It goes something like this: you leave a comment out of the blue, thinking it'll be like a drop in the water, but before you know it, hate mail starts pouring in, people are calling you a troll (some even send death threats), and media outlets end up quoting you. If you think your opinion doesn't matter (I certainly thought mine did not!), you're sorely mistaken.
The fact is that this issue, on which I commented, exploded in many ways, transcending from mild inconvenience for PS3 gamers to a full-blown case of identity breach almost unprecedented on a global scale. Now news outlets, non-PS3 gamers and even governments turned to the US PlayStation Blog for updates on the situation. And guess whose comment was the first to be read by these people? Yup, yours truly. I should point out, however, that I'm still sticking to my opinion, which I'm fully entitled to. And feel free to disagree, but do read on first. You'll come to see I was not trolling nor casting aspersions out of unseemly intentions.
I hate to start this blog on such a discordant note, with so many ideas I had in store, but the situation necessitated it. As such, instead of regurgitating my points to everyone who asks, I'll explain here and just link everyone who would like to see my point of view. Also, let it be known that I do love my PS3 otherwise I would not have cared so much nor spent so much of my income on it.
First off, let me preface this post with two important points:
- While I am critical of the PR handling of the PSN outage, let it be known that I do not mean the PR team directly. In fact, while my comments were critical, there were not, in any way, personal, and even though I know they might not read it, I would like to take this opportunity to publicly apologise to the person who made the blog posts in which I left these comments (Patrick Seybold, who is the director of communications at SCEA) for anything that might have appeared personal. Even if nothing seemed personal, he was under tremendous pressure and I did not help at all, and that fuels my guilt even further.
- Having interned at a PR firm, I know for a fact that this is not how PR works. You see, they usually have strategies for these situations, but it is often due to veto orders coming from "above" that pretty much tells them to keep silent, and of course, the PR department has to follow through. Now, I'm not saying that that's how it was with Sony and the PSN, it's how it seemed. I was critical of the PR handling, yes, but never have I criticised the PR team because I do not know who was behind such fiasco. So, whoever was behind these decisions takes the blame.
"Are you a troll? Who cares what you think?"
Seriously, who cares what I think? I honestly thought nobody did, yet I keep getting messages from people on my PSN (some worse than others), and news outlets also quoted me. Not to mention the person reading this post now. Clearly, some people care.
So, was I trolling on the Blogs?
While it may have seemed that way, that I only came to the Blog to throw in a figurative Apple of Discord then leave, the tumult that I may have caused behind me made my comment ostensibly trollish. It's not. I am not a troll. I'm just your average 20-something consumer who:
- Has two PS3's
- Over 80 games (NOT including the downloaded ones from PS Store NOR the ones I had to leave behind when I moved into my new place).
- Purchased every DLC to each game, where available.
- Has over 80 platinum Trophies. (check the DLC trophies to prove the former point)
- Spent a fortune on PlayStation Home.
- Oh and an extra cookie to anyone who can guess the brand of my flatscreen TV.
In truth, I'm a huge fanboy. In the many silly PS3 vs. Xbox 360 I was one of the few who were still fervently defending the PS3. I always recommended the PS3 over other consoles not because of my loyalty, but also because it is that great.
So to see that negligence and disregard for consumers' concerns, especially those who have been nothing but loyal since times immemorial, felt almost too personal. And in my frustration I lashed out with that utter conviction that probably no one will hear me out. I do not have a sense of entitlement, I do not demand special treatment for the money I spent, I only want to see some respect for the undivided loyalty I've given to Sony throughout the years, like many, many, many others who are just as loyal, if not more so.
So you see, the point I listed above were a) to prove that I am not a troll, and b) it was not to show how much money I spent, but to show how loyal I am.
"So, it was the PSN downtime ticked you off?"
Actually, no, it went beyond that.
There is this sense of negligence that I felt throughout the years. Many concerns were rarely addressed, demanded features rarely implemented, questions never answered. It seems that there is a soundproof wall between Sony and its consumers where concerns go to die. Yes, this sense of 'negligence' has manifested in so many ways, which is why I usually kept it to myself, knowing it would never be heard, but that only added to the bottled up frustration of many, many users.
