July's PlayStation Plus lineup was originally planned to consist of Horizon Chase Turbo and PES 2019: Pro Evolution Soccer. However, while the former stuck around, Konami's football sim was changed at the very last minute, in favour of Quantic Dream's Detroit: Become Human. There's been no real explanation for the swap, but a new report from GameSpot sheds a little more light on the situation.
According to a couple of spokespersons from Konami, the decision to bench PES 2019 was entirely Sony's. "This decision was made by Sony and so please make an inquiry to Sony," said one representative. Meanwhile, European PES brand manager Lennart Bobzien suggests it was a bit of a surprise: "I cannot really tell you what happened because I just found out today, in the morning when I opened my laptop. I can't really explain."
Sony itself has offered very little to explain the decision. Many believe the platform holder swapped for a more popular game in order to quell the backlash to the initial lineup. We're unlikely to get an admission along those lines, but we wouldn't be surprised if the negative reaction had something to do with it.
[source gamespot.com]
Comments 30
Instead of swapping, they shoulda added...
That's the least they should be doing after getting rid of the Vita and PS3 games...
What's there to explain? Sony announced the line up, there was a huge outcry from the fans that didn't want the game. Sony said okay... here's a different game, we hope you rather have this. I respect this. Konami has to look inward as to why people didn't want the game. That simple. Side note...I hope this doesn't become an expectation because if I was interested in the soccer game, my feelings would have been hurt.
If Sony heard the backlash over PES, where's their reaction to people being unhappy with the general quality and value for money of PS+? I mean I can't be the only one, right?
Sony had a read of our "PS Plus Is In Desperate Need of an Overhaul" article and got straight to work.
The decision seems to get stranger and stranger they annoyed some people with the original announcement then annoyed another lot of people with the swap. If they added Detroit i think they would have come out ok. If the changed it because of backlash why leave it to an hour before the games went live. They could of announced the change on Friday or even Monday morning would of been better.
August games with gold on Xbox will feature PES 2019 watch im calling it now.
Would be nice if they pushed PES to next month for the people that were excited for it. (Not me, but if I was I’d be a little annoyed at them switching it)
I've heard rumours that PES was taken out because of a marketing deal Sony have with EA over Fifa, which is more plausible then the other reasons.
I'm happy tbh. They should have added but chatting to a couple of folk in work they were pretty happy too. They should have added rather than replaced but the original line up was appalling.
@shuvamg009 that is not how things work as PS4 users we still get what we always paid for from the start why you think you are owed more because the PS3 & Vita service has closed is odd.
@Stragen8 no. Because even fans of the series are calling it the worst one in a long time.
No fan would be surprised - companies licking their boots ranks high on the list of fans' wet dreams. But since we sick bastards can't have it confirmed by Sony's admission, let's grasp at straws like the reasoning vacuum on the official side.😏
Seems legit. Whatever the reason, it urged Sony to pull one on a publisher they had a deal with, literal days before launch. This could have only been something as important as trying to appease fans. Especially, as everyone at Sony knows and as this section's very first comment reaffirms, appeasing fans is a very realistic goal.
Most people either love football games like fifa or pes and bought it on day 1, or not interested at all, choosing football games as psplus games is weird. Just give us 1 old/cheap AAA games and 1 great indie games for psplus.
@shuvamg009 Yeah, sony takes ps3 and psvita games but instead getting better ps4 games, it looks like we’re getting worse games 😕
I've just spat my dummy out, will they give me The Last of Us Part 2 next month?! 🤣
It's nice that Sony followed the backlash. But regarding communication with fans, they could still learn a thing or two from Nintendo.
I've never downloaded a plus game.
They're either games I don't care about at all, or, if they're games that I want, guess what, I already own them... Because I wanted them!
Jokes aside, I really wish they'd put on plus some games I find interesting, but do not own... There are still a few out there, especially VR games...
Pretty miserable for the ones eagerly anticipating PES. The easy/decent solution would be to gift Detroit on top of Pro Ev and Turbo. Im happy enough with Detroit. Been meaning to snap it up for a while.
Sony have seriously burned through so much goodwill.
It’s obviously because people were pissed and they can’t keep having this kind of backlash
@AdamNovice that would make sense
@Trotterwatch Have they though? As soon as they reveal PS5 and their upcoming games, people will quickly forget.
@AdamNovice Like with PS3, PS5 isn't a guaranteed win. Microsoft did the same this gen, they got cocky and threw away a commanding lead.
I blame EA. Bet they are behind it.
@Trotterwatch Except MS had only one territory during the 360 era, the U.S. the rest of the world has been PlayStation focused and has if anything gotten bigger since then. Plus MS are not giving people much incentive to buy their consoles now so it leaves PS5 in prime position. And that's before we get into the high tier exclusive games that it will have. In short, xbox winning next gen is a long shot and MS knows it, hence why all the effort has gone into Game Pass because there looking for revenue elsewhere without pulling out of the console market.
They cant? Massive internet backlash. There. Explained it for ya lol
Konami: Become Confused.
Fitba is rubbish that's why 😂
@AdamNovice You know people always say Sony got arrogant with the Ps3 but then they forget all of what that System Was packing when it launched it was a Gaming System and alot more most of it was new technology like the Blu ray player and the Cell processor
The answer is simple really.
We are paying for games not overhyped "watch overpaid people kick a bag of air around some grass" simulators
PES isn't a game it's a joke. Detroit is a proper game
Simple as.
Well done Sony
@resigamer28 Wow "I don't like sports games so therefore no one should derp" Please stop being narcissistic and understand that just because you don't like a specific genre doesn't mean that it shouldn't exist. I don't like ultra violent games too much, but that doesn't mean I think so highly of myself that I feel they shouldn't exist. Different people, different tastes.
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