Helldiver's Hell Dive - An Open Statement

[Imperator RAD-X]

I'm going to write up a post that's fully written from the inside. To make something clear first; I am not here to start fights, and I am not a player of Helldiver's II despite me owning the game. I tried playing it one time but suffered an issue with an infinite loading screen problem and forgot about it until now. Regardless of that, I'm going to delve right into it and speak for the rest of the players from an outsider's perspective. But I will try to speak in the midst of an ocean's outcry.

Understandably the PSN account linkage is a business related decision, and I also understand that Sony is going make decisions based on what they think are the most profitable method of financial gain. The problem with the PSN linkage decision is that this was nowhere near the marked indication or target that would realistically be reachable. The profit margins of the game are already a tremendous success on multiple platforms. From the specific metrics involved when it comes to observing playercount and amount of players globally influencing a galactic-scaled shooter that borderlines open world adventure where you, friends or family could partake in - with millions partaking in that adventure; you have a golden goose. You have effectively produced a unicorn that will bring nothing short of fun and everlasting entertainment and, most importantly, memories.

I used to be employed in business analysation, but it doesn't take a business analyst to take a simple observation into how Helldivers II became such a tremendous success. The peak of the game reached a great 458,000+ players on Steam, and that alone is tremendous for a game set out for exactly what the trailer of the game inspired. It not only sought its achievement through its popularity - but because it actually has soul and tremendous independent creativity.

Helldivers II could have been seen as yet another game amongst many in the sea of indies and triple As. But, it became something more when a community of potentially a million people recognised a sentient event that evolved and even attributed the game's success.

That event was Malevelon Creek. From that moment onward, that is what produced what could be described as the first establishment of community strongly immersed in digital glorification with previously described friends, and family alike. It set boundaries to the game's over-arching story.

Despite that, there is a saying that the universe has a way of balancing out the good and the bad. Nothing can be seen as perfection forever, and that an equally powerful cataclysmic event would come to fruition. This is corporate bureaucracy.

It managed to overtake both Call of Duty and Fortnite as its main competitors. It beat them both by the power of what the game's sole-intention was; maintaining democracy and liberty. Two values the world today should be holding dear.

https://steamdb.info/app/553850/charts/#max

https://www.radiotimes.com/technology/gaming/helldivers-2-player-count-sales/

So what happens if one was to hurt the golden goose? A lot of people are left bitter, angry, and confused. This is straight up obvious given one gaze at the reviews. Overwhelmingly positive to overwhelmingly negative in a period of a few days. Not only this, but a great deal of the players from a multitude of nations are unable to take part in the game they purchased, and for some it's extremely expensive. Imagine a birthday gift you obtained, maybe the game was bought by yourself, or someone gifted it to you / you gifted it to someone else is unplayable; it would leave people very disheartened and incredibly upset.

Arrowhead has worked very hard with a passionate love for what they've created. The creative minds behind Helldivers II were in the making of creating perhaps one of the greatest games in history. From an analytical point of view and a user research point of view, comparing that to many triple A games across the industry would see that Helldivers II on Steam was tremendously powerful.

Again, I merely speak from an outsider's perspective, but it would make for the best and most logical decision to reverse the PS-Network account linking and make it entirely optional. Please give Arrowhead and the game the capability to shine. I'm sure this is enough for all investors involved in the game's stakes and success thus far to be more than satisfying.

Please don't take away what the people here have built. People want to play games to escape reality for a little while, not have it follow them in full.

Many thanks.

[Breezie]

So. A lot of people are dismissing the security threat outright, and saying it's an over-reaction. Let me paint you a picture that shows why it's not.

nProtect has had breaches, and is a VERY powerful piece of software. Finding a new vulnerability is completely feasible, if not expected in the future. Sony has a terrible track record on security.

So. What does this change? How about we think it through a bit.

A new exploit regarding nProtect on its own wouldn't be too terrible, as you could hide in the sea of internet connected devices. Your chances of being compromised is pretty low.

So Sony only has your email address right? Wrong. How do you think they can find out if someone is using a VPN? They're also gathering telemetry data. Things to include your IP, which is used to geolocate you.

So here's the thing so many of we PC players are concerned about. Sony gets compromised again, and the telemetry data gets got. That's now a target list to leverage the nProtect vulnerability / exploit and build a bot net, as well as gather whatever is on your computer. And there's literally no way you or your system would know.


Do you want a key logger on your PC? Cause that's how you get a key logger on your PC.

This is a far more serious things than some are acknowledging, and I figured I'd spell it out for people.

[Good Old Jim]

They could even make in mandatory to use Cross play. That would even be fair, since the "supposed" reason they need it is to protect their PS5 users from grief etc... just leave us PC players alone. Everyone wins.

[Imperator RAD-X]

Originally posted by Good Old Jim:

Just leave us PC players alone. Everyone wins.

All that is needed in the end.

[Good Old Jim]

Originally posted by Imperator RAD-X:

Originally posted by Good Old Jim:

Just leave us PC players alone. Everyone wins.

All that is needed in the end.

Oh I agree but humans are stubborn, Sony doens't wanna admit it screwed the pooch royally. This option of it being for Cross play only would let them save face while defusing the situation.