The PlayStation 4, better known as the PS4, launched with much fanfare. The only complaint registered by players came from the lack of good titles for the console. Sony quickly announced plans for new titles and new additions to some of its top franchises like Call of Duty, which was brought to us by Bobby Kotick and Activision. While that helped tide fans over for a few months, some find themselves ready to revolt thanks to errors and issues that occurred following a massive update to the PlayStation network. With the holiday shopping season right around the corner, Sony hopes to solve the problem quickly.
Update Problems
Sony released its first major update for the PS4 in October of 2014, and according to fans, the update did more than Sony anticipated. Called update v2.00, Sony hoped that the update would show fans what they could expect in the future and make them more willing to rush out and buy the new games landing in stores before Christmas. The update actually caused a number of problems that led to fans speaking out online and calling the company directly. One of the more common problems reported is something that Sony refers to as a rest error. When users leave the PS4 running in rest mode, it freezes and refuses to restart. Others found their consoles running sluggishly or that the consoles would freeze when playing.
Response from Sony
Technology gurus found that Sony did not handle the issue well. Instead of offering free games, free downloads and other items for players, the company simply issued a statement that it knew the problem existed. As outrage increased, Sony finally admitted that it had its technology department working on the issue and trying to find a solution. Experts think that the company will issue a new update that acts like a patch to reduce the problems caused by the previous update.
Fans Respond
Fan response to the update problems was less than happy. While some players found that the update caused few problems or that it didn’t affect their consoles at all, other fans found themselves outraged at what happened. Videos posted online by players point out that the systems cost more than $300 and that they pay more than $50 for new games. They demand that Sony issue a patch or a new update soon that will fix the problem. Many players report having major problems with their systems for more than one week.
Will This Hurt Future Sales?
If Sony hopes to continue its domination of the market, it needs to act quickly. Microsoft revealed some new changes and a new price tag for its XBOX One, which will put its cost on par with the PS4. Christmas is the biggest shopping season of the year, and more people buy video game consoles during November and December than any other time of the year. As the outrage grows, it may hurt Sony in the long run.
Some of the more popular viral videos and post come from users purchasing XBOX One consoles and putting their PS4 consoles away. Searching for information on the PS4 will bring up a number of articles about the update error. The only way that Sony can compete with Microsoft is if the company releases a new update before the shopping season starts.
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