News: Resolved - PS2 Region

[LostSoul]

My response to this as posted on the Sony forums. In short: I see advantages but are highly disappointed.

Good afternoon,

I read about this last night but gave it a little thought over before I would jump to conclusions and only type out of disappointment.

First I'd like to take note of the positive sides of this contract with ProSiebenStat.1. As long subscriber of the SOE game Planetside 1 I always criticized Sony on not supporting their European client base well enough. Over the past years (and still) Planetside is annoyed with hackers who enjoy disrupting other peoples gameplay, the response from SOE (at least its current response) is non-existent. Hackers can roam the last active server for hours until they either get bored them selves or removed by a GM who is obviously lost. While this isn't the only example it is the most known one. In the past we've also had continent crashes that took hours before they we're resolved. Server management taking place during prime-time and lack of "events" on the European server. The deal with ProSiebenSat1 is (obviously) going to help closing this gap and lack of service.

On the negative side though, and I fully agree with most people that have responded either here or on Planetside-Universe, is that this decision will split the playerbase. Many of our outfits (guilds) exist from US and EU players since (and before) the werner-gemini merger in Planetside. What this region-block (or region-split) is going to do is to split the playerbase that has always supported your games (even though neglected at times) into two camps.

Obviously ProsiebenSat wants to make money of this deal (it will sure have cost them quite a bit to get it), but I do not think splitting the player base (SOE - US, ProSieben - EU) is the way to do it as it will tick allot of people (and friends) off.

After the deal with Prosieben (what an unpronounceable name btw) I still hope to have to choice to play with my US friends on the US server while being based in Europe and not needing an additional client. There is no need to split the internet as it does not know borders or time zones.

[Vancha]

I seem to remember Pro7's support of S4 League was abysmal, which doesn't bode well.

[Dart]

The notion of SOE asking us for "feedback" on this deal is insulting and disingenuous. The contracts on this multi-year deal were signed 6 weeks ago... Our negative feedback will make less than no difference now. Their pretense of being interested in our 'feedback' is ridiculous and I'm amazed more people haven't commented on it. Don't kid yourself, this is a fait accompli!

Obviously this decision was made above Higby and RadarX and actually if you read Higby's replies it's more telling what he didn't say. His comment about always intending "Localized Servers" made no mention of forcing players to use them. It would be nice however if they'd stop treating us like idiots and saying that they care about our "feedback" - if you're reading this and employed by SOE please take note!

Now in regards to the actual deal, although we don't know the specifics yet (the official SOE line from Higby, RadarX et al is that they're still working them out - this of course is rubbish; you don't sign a multi-million dollar contract but agree to hash out the details 'later'...) I'm inclined to believe that this will involve some kind of IP lock. The reason for this suspicion is simple. Pro7sat.1 is an ambitious and fast growing media company. They've signed a deal with SOE to license every aspect of the game for the entire EU region. Now if you'd done that, wouldn't you want to protect that investment by ensuring that all of your potential customers had to play on your Servers and had no choice of using alternate Servers? I can't believe they wouldn't impose an IP lock. It'd just be bad business.

In terms of SOE's reasoning behind this deal, don't get confused by the 'Latency Smokescreen'. This has nothing to do with pings and everything to with profits. A couple of weeks ago the new CEO of Sony reported the company was headed for a $2.9 billion annual loss. SOE is only a very small sliver of the corporate pie but the entire entity is in the shit right now. So with PS2 gathering steam SOE has decided to 'cash-in' now on the EU region and struck this licensing deal with Pro7sat.1 media. Put very simply, we, as customers, have been sold. We - the loyal, hardworking, long-standing gamers who have played their games for many years and are the only reason they even have an 'EU region' have been sold to a Corporation we've never heard of without even so much as a clear explanation.

Finally, to everyone who played the first game saying they don't see the big deal here - you have no idea how many European/Australian/Asian gamers were very prominent members of your "American" Servers. These were fellow gamers with whom you were playing, fighting against, being led by and basically enriching your gaming experience. If you don't understand that you simply weren't as knowledgeable about your community as you think.

