PlayStation started the month by announcing that it’s ending the production of game discs starting 2028. Naturally, gamers who were unhappy with the decision protested in a couple of ways. One is by a Change.org petition, the effectiveness of which is arguable at best. The other, probably more effective move, is cancelling their PS Plus subscriptions. And it looks like some users are being offered discounts to reconsider their cancellation.
A Reddit thread started by user Castilloryrock includes an image of the 50% discount for a three-month subscription to PS Plus Extra. With the currency being in HK$, it should be obvious where the user is from. But it’s not the only market getting the offer, nor is 50% the only discount amount. A US user claimed to have been offered 25% off for their 12 months of PS Plus Premium subscription.
Among other users who shared the discounts they were offered, one was offered 25% off PS Plus Deluxe in New Zealand, and another got 50% off PS Plus Premium in the Czech Republic. No mention of subscription duration for these, but it shows that the discounts are being offered in pretty diverse PlayStation markets, and for various permutations of the subscription.
It’s worth mentioning at this point that offering discounts in response to subscription cancellation is completely normal, even outside of the current situation with PlayStation. But there were arguably more users who were not offered any discounts in the thread, so bear that in mind if you’re trying to do so yourself.
Between the two protest methods, it’s clear that the one that would financially affect PlayStation would be the more effective one. That being said, it would be a while before we see any form of result from this protest, effective as it may seem on the surface. After all, the brand made its controversial announcement on 1 July US time, just after the numbers for the previous quarter had been set in stone. But with that in mind, the next financial report could be an interesting read, if the company even mentions it.
(Source: Reddit, Change.org)