First of all, I have yet to see a forum where Sony employees discuss the PlayStation system and features with its users, or even engage in some sort of dialogue. (They do respond sometimes to the comment in the blogs, so I'll give them that, but it's usually pertaining to the topic in the blogpost, so not exactly an 'open forum.' Even then, you have to be one of the first to comment, 1st or 2nd page of comments. -- Thank you, Twitter! <3--. Beyond that, you might as well blather into an empty shot glass. Still, I am very thankful that they still respond!). The official US PlayStation forums, barring the PlayStation Home subforum, has virtually no Sony employees to help with various aspects. Even the technical subforum for Sony consoles has users helping other users instead of official Sony representatives (don't forget - Asia doesn't even have a separate forum!). SCEA launched the Share blog last year, which sent me excited. I thought: "finally, I have some great ideas to share" (Many of them were not approved to be even listed and, in fact, overlooked in favour of these suggestions). But it was fleeting at best. The list of implemented ideas, over twenty at best last I checked, however, have now disappeared. Most of the ideas implemented were not due to user demand (except perhaps the 'Ideas In Action' feature), however I cannot substantiate that since it's no longer there. The most popular idea, Cross Game Chat, has yet to be implemented. I'm not overly excited about this feature, but I voted for it because I want to see if fans are TRULY being heard out (some point out technical limitations (limited RAM, some argue), and that may be the case for cross-game chat. If CGC is still being discussed, I guess that means cross-game VIDEO chat is completely out of the question). Finally, The @AskPlayStation Twitter account was a wonderful idea at first but shortly fell from grace thereafter. It gives responses once in a blue moon, provided it's a dumb question. It does Tweet some great tips, but if you want a reply to your Tweets or question, you actually have a better chance getting a response from the @DalaiLama than there (I know it's unseemly, but if you want to know how make a great customer service Twitter outlet, maybe try asking these people - they actually respond!).
These are just the main points which only served to prove my point. I feel as though I've said more than enough but if you're pathologically curious, let me know.
"So, your response was to be a condescending "anatomical rear exit" in your comments during the outage?"
Well, yes and no. I'll concede that some of them may have appeared somewhat indecorous, but never, and I mean never, have used any expletives (like the F word that has been uttered continuously). I have never insulted anyone. My comments were critical but within the rules, guidelines and formal etiquette, and even then, if they were deemed inappropriate, the staff have every right to remove them. I believe the only reason they got such notoriety was due to the fact that it was amongst the first.
Here's how it went:
It all started out that fateful night on the 20th of April. The PlayStation Network went down, assumed to be a simple technical hiccup, or just simple maintenance. No one was really bothered. Hey, it happens. Right? I was so blasé, in fact, I made a dumb joke to lighten the mood.
Then a few days had passed, and suddenly it didn't seem funny anymore. During those days, not a word had been said (of course I didn't know what was going on). The longest PSN had been inaccessible was during the February leap year bug for 24 hours (well, it was mostly inaccessible from older PS3's) but even then, the negative reaction was massive and resonant. While 3 days, today, might seem negligible in the greater scheme of things, you need to understand that back then it seemed like a long time. Suddenly rumours started flying around, and there was some uneasiness amongst the gamers. The silence did not help, in fact. It fueled it even further.
That silence was the last straw broke the camel's back for me, and in my frustration I thought, screw it, and went and bought another console, making sure to leave a comment showing how it seems like they're pushing even the most loyal customers away (notice how I bought it before I was told the PSN was hacked). My point, however, was not that I was jumping ships, but to say that my gaming budgets will no longer go exclusively to Sony.
Then the worst case scenario was confirmed; the PlayStation Network was hacked. It was worse than anyone could have imagined. Tons of data might have been stolen, personal addressed exposed to hackers (I'm sure that possibly half of the 30+ million US account holders who were living at the address of Beverly Hills, California, 90210 were in an exceptional panic mode).