I won't start listing individuals because the this is about us as a community but I've played PlanetSide since beta and only on US Servers and I can't think of a single veteran Outfit that won't be affected by this "business decision".

The decision is made and our opinions are irrelevant, so all we can do is vote with our $/£/€. SOE don't care - as a European gamer I'm now Pro7's responsibility - but neither I nor the rest of Delta Triad will be playing PS2 unless we can all play together.

What a shame to be so utterly failed by a company I've supported for the last 8 years, and yes Higby, Radar, Smedley, that one's on all of you.

Dart,
Delta Triad

[Kaotc]

Well said, hit the nail on the head!

[stordito]

I don't think the PS2 dev team had voice in this decision...
I find they did a good job so far keeping us up to date,it would be ungrateful to blame them for SOE's decisions.
A lot more than just planetside 2 will be messed up, so...

We can just hope they can deliver our disappointment to the right desks.
right?

right?

[Gandhi]

Originally Posted by Dart

The notion of SOE asking us for "feedback" on this deal is insulting and disingenuous. The contracts on this multi-year deal were signed 6 weeks ago... Our negative feedback will make less than no difference now. Their pretense of being interested in our 'feedback' is ridiculous and I'm amazed more people haven't commented on it. Don't kid yourself, this is a fait accompli!

Thanks, I thought I was the only one. I won't believe anyone at SOE thought for one second that the existing community would react positively to this, so "listening to feedback" is meaningless at this point. Actions speak louder than words, as the saying goes.

[Dart]

Originally Posted by stordito

I don't think the PS2 dev team had voice in this decision...
I find they did a good job so far keeping us up to date,it would be ungrateful to blame them for SOE's decisions.
A lot more than just planetside 2 will be messed up, so...

We can just hope they can deliver our disappointment to the right desks.
right?

right?

They're asking us for our feedback... Feedback?! It's been done! There are no "right desks" at this stage. Don't kid yourself, SOE was popping corks when this went through (6 weeks ago). This is irreversible and as evidence of that, if like me you're in Europe, the "right desk" for you is now isn't even at SOE, it's in Germany! What I'm trying to explain is that I'm not just disappointed by the decision, I feel let down by the way in which it's been done. Higby and Radar are a part of that.

They obviously knew about this a while ago - Higby mentioned he met with Pro7, don't you think this is the first thing he'd have asked - and I understand he was unable to tell us. I know a great deal about this kind of corporate partnership and the kind of secrecy it involves however to come here and ask us for our thoughts and opinions after the fact is just insulting. I did say that I don't believe Higby wanted this. I believe him when he says he's a big fan of the PlanetSide experience and this kind of segregation is the antithesis of the true PlanetSide experience. But his and everyone's handling of this debacle could've been so much better than simply issuing an ambiguous FAQ followed up by 'cookie cutter' please give us your feedback responses.

I feel let down on a number of levels on this one and as anyone in DT will tell you, I'm usually the last one to cry "foul".

Dart,
Delta Triad

[Nephilimuk]

I don't think the PS2 dev team had voice in this decision...
I find they did a good job so far keeping us up to date,it would be ungrateful to blame them for SOE's decisions.
A lot more than just planetside 2 will be messed up, so...

We can just hope they can deliver our disappointment to the right desks.
right?

right?

No

I agree it a done deal but it is tinged with irony as the decisions made in 2009 have compounded the situation. I do not expect to be reversed or even altered.

However promises and commitments made to existing players regarding being looked after is something else and SOE can certainly do something here as it is prior to formal release of Planetside 2.

It would be an idea to work out what we have leverage on if anything and try and salvage something rather than to fight against an existing done deal. If this is nothing then we can all exercise our right to choose.

This is an epic engagement fail. A couple of simple town hall or combined pod casts detailing the benefits and answering concerns could have turned this around and is simply managing change / setting expectations. Customer service 101 and a must for any community dependant product. All this could have been sold in a more positive light as there are some advantages to better European support, it would at least softened the blow.

SOE did you not see all the commotion over the CCP Incarna expansion? Or did you just see us all as a commodity item?

