Cybersecurity

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Geek

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Cybersecurity

Myanmarโ€™s new cybersecurity law targets VPN usage with harsh penalties

Myanmar's new cybersecurity law imposes harsh penalties for VPN usage, raising concerns about privacy, free speech, and digital rights.

Apple agrees to US$95 million settlement in Siri privacy lawsuit

Apple agrees to a US$95 million settlement over claims Siri invaded user privacy, raising questions about tech data practices.

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Explore how AI is transforming decision-making, from boosting efficiency to raising ethical questions, and how businesses can balance AI with human judgment.

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Twilio: How customer engagement will be evolving in APJ by 2025

Explore how Twilio's insights will shape customer engagement strategies in APJ by 2025, focusing on trust, AI integration, data management, and innovative loyalty programmes.

Marketing

Can AI make better decisions than humans?

Explore how AI is transforming decision-making, from boosting efficiency to raising ethical questions, and how businesses can balance AI with human judgment.

Google Ads criticised for automatic broad match changes

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Tuesday, 7 January 2025
29.9 C
Singapore

Pre-order cancellations for Ghost of Tsushima on PC in non-PlayStation Network countries

Discover why Steam, Epic, and GMG are cancelling pre-orders for Ghost of Tsushima on PC in countries without PSN access.

Steam, Store, and Green Man Gaming are currently issuing refunds and cancelling pre-orders for the PC version of Ghost of Tsushima in over 170 countries lacking PlayStation Network (PSN) access, as reported by Eurogamer. This decision follows the sudden removal of the game from these platforms in the affected regions yesterday. Despite this, the core single-player experience of Ghost of Tsushima does not require a PSN account, contrasting with the gameโ€™s multiplayer Legends mode, which does.

Refunds and delistings explained

The developers of Ghost of Tsushima have clarified that only the Legends multiplayer mode necessitates PSN account linking. Both Steam and Green Man Gaming, along with the Epic Store, had previously noted this in their disclaimers, suggesting that the single-player game should remain playable regardless of PSN account availability. However, the reality has turned out differently, with the platforms opting to delist the game entirely in these regions.

Steam has begun notifying affected players with the following message: โ€œYou are receiving a refund for a game you pre-purchased, Ghost of Tsushima. The publisher of this game is now requiring a secondary account to play portions of this game, and this account cannot be created from your country.โ€

Comparative issues and community reactions

This incident mirrors a similar situation earlier this month involving Helldivers 2. Sony, the publisher, had implemented a new requirement for PSN account linking after the game had been available for nearly three months in non-PSN countries. This led to immediate restrictions on the gameโ€™s sale in these areas by Steam, sparking significant community backlash, including a review-bombing campaign that dramatically lowered the gameโ€™s ratings from โ€œoverwhelmingly positiveโ€ to โ€œoverwhelmingly negative.โ€

Recently, further complications arose as Steam added Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to its list of countries where sales are restricted. Johan Pilestedt, CEO of Arrowhead and the developer of Helldivers 2, expressed his surprise at this decision on Discord, stating he was not informed prior to the communityโ€™s discovery.

Pilestedt has been vocal about attempting to persuade both PlayStation and Valve to lift these sale restrictions. Although it appears that Sonyโ€™s policies might be influencing these decisions, the lack of responses from Sony and Valve to inquiries leaves the situation unclear, leaving open the possibility that the platforms themselves might be choosing to delist Sonyโ€™s games independently.

This ongoing saga highlights the complexities and frustrations faced by players and developers alike in regions without full access to gaming platformsโ€™ services, illustrating the broader challenges of global game distribution.

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