God of War Ragnarok is the latest first-party exclusive of PlayStation Studios that will grace the PC platform, and the gaming community is equally enthusiastic and skeptical about this new initiative. Recent controversies caused a major strain between the player base and the gaming company and things will likely get worse before it gets better.
Fans anticipated this game to be ported after the first was a massive success and the publisher’s ambition to gain more coverage on the PC landscape. However, previous efforts were not well-received by fans after the requirement to link a PlayStation Network account to Steam.
God of War Ragnarok Will Likely Be Another Victim of the Infamous PlayStation Network Controversy
Santa Monica Studio recently unveiled the official system requirements of God of War Ragnarok PC, and the gaming community is on the edge of their seats and has their fingers crossed that their gaming rigs are powerful enough for them to explore the Nine Realms. It is exciting to see PlayStation share their highly-regarded first-party franchises to PC; however, it opened a new can of worms.
The spec sheets confirmed that players must link an active PlayStation Network account to Steam before playing the main story. To no one’s surprise, players did not appreciate this mandate especially those who reside outside the network coverage and are already threatening to resort to unethical methods to play the game at any cost without thinking of the consequences.
Well, They're inviting me to pirate their game now! pic.twitter.com/j4e7pC8v2E
— Pirat_Nation 🔴 (@Pirat_Nation) August 12, 2024
Arrowhead Game Studios was the first to experience being thrown under the bus by Sony’s mandate. After days of review bombing and hostile interactions with the fans, the publisher caved in and retracted the requirement; unfortunately, the damage had already been done and Helldivers 2 players can forgive but never forget.
Helldivers 2 PC players in unsupported regions felt as if they were abandoned and the gaming company showed no signs of remorse until the outcry and backlash were too much to bear.
The gaming community expressed their concern that the latest port will suffer a fate much worse than the live service game and will set a precedent for future first-party ports with the PSN requirement.
PlayStation Should Expect a Record High Number for God of War Ragnarok PC Piracy
Sony Interactive Entertainment has implemented a new strategy for this console generation that involves extending its reach to PC. Horizon Forbidden West: Complete Edition has set a new record for piracy, and it should give the company enough cause to safeguard its IP and not force the players to do something they will regret.
Players in unsupported regions are dealt with an unfortunate hand and the worst part is that they can’t do anything about it. Piracy is their only solution and will likely harm the game’s reception and desecrate years of hard work by Santa Monica Studio.
Enthusiasts will jump on the first day; however, everyone has the same privileges. Perhaps Sony should consider extending the network coverage or permanently removing the requirement to avoid future problems.
Santa Monica Studio spent years working on the franchise and the Norse Saga, and it would be disrespectful for Sony to prohibit fans from experiencing this story due to factors beyond their control. Compromises should be made to stave off a bigger problem.
Are you planning on playing God of War Ragnarok on PC? Let us know in the comments section below!