[Nobel]

Dart, I completely agree with you... SOE is making a very dumb decision here. Especially with a F2P product, boycotting giving them any money is easy to do, I just never use their cash shop. How I can have my cake, and piss in their boots. Don't give them a dime until this is made right. I'm cancelling my PS1 subscription today. Something I have never done.

[Dart]

Originally Posted by Nephilimuk

Or did you just see us all as a commodity item?

The wicked irony, and I hope it's not lost on Pro7, is that they've effectively bought two markets. One is future customers and with their media clout I'm sure they're confident of expanding that number right across Europe. The other is SOE's existing European community and in business terms that is the safer bet because you already have a good idea of those numbers and don't need to use the dreaded 'f' work (forecasts). The irony is due to the PR shitstorm they've created over this announcement I can guarantee that 'safe' number has just taken a hit.

I wonder if this is the kind of feedback SOE were looking for? Advice on dealing with Public Relations??

[Dart]

Originally Posted by Nobel

Dart, I completely agree with you... SOE is making a very dumb decision here. Especially with a F2P product, boycotting giving them any money is easy to do, I just never use their cash shop. How I can have my cake, and piss in their boots. Don't give them a dime until this is made right. I'm cancelling my PS1 subscription today. Something I have never done.

This is the kind of solidarity which makes a community.

I did the same about 45 minutes ago.

[Mirror]

Originally Posted by Nobel

Dart, I completely agree with you... SOE is making a very dumb decision here. Especially with a F2P product, boycotting giving them any money is easy to do, I just never use their cash shop. How I can have my cake, and piss in their boots. Don't give them a dime until this is made right. I'm cancelling my PS1 subscription today. Something I have never done.

I'm also going to cancel mine. I've had mine open for the past 7years maybe longer. because of this news I doubt that eu players will be invited to beta because it's in the other region.

second shafting by soe in less than 2 weeks, a new record.

[RedKnights]

Originally Posted by Dart

The notion of SOE asking us for "feedback" on this deal is insulting and disingenuous. The contracts on this multi-year deal were signed 6 weeks ago... Our negative feedback will make less than no difference now. Their pretense of being interested in our 'feedback' is ridiculous and I'm amazed more people haven't commented on it. Don't kid yourself, this is a fait accompli!

I know, right?

I really don't think SOE knows the kind of wrath a tight-knit community can bring to the table, and EQ and Planetside definitely both fit that definition.

I have never been so disappointed and genuinely angry at an institution as I am now.

Probably 20% of GOTR's 1000 strong community is international. If they think I or anyone else in our outfit is going to role over and go with this decision they're dead wrong. We're not going to just sit back and watch huge chunks of our outfit, DT, AT and other outfits get relegated to playing somewhere else other than with us by force.

But like Dart said, the deal is done, it's over. The only way we can retaliate now is by going somewhere else. And there are quite a few PS competitors rumored to be in the pipe, after being treated like this, as soon as PS2 has a competitor i'm going over there, as will a lot of people I imagine.

They wrote their own going out of business sign to the point i'm canceling my PS1 sub as we speak.

Edit: -Hah, while I was writing my post others had the same idea, I love this community, don't give them a single cent until they learn their lesson, buy not a single Station Point. Beta Starts? Log in and sit there.

[Sta]

As a german myself I was surprised to see that the tv channels pro7 and sat1 suddenly do video games??

Can anyone explain to me why they have to build up Chinese walls nowdays everywhere on the internet?
Can anyone imaging why they decided to do this especially for ps2?

In what way will ps2 benefit from such a move?

Since day one I was always under the impression the internet was there to gather information from all over the world but for some years now it seems like someone is trying to erect new Iron Curtain like environments for obvious economical or maybe political reasons....

[Dart]

Originally Posted by RedKnights

They wrote their own going out of business sign to the point i'm canceling my PS1 sub as we speak.

Haha see losing 20 DT subs won't hurt much (I'm sure a few of you would be delighted not to see us in fact ) but losing several hundred GotR ones would make a real dent.

Oh and Red, make sure you leave a nice comment at the end of the cancellation questionnaire!