously saying that the ability to Jailbreak is the definition of free are you? Because that really would be laughable.
The phone analogy is not apt as it’s not the same system. One IS subsidising the other and always has. Without it, you pay. There is no subsidising for the PSN. It is not included in Sony’s charts for what you pay for when you buy a PS3, therefore it is free.
willbuchanan
Can we get over the credit card thing? Have your card details been used by someone else because of Sony? No. Has anyones? No.
Also Sony will never please you ‘naggers’ – if you won a million on the lottery you’d complain it wasn’t 2 million!
Lastly – none of you are starving in Ethiopia or something, get a grip, man up and get on with enjoying all the great games that are out there on whichever platform. That’s why you’re here right? To enjoy games? Or just to complain about nothing? I have genuinely never seen so many self obsessed, spoilt, whinging brats.
amiga_dude
Credit card thing is nothing! You can change them and anyway it was encrypted because Visa/Mastercard said had to.
It my Name/Address/DOB which can not change is the issue and that was NOT encrypted. That the issue really at hand.
Jambo
How hard is it to get someones address and date of birth though? If someone targeted you am sure they could have it in a day.
Forrest_01
Within the hour if they were good enough.
Reality Check
They should of called it – ‘Welcome Back MOANERS Pack’ :D
At the end of the day ‘PSN’ is ‘FREE’ to use i.e last night i played ‘MotorStorm3’ & it was brilliant & i thought at least we get PSN for FREE. And 99% of the time it’s perfect for me + SONY could charge us like Microsoft do but they don’t. PSN4Ever;)
moshi
Love the name.
3shirts
Not really. PSN access is part of the purchase price of the console
djhsecondnature
No it’s not. Sony do not count it as a subsidised service. It IS free.
Bladesteel
So, if it’s free could you please explain how people can get any use out of it without a PSP or PS3? If I have to buy a product to use a “free” service then I’m unable to see that service as anything other than paid for through the purchase price.
a inferior race
To be fair the PSN is free at the point of the use. Much like the NHS.
djhsecondnature
@Bladesteel – Easy. Sign up via the PlayStation website, then use it as a messaging tool for friends. You can still use it. The price of the service is NOT subsidised through the cost of the console and as such is therefore a free service.
TSBonyman
While it is a bit jarring that some people will obviously benefit more from this than others, i’m happy to get 30 days free PS+ since it wasn’t a huge inconvenience for me anyway.