Let it be known, however, that I have never accused Sony of anything, unlike many others. I never called them "incompetent," unlike many others. I never held them accountable for the intrusion, unlike many others. I was simply frustrated by the lack of proper updates, as they slowly went from "simple," to "vague," and finally, to completely "abstruse." The only time they provided substantial update was a) when they were legally obligated to, and b) when the US House of Representatives demanded it. Must we be updated only when it's required by law and authority?
Make no mistake, my anger over the intrusion was against the hackers. I was one of those who never lashed out on Sony for the intrusion itself, but my explanation seem to be unheard in a massive chorus singing in completely different notes.
However, my tactic was, admittedly, shorthanded: In the midst of the PR nightmare, the general anger and when Sony was most vulnerable I decided to strike, and strike hard.
It was critical, but it was within the confines of social etiquette. I was critical, but not ONCE have used profanity. I was critical, but dignified. It was my timing and the message itself that created such a negative reaction. I had the various things hurled at me, from "petulant" to "FAGGET [sic]", people quoted me in news outlets. Yes, I got many people angry, even if it wasn't my intention.
But guess what? It worked.
They heard me out. To me, that's what matters. I have never been a believer in the mantra of "the end justifies the means," but this case was an exception.
It was not to get attention (I do not enjoy it that much. Plus, the attention was negative.), but if that was the case, then so be it.
Negative as I may have been, however, I:
1) never used profanity.
2) never engaged in personal attacks.
3) observed proper dialogue to the best of my ability.
4) actually thanked them (more than once) where gratitude was due.
5) finally wrote a letter explaining my position.
Most importantly, I wasn't trying some sort of "war of attrition" or engage in a David vs. Goliath battle (a la GeoHot). I wasn't rallying people against Sony. In fact, even as I type this, I'm using a VAIO laptop (ha!).
Critical as I may have been, I was still understanding
I know Sony wasn't intentionally provoking the customers. I know that what happened was beyond their control. I know they needed moral support and I would've been happy to give it. I only wanted to be informed, not for my sake, but for everyone else's, WHAT work is being done. You see, "working on it" is what I tell someone when they expect something from me that I'm procrastinating.
I know it was due to security reason that little updates was provided, but no one demanded to know the ins-and-outs of what is being done. Corporations are entitled to their secrets, and some information are security-related and cannot, not should they, be discussed. But the least they could is just state at which stage the "PlayStation maintenance" is at. Hey, if the hackers decide to attack then, at least it'll expose the loopholes, to see what to fix before the PSN goes public! (I should note, however, that I am no expert in IT so if someone sees a flaw in this suggestion, please point it out!)
I do not want to stress the negative. There were positive things like the welcome back package that truly offered some great deals to show apology for the downtime, even if they weren't required to do so. That kind of initiative, even if I personally would benefit little from it, is met with nothing but gratitude.
So in closing, my point was that I wasn't being a troll. I was genuine. I want more communication and openness. And in moment like these I want to be updated. I still thanked them where gratitude was due.
"Ah, okay, I see! Alri-- wait, what about those "Xbox 360" comments?"
What about it? It's still sitting there. Again, I never stated that I would jump ships, I just did this at first, before I even knew the hack had taken place, just to send a message that my money will no longer go exclusively to Sony. Simple as that. Plus, I can at least "check out the competition" now.
Oh and expect a very juicy review of the Xbox 360 and XBL soon. But to give you a preview: it ain't all it's cracked up to be. Trust me.
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I know it's an overdue post, I know it's a something that I should've said a long time ago, maybe I wrote this because I wanted closure of some sort. The fact is, I still stand firmly by my opinion, I will not change it. I am legally entitled to my opinion. That will never change. I believe that I was 100% right in my criticism about lack of proper communication.
I wrote it to show how genuine I was, for those who kept thinking I was a troll (not that I need to prove them otherwise, but even some friends thought so).
Most importantly, I think I wrote all this for me. On some personal level I have this weird sense of guilt, almost as those I was attacked specific people personally. None of the hatemail will stop me (in fact, I quite enjoy them for the lulz), but part of me feels bad, for something I cannot exactly pinpoint. For anyone who felt I was personally attacking them, I'm deeply sorry. For my opinion, I am, however, not. I see it as constructive criticism, not trolling.
