Horizon Forbidden West’s PS4 version wasn’t confirmed until three months after the game’s initial reveal, but about a year after that, Sony revealed that “dual entitlement” didn’t apply to this game. This means the upgrade wouldn’t be free, standing in stark contrast to comments from Sony CEO Jim Ryan. Sony, in response to the backlash, did agree to make this upgrade free, but its actions sent have demonstrated “duplicity and greed,” according to Hoeg.
RELATED: Sony Planting Trees Every Time Players Unlock a Certain Trophy
Hoeg, on Twitter and in discussion with VGC, criticized its actions widely. For example, on the PlayStation Store, the main pre-order button is for the $69.99 PS5/PS4 version, with it being later mentioned at $59.99. Hoeg describes Horizon Forbidden West’s pre-order options as Sony “offering a PS4 version with a ‘free’ PS5 upgrade for $60 and a PS5 version with a PS4 copy included for $70. Same package. Two price points. With one displayed more prominently than the other.”
“Many individual states (not to mention jurisdictions outside the US) have deceptive trade practices statutes that allow for civil actions, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see a request for plaintiffs coming from a class action firm on something like this, though it will depend on those firms’ analysis of what they think they can get out of a possible payday.”
VGC asked Hoeg what he thinks Sony should do in regard to this, and his response was that it should change course. Although he suspects some difficulty may tie into licenses across the PS4 and PS5 generation, the easiest solution, he suggests, would be to make the PS5 version the same price as its PS4 counterpoint. The second thing would be to make sure a PS4 version was more visible, especially on a PS5 console, and to make it clear everywhere that it comes with a PS5 upgrade.
Horizon Forbidden West releases February 18 for PS4 and PS5.
MORE: Horizon Forbidden West Review
Source: Richard Hoeg (via VGC)
