Dear Sony,
Your network is down. Do you know why? Do you know how long it will take to fix?
Sure you do. You're a large multinational producer of electronics and entertainment media. You have lots of talented and smart people working for you.
You also have many devoted gamers sitting on PS3s that sport under utilized capacity, overpriced software, and a free but much less well developed online setup.
And now that setup is indisposed, with no real word yet on what the problem is and when it will be corrected. The PSN has gone MIA and users are completely in the dark. Some are already starting to suspect the worse. Is this farce actually just an ill-timed tune up to attempt to piracy proof the PS3? Is Sony really just trying to line their pockets with my hard earned dollars in return for poor service and no up-to-date information? Are you really the monster all of us disgruntled PS3 owners might soon begin to think you are?
Companies are always seeking to provide "great customer satisfaction," and telling consumers they are "valued" and "appreciated." Well I don't feel very "valued" or "appreciated" right now, nor do I have much confidence in Sony's continued silence or their ability to handle these situations in the future.
Prior to the great PSN "Blackout," I was already growing displeased with the sleek and slim piece of hardware sitting TV stand. With exclusive titles few and far between, and so many friends playing X360s, the multiplayer possibilities and Live Arcade were beginning to seem well worth the monthly fee and late investment in an aging console. Now this belief has only been reinforced.
All of our Xbox owning friends have reminded us Playstation-loyalists of the following: you get what you pay for.
At an earlier time I would have said that wasn't always true, that Sony's PSN might be free but that the company is no less dedicated to providing adaquate and reliable service at zero added cost to its users, because Sony takes care of its customers. Because when one purchases a PS3 they are not just buying a piece of disposable hardware; they are purchasing a committment from Sony to provide quality content, meet expectations, and fulfill the unspoken agreement between gamer and console manufacturer .
This agreement is the following: When I pruchase your system instead of another, when I committ to your software instead of another, and when I depend on your service instead of another, you will deliver on these things, continue to work at surpassing your competitors, and that if anyone of these obligations is ever not met, you will bring me into the fold and explain to me what's going on.
An explanation is the least I deserve, but it's still more than you're willing to provide.
Beyond just quality and price, beyond the specs of a console, the games available, and the promise of their manufacturers, there is something else , something that is intangible and hard to quantify, by that matters as much if not more than all of these things for a company's success.
This something else is trust. It's something you can't afford to lose. It's also something you've taken no steps to maintian during the current PSN "Blackout." And it's something you won't easily win back. At least not from me.
Regretfully,
Dissapointed Owner of a PS3
Your network is down. Do you know why? Do you know how long it will take to fix?
Sure you do. You're a large multinational producer of electronics and entertainment media. You have lots of talented and smart people working for you.
You also have many devoted gamers sitting on PS3s that sport under utilized capacity, overpriced software, and a free but much less well developed online setup.
And now that setup is indisposed, with no real word yet on what the problem is and when it will be corrected. The PSN has gone MIA and users are completely in the dark. Some are already starting to suspect the worse. Is this farce actually just an ill-timed tune up to attempt to piracy proof the PS3? Is Sony really just trying to line their pockets with my hard earned dollars in return for poor service and no up-to-date information? Are you really the monster all of us disgruntled PS3 owners might soon begin to think you are?
Companies are always seeking to provide "great customer satisfaction," and telling consumers they are "valued" and "appreciated." Well I don't feel very "valued" or "appreciated" right now, nor do I have much confidence in Sony's continued silence or their ability to handle these situations in the future.
Prior to the great PSN "Blackout," I was already growing displeased with the sleek and slim piece of hardware sitting TV stand. With exclusive titles few and far between, and so many friends playing X360s, the multiplayer possibilities and Live Arcade were beginning to seem well worth the monthly fee and late investment in an aging console. Now this belief has only been reinforced.
All of our Xbox owning friends have reminded us Playstation-loyalists of the following: you get what you pay for.
At an earlier time I would have said that wasn't always true, that Sony's PSN might be free but that the company is no less dedicated to providing adaquate and reliable service at zero added cost to its users, because Sony takes care of its customers. Because when one purchases a PS3 they are not just buying a piece of disposable hardware; they are purchasing a committment from Sony to provide quality content, meet expectations, and fulfill the unspoken agreement between gamer and console manufacturer .
This agreement is the following: When I pruchase your system instead of another, when I committ to your software instead of another, and when I depend on your service instead of another, you will deliver on these things, continue to work at surpassing your competitors, and that if anyone of these obligations is ever not met, you will bring me into the fold and explain to me what's going on.
An explanation is the least I deserve, but it's still more than you're willing to provide.
Beyond just quality and price, beyond the specs of a console, the games available, and the promise of their manufacturers, there is something else , something that is intangible and hard to quantify, by that matters as much if not more than all of these things for a company's success.
This something else is trust. It's something you can't afford to lose. It's also something you've taken no steps to maintian during the current PSN "Blackout." And it's something you won't easily win back. At least not from me.
Regretfully,
Dissapointed Owner of a PS3