It's afraid. It's afraid!

You're likely right. If I recall correctly, the decision to do a refund is entirely steam's and the publisher has no choice but to foot the bill because of steam's tos. To add to that, refunds don't include the 30% cut steam makes on the sale, so the publisher actually loses that money if they have to cover a refund.

Say the game costs $50. Steam takes $15 of that and the other $35 goes to the publisher. If steam decides a refund is in order, the publisher must pay back all $50.

So yeah, Sony was losing money for every copy that got refunded due to a reason steam found justified. Given the sheer publicity of this whole thing, someone up top probably realized that if they carried through with it it'd cost way more than the pennies they'd squeeze per player by force linking their accounts.

People shit talk steam being a tyrannical monopoly all the time, but they are pretty consistent when it comes to treating their users fairly. This is a prime example of steam using its leverage to stop something really shitty.

Steam might not have considered refunds if it wasn't for the tidal wave of negative feedback. So users' collective action is worth something.

Honestly if steam did not start issuing refunds, I dont think that Sony would have changed their mind.

Yeah especially all the people that bought it in countries now delisted. And in the EU..

There is some upcoming drama around the crew.. in the question if the company was clear enough in communicating that the game could be disabled. As even though their eula says one thing.. these things need to be made extra explicit if you want to be able to enforce it.. it goes to ownership.

Emmm not really. They haven't regained trust by simply backpedalling on a very stupid decision.

No. Find ways to say "this is why I didn't buy (unrelated Sony product). I didn't go see (movie made by Sony pictures), I bought other brand's consumer electronics instead of Sony, I'm not even entertaining the thought of buying (game somehow owned by Sony) because look at what they pulled with Helldivers 2. Sony's brand is that of betrayal and I don't want to be betrayed."

Actually do this, and say on product reviews that you are doing this, until the news gets bored of reporting "Another Sony executive found dead at his desk."

Then it might get better.

Good idea. Then they know backpeddling works, and thus any initial decision has no consequences.

You must be a genius!

I'd say the choice of format is driven more by the similarity between ST and HD, and less about an accurate analogy with the source material

That's not really how memes work. Or do you comment that every time you see that steven crowder douche? Actually steven crowder doesn't play mario kart on the wii, therefore he would never debate you.

What movie is it? Is it worth watching?