Playstation Store and Australia

NextGen and Regions. It’s pretty much like having Pizza, but because you live in … well, wherever, you can’t have Pizza with cheese. Because you are a stupid ass consumer.

The whole idea of NextGen, or Next Generation gaming consoles is that they have entered into a technological realm where the personal computer is no longer the centre of your entertainment, work or multimedia needs. The computer has long held this status, being so comprehensibly able to play games, listen to music, work, watch movies and browse the internet. In fact, I myself had never owned a console before buying a Playstation3. I had of course played games on them through friends etc, but I myself never saw the need, especially when the PC would undoubtedly always have the lion share of the gaming releases, and if something was released on a console first, it was a given that it would, sooner or later, be ported. For better or worse, and thus I never saw the need to buy an expensive console.

This of course is supposed to have been turned on its head with nextgen consoles coming to consumers with consoles like the Xbox 360, Wii, and the PS3. The PS3 itself has the ability to play DVD’s, rip music, store photos, play games, browse the web (however garish that capability is), and buy and install downloadable content from its PlayStation Store, much like its counterparts.

NextGen, through its connected status is supposed to be, what I am sure Sony’s marketing division would describe as, a real alternative to the computer system as a multimedia mega-awesome EPIC-win alternative to the computer. But is it?

The very nature of being connected to the internet assumes that geography is no longer a factor in … anything. You can do anything with anyone from anywhere, all through this great connectedness.

However, if you take Sony’s example for consideration, geography has come and landed some unfortunate souls back in the middle ages where, and I do not exaggerate, we live in a Feudal society, classed to the hizzhouse.

Australian PS3 owners it seems are second class citizens if the Playstation Store and game release dates are anything to go by and it is not just this disgruntled gamer that thinks so. Kotaku Australia repeatedly voice their “underwhelmed” reaction at each Thursday’s release. We are continually promised releases on the store only to be met with yet another demo of a game that hasn’t even come close to a release date in Australia, but is usually out in another country, ALREADY. We have been overdue for Everyday Shooter for 2 months, PAIN is out… everywhere, and yet, still not here, after a December promise. And many more. And whilst physical releases of games are tied up with other issues such as distributors and alike, it is inconceivable that there has to be such a large disparity between the three four regions that Sony has lumped some 6 BILLION people into… or whatever the world population is.

And when Sony gives “exclusive content” to Australia only, that being the music video downloads in the store, it is a complete slap in the face. Do they really think that the gaming community and those spending $1000 on a console, controllers and games really want to listen to the absurdly retarded pop that you put in that folder? Obviously, quite bloody obviously you only put in SONY/BMG signed artists… well, that’s more a sign of the shit you sign isn’t it.

Another query is that other regions do not have a drop off effect on their folders. It seems here in Aus, that once a folder reaches the size of 3 pages on the store, the content at the end does not get pushed onto another page, creating what would be a great archive of downloadable content. What happens is that it FALLS off and it is no longer available. We are restrained by folder numbers. I have friends who have demos that I cannot get simply because I bought a PS3 a while after them. Demo’s can only ever HELP sales, it can only ever do GOOD. What is the point of taking them down?

Paul Keating once said that “Australia is the arse end of the world” and for many reasons this is already true. But Sony have taken it to a new level and have treated us with an almost palpable contempt. Gaming in Australia is a joke to them. Well, Sony is a joke here now. Your sales are so bad for the PS3 retailers are starting to BUNDLE THEM WITH TELEVISIONS JUST TO SELL THEM.

Take a hint Sony and stop treating us in this fashion.

/Rant.

By Konrad Overdrive