This new code of conduct has put the PlayStation on a hot seat. I like to imagine that all of this originated because of a tweet from them about everyone starting as a noob; let us be nice to those new to the fold and”We ask all to adhere to these rules so as to keep this the best place to play. Sounds nice in theory, doesn’t it? But wait until you scroll through the responses; chaos all the way!”
In short, the official AskPlayStation Twitter account posted this message with a set of conduct guidelines and a Ryan Gosling-ish badge for rookies. They’re encouraging gamers to be a little more accommodating and kinder towards each other, which you’d think would be a good thing. But in response, the community gave rise to just as many vehemently supportive comments as staunchly opposing ones.
First there appeared to be a number of gamers openly questioning why gender identity and sexual orientation were so prominently placed at the start of the code. Like this one user, @SCTKWS, who unashamedly asked, “Why is gender identity and sexual orientation the first criteria mentioned? Where is religion?” And they weren’t the only ones with that sort of comment. @Risen_Faith added, “Gender identity? Wtf is that?” So either some folks are genuinely confused or they’re just not down for the inclusive language.
Then, of course, there’s the whole argy-bargy about trash-talking. And that’s where it gets especially juicy, because a little bit of light-hearted trash-talk has always been the spice of life for gaming culture. According to the rant by @turnedagainst, PlayStation ended voice chat essentially because now no one talks anymore; you can’t trash-talk without consequences. This person was lamenting the “golden era of games when you could trash talk saying y’all suck git gud GG NO RE” and how it was all in good fun. But now, if someone says something offensive, you report them and move on with your life, or just mute the chat altogether.
@Nightwing55251 said, “I feel like most insults during gaming are harmless. We’re just being trolls and trying to annoy/rage-bait the other person. Let us live a little!” Then @ALG956, a 30-year gaming veteran, said he has bad days himself and thinks others should be able to tell him he sucks in the funniest way possible. Here lies the divide: the old-school “git gud” mentality versus protecting players from any negativity.
Not every opinion was an attack on the Code. @HieroAmau offered some solace in the idea that “some grownups will actually drop some tears because PS is asking for basic human decency.” That is quite a valid point. @sutth1002 also tweeted something really positive: “new players = fresh energy. let’s fuel that, not drain it.”
The amount of practical talk by @SavageGalaxyz consisted of cursing PlayStation for being “noobs at recovering banned accounts for being compromised,” which opens another whole can of worms. And @AmbsJensen is wondering why they have to pay again for games they already bought, calling out Helldivers, in particular. It is almost as if some players are so irritated with PlayStation’s services that they’re now just throwing this code of conduct into the mix for good measure.
Conspiracy theories began to appear. @Baby_Boyyyyy said that all of this is “a lead-up to the Wolverine reveal: They know the backlash that’s gonna come with it.” An interesting take, indeed, considering the Insomniac Wolverine game is really one of the most awaited PlayStation exclusives on the horizon.
Some of the gripes even went deeply personal. @KuttinupSav shared a story, claiming that they were banned ostensibly for trolling without cussing. They said telling somebody to “hope you enjoy offline games” was considered harassment and foul language. And @SMRI94 canceled their PS Plus because of it, saying, “Censorship of speech has no place in online gaming,” and I’m sure they ain’t getting a PS6.
Even solutions are all jumbled together. @lifesdiseases went with the extremely elementary option: “Or we just don´t use ps party chat,” while @BitterQuitter suggested PlayStation should be teaching people “to not care what strangers say online” rather than trying to regulate speech.
It’s a bag of very genuine criticisms against implementation, resistance to change in gaming culture patterns, and sincere perplexity on what does or does not constitute harassment as opposed to competitive banter. That PlayStation is surely trying to make a safe space for new gamers is in no question; however, based on the reactions, probably more thought into implementation and communication is needed.
The timing is quite interesting, too: we’re in this extra cautious era when online interactions are concerned. Gaming companies walk this tightrope between trying to maintain the competitive spirit that made online gaming popular while conjuring up environments that neither drive away new or sensitive players.
What is evident is that the gaming community feels fiercely about how they communicate with each other online. Half label trash talk as the very essence of the experience, while the other half welcome some degree of moderation. Players are resisting PlayStation’s attempt to standardize conduct, seeing it as overreach or a fix for something that never needed it.
A great deal of the opinion is that it comes down to striking a balance between making gaming spaces welcoming for newcomers and nurturing the competitive culture in which hardcore gamers thrive. Judging from these reactions, PlayStation might as well double their efforts in explaining these policies and involving the community in creating these guidelines as well. Because at this moment, it seems there is a big disconnect between what Sony thinks players want and what players actually want.
And actually, this whole situation screams: one way or another, gaming culture is evolving. The days of unchecked toxicity may just be coming to a close as companies realize that maintaining healthy communities equates to revenue. But change is messy, and this Twitter thread is a textbook example of that.
