Editorial - Sony Welcomes Back Its Most Loyal Fans With Kick In the Balls

Earlier today, Sony announced the details of its "Welcome Back" program. PS3 users get two free games from the following list once the Playstation Store returns to life:

• Dead Nation
• Infamous
• LittleBigPlanet
• Super Stardust HD
• Wipeout HD + Fury

In addition, PSP users get two free games from this list:

• LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
• ModNation Racers
• Pursuit Force
• Killzone Liberation

The following benefits then also apply to all users:

• 30 days of Playstation Plus (Existing Playstation Plus users get an additional 30 days, for a total of 60)
• A selection of yet to be determined free rental movie titles to be used on a specific weekend
• Playstation Home will offer 100 undisclosed free items as well as scheduled free content and add-ons that appear to have already been scheduled for release from the context of the announcement

If you are a loyal PS3 user, that's been with the PS3 from launch, paid your $600 for your system, and suffered through to this point from the early days of PSN and Playstation Store, you have to feel absolutely insulted right now.  I know I do.  I know I feel especially insulted as a Playstation Plus member.  The list of software would likely appear to the average user to be very generous.  I would say to many users, it probably is.  Nobody will argue the quality of the PS3 titles listed. There is one theme to the titles if you're a loyal PS3 fan.  That theme is the fact that any self-respecting PS3 fan ALREADY OWNS THEM ALL.  

I cannot believe that Sony PR has seen all the backlash over this whole situation and sat there and thought "How can we get out of this situation in the least expensive way possible?"  Because that's exactly what has happened here.  The only title released even remotely recently is Dead Nation, and that title was released six months ago.  In addition, all of these titles are pretty much can't miss titles for anyone that is a true PS3 fan.  So the only users redeeming these codes will be newer users that haven't been around since the beginning, or those that maybe have never spent a dime on the Playstation Store.  On top of this, Playstation Plus users are getting a big thanks by simply being refunded the time they missed (essentially 30 days) and then the same credit everyone else is getting, another 30 days.

So here you have a group of people, arguably Sony's most loyal fans, that they've for all intents and purposes said "Thanks for sticking with us, we know you're not going anywhere, and we thank you for that!".  Why would you knowingly be offering games that you know your best fans already have?  Why else would you not do something above and beyond for the people that are actually paying the premium subscription for your otherwise free service?  The only reason I can think of is that the company is so arrogant as to think that they can do anything to these fans and get away with it.  Sadly, judging from some of the reaction I've seen to this debacle on various message boards, they're PROBABLY RIGHT.  There's brand loyalty, in consistently choosing one brand over another, and then there's the level that these people are taking it to.  I'm calling it brand idolatry.  This is the idea that a company can do no wrong, and despite anything that happens they'll defend the company to its death.  This is what those that are giving Sony a pass on this mess are doing.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about the hack.  In this day and age, anyone can be hacked.  However, the way the relationship between the company and the users was handed in the wake of what happened can be considered nothing short of atrocious.  The sad part is, I don't believe Sony would change a second of how this was handled from start to finish.

This program only further seals the decision I made earlier this month to buy only PS3 exclusives for the system.  In addition, my Playstation Plus subscription will not be renewed either.  Clearly the company does not value me as a premium subscriber, so they certainly don't need any more of my money.  I'd nearly softened to the point I would consider buying certain multi-platform games for the system.  These would be games that I've historically played on Sony's system, such as Final Fantasy, any sports game, whatever shooter my Friday Night Shooter friends are now playing, etc.  That's off the table now.  If it isn't exclusive, I'm not buying it, and I'll be buying only extremely high profile exclusives.

I'm really sad to have come to this decision, but as consumers, we have to show companies when their behavior is unacceptable.  The only way we can do this is with our dollars.  If we continue to buy from these companies no matter what happens, nothing will ever change.  I know Sony won't feel my change in purchasing.  I'm pretty consistent in buying at least one new game per month, and if we assume that Sony has at least two very high profile exclusives per year that will still get my money, that's $600 worth of retail games that they miss out on license fees for simply because they took the business route rather than the relational route with their "Welcome Back" program.  But if many people feel this way and actually take a stand, those multiple $600 chunks will add up.  So know this, I know that nobody at Sony singled me out when making this decision.  They made this decision in the same way I am right now.

It's just business.