With Helldivers 2, Arrowhead Game Studios achieved a complete success: the launch was accompanied by a high number of players, and in the weeks that followed, the developers were able to at least partially keep the hype alive. However, the game’s good reputation is currently taking a significant hit after a PSN account was recently required. This not only causes a dramatic drop in valuations, but also a number of other problems.
Refunds and Discontinued Sales
Officially, Playstation accounts are only available to players from some countries, but they are not offered in other countries – According to Steam DB, that’s 177 countries. For example, players from Albania or the Philippines can now officially no longer play Helldivers 2 unless they provide false information when creating their PSN account. In line with this, Steam has already reacted and started to remove the co-op shooter from sale in the relevant countries. As a reminder, starting May 6th, new Helldivers 2 players will need to link their Steam account to a Playstation Network account. Existing players on Steam must log in starting May 30th and link their accounts by June 4th.
At the same time, Steam is also taking action elsewhere: Apparently the subsequent account requirement justifies returning the game with a full refund of the purchase price. For example, a screenshot shows an approved reversal after 97 hours of play – with the change made as the reason.
In line with this topic: Update to Helldivers 2: Account compulsory is not going down well
At the same time, Spitz, community manager at Arrowhead Game Studios, asserts that he was unaware that Playstation accounts were not offered worldwide. He also emphasizes that there must be a better solution. What that should be, however, is not revealed. In addition, global availability of PSN accounts would not solve the problem that this is subsequently enforced. It therefore remains to be seen whether the developers will stick to the new requirement in the face of great resistance.
Source: via Wccftech