When PlayStation sent the reminder for gamers to “keep chilled” in the online sphere, insult-laden responses poured out thick and fast. The official AskPlayStation account had simply tweeted, “When interacting with other players on PlayStation Network, be respectful in your communications.” Perfectly legitimate fine, right? Well, gamers had other things to say.
The tweet was linking to PlayStation’s guidelines about how to treat other people in a virtual setting: don’t harass; no spam; no trolling. However, instead of an encouraging “Yeah, let’s be nice to each other,” responses comprised demands, complaints, and full-blown tirades. Classic internet.
One of the players, BradplsChill, blatantly disregarded the message and insisted for the comeback of PlayStation Home and PlayStation Communities. “Bring back PlayStation Home and PlayStation Communities,” he tweeted, as if nostalgia outweighed common courtesy. PlayStation Home, which was Sony’s virtual social hangout, shut down over 10 years ago; yet, some gamers miss it like the old friend over.
Then there was Rakeem Nichols, who went full caps-lock rant after he got suspended in the middle of the stream. “GIVE ME MY ACCT BACK I DID NOTHING WRONG,” he hollered into the void of the Internet, tagging AskPlayStation twice for measure. He said that he was just live-streaming when an employee (allegedly) suspended him out of nowhere. Whether that is the full story or not… well, PlayStation’s moderation team usually does not just randomly pick their hammer-down occasions. But hey, it happens.
Michael181, meanwhile, had a somewhat reasonable thing to complain about: no capture button! “Did you guys remove the capture button?” he asked, lamenting the absence of his screenshot function. Other players jumped in, telling him to check his settings or filters, yet Michael would not hear of it. “I think they removed it,” he insisted, despite assurance from others that the feature still exists. Sometimes technology just wants to gaslight us.
Pete Pounders piled on PlayStation yet again with the charge of Supreme Hypocrisy: “What about games you make money off of that produce volatile language, sexuality, nudity?” he asked. “Or is this behavior acceptable because it’s how you make your money?” Oof. Hard to dodge. PlayStation preaches respect toward each other, but yeah, some of their biggest hits are rated M for a reason.
And, of course, no conversation about gaming would be complete without at least one banning lament: “Can’t even call someone a dumb ass without getting banned lol snowflake ah company,” Crud785 tweeted. Classic “Why can’t I be toxic?” argument. PlayStation’s moderation has indeed gotten stronger over the years, and while some players appreciate the cleaner lobbies, others just want to trash-talk with no consequences.
Ja1r⚽ gave something a wee bit more valid: “Even with cheaters and trolls?” Because let’s be real—respect sometimes goes one way, and these players make that hard. PlayStation’s anti-cheat and reporting systems have gotten better, but trolls still slip on through.
PlayStation’s message? Be cool to each other. The replies? Wildly incoherent barrage of demands, shouts, and deep, foul stench of nostalgia. So maybe, the real lesson is that the gamers sure got an awful lot to say about missing features, account suspensions, and yes, that privilege of calling someone a dumbass.
Still, if PlayStation truly aspires to be “the best place to play,” then that reminds us that there are many more players’ real issues waiting to be answered, besides just reminding everybody to play nice. And that would take actual effort, from resurrecting the long-lost features to iron out real account issues, and hey, pointing out to us where the hell the feature to snap screenshots went. The community has far more to say than just manners.
So, appropriate, respect each other, but maybe double-check your settings before throwing a tantrum about Sony stealing your capture button.
