Sony has taken unprecedented action to curb the sale of third-party software on its hardware deemed not to be of suitable enough quality to sell.
Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt RED’s eagerly anticipated RPG, has been met with fierce criticism since release for being pushed out the door in an egregiously broken state. While owners of the game on all available devices have reported numerous bugs and performance issues, those on consoles in particular have had an especially horrid time attempting to play the sci-fi title as it was intended. The developer has since apologized profusely for not meeting the standards expected of it and subsequently resorted to offering refunds for all those not satisfied with their purchase, but it seems that’s not enough.
In the original statement released earlier this week, CDPR recommended that Xbox One and PlayStation 4 users looking for their money back contact their respective platform holder to get the ball rolling and Sony, in particular couldn’t be happier to oblige. Addressing customers over on Twitter, the company confirmed that, effective immediately, it will now be offering full refunds to all affected, as well as completely removing Cyberpunk 2077 from sale as part of its continued efforts to “ensure a high level of customer satisfaction.”
Reactions to this decision, however, have been mixed, with many believing it sets a dangerous precedent, as you can see below.
This is so stupid . Give Refunds sure but pull the game ? Little excessive no ? runs perfectly fine for me on next Gen besides minor few glitches Had less issues with @CyberpunkGame than I did with @assassinscreed https://t.co/ZTi6ZgCa92
— Brandon B. ⭕️ (@WRA0221) December 18, 2020
https://twitter.com/faranduleo/status/1339739849759334400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1339739849759334400%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fgaming%2Fnews%2Fcyberpunk-2077-refund-playstation-store-sony-ps4-ps5-reaction%2F
https://twitter.com/Elion87/status/1339741460812488711?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1339741460812488711%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fgaming%2Fnews%2Fcyberpunk-2077-refund-playstation-store-sony-ps4-ps5-reaction%2F
https://twitter.com/SophNar0747/status/1339751863810449409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1339751863810449409%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fgaming%2Fnews%2Fcyberpunk-2077-refund-playstation-store-sony-ps4-ps5-reaction%2F
You won't help with my defective PS5 or refunds for digital purchases associated with it, and haven't responded to my repeated (200+, by my count) inquiries about this, since November 13, 2020. Maybe a New Year's Resolution for you, can be to learn how to run a digital storefront
— 2019 DOOSAN GC25S-9 BCS Large-Capacity Forklift (@jffxns) December 18, 2020
Sony is letting you refund #Cyberpunk2077 through Sony store… But didn't for anthem…. Let that sink in… of how bad it is.
— HeyRobert (@HeyRobert07) December 18, 2020
Taking it off the store is a huge mistake honestly. Some ppl were probably gonna buy it digitally for Christmas. My gf for one is extremely pissed off abt it.
— Santiago (@OneAndOnlyYEFF) December 18, 2020
Get full refund = Great
Take the Game out of store = BAD— Mikael Auditore (@MiKAuditore) December 18, 2020
Well you just guaranteed on me switching over to x-box or pc. You are taking away peoples rights to choose whether they buy this game in the name of customer satisfaction. I have been playing Cyberpunk 2077 on my base PS4 from day one and yes with some bugs but otherwise playable
— Marcus Whelan 🇺🇸 ✝️ 🇺🇸 (@whelan0kkult) December 18, 2020
https://twitter.com/UltamisiaReal/status/1339960001784410113
Regardless of which side of the argument you fall on, it’s certainly true that Sony may find closing these floodgates a difficult proposition. Cyberpunk 2077‘s removal not only leads to expectations of similar action being taken in the future, but scrutiny of other arguably unworthy content currently available on the PlayStation Store.
Infamous indie game Life of Black Tiger, for example, continues to be available for purchase on the storefront despite being of objectively worse quality than CDPR’s creation. Will this high profile case be enough to trigger a thorough review of the certification process, though? One can only hope.