Unplug your consoles for a week in August
As I wrote in a recent article, Sony’s run out of goodwill with its most loyal fans, and the PS5 disc debacle is the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Now engaged fans are rallying to organise a “blackout”, which will see all likeminded parties unplug their consoles from 23rd August to 30th August.
The idea is to send the company a message, by hurting one of the statistics it treasures most: active players.
In a statement shared on social media, organisers said the platform holder had grown “further apart from its fan base”.
Subscribe to Push Square on YouTube171k
The post laments the loss of first-party developers like Bluepoint and Japan Studio, as well as the abandonment of franchises such as Sly Cooper and Resistance.
In fact, the letter is so strongly worded, it concedes that “bringing back physical games would only be meeting players halfway”.
While I personally don’t agree with a lot of the “issues” being raised, I do think it’s representative of how the core fanbase has been feeling lately.
PlayStation has always existed to make as much money as possible, like any company – but there was a period during the latter days of the PS3 and throughout much of the PS4 era where it seemed to genuinely care about its fanbase. That hasn’t been the case for many years now.
Here’s the statement in full:
“For several years now, Sony Interactive Entertainment has continued to grow further apart from its fan base. Whether it’s closing beloved studios like Bluepoint, pursuing a misguided live-service strategy, canceling fan events, leaving PSVR2 to die, or being completely out of touch with the franchises players want to see return, PlayStation has never felt more disconnected from its community.
Ending physical discs in 2028 feels like the last straw. We understand there is only so much SIE can control, but with the decisions that are within its control, the company continues to mismanage the strong position it inherited from the PS4 era.
There are so many issues with PlayStation right now that bringing back physical games would only be meeting players halfway. There is still much more SIE can do. We miss Twisted Metal, SOCOM, Sly Cooper, and Resistance. We miss PlayStation Experience. We miss Japan Studio.
With that, we are calling on PlayStation players to participate in an economic and gameplay blackout from Sunday, August 23, at 7:00 PM local time through Sunday, August 30, at 7:00 PM local time. Players can participate by turning off their consoles or logging out for seven days. We feel that this period gives publishers and developers minimal impact while still giving players a voice.”
I’m going to be honest with you, I won’t be taking part in the blackout – I’ve got work to do and, while I’ll always hold PlayStation to the highest standards possible, I don’t particularly agree with everything being written here.
However, I’m happy to spotlight the protest, and I encourage you to participate if you feel the same way as the organisers. If enough people disconnect from PlayStation for a week, it will send a message.
I certainly think this is a better course of action than spamming AI generated images about disc-based games on social media. You’ve got to scare these companies into action sometimes, and the only way to worry them is by closing your wallets and changing your playing habits.
