Over the weekend, Sony Interactive Entertainment sent out emails to players covering updated PlayStation terms for its games and services. The move only intensified ongoing backlash against the company over its decision to end physical game production, with players specifically highlighting a portion of the terms that confirms games are only licensed, not owned.
Sony’s new email merely covers PlayStation terms for games and services, but it comes at an odd time
To be clear, PlayStation’s terms are nothing new, and all platform holders have similar wording in their terms & conditions. However, it’s the timing that has amplified the outrage.
“The Software is licensed to you, not sold,” the terms read. “You are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, and personal license to play or use the Software for your private, non-commercial use on the system or device it was intended for.”
The terms further state that if you lose your account — whether due to a ban or a different reason — you will permanently lose access to all content you paid for.
Again, these terms are nothing new, and all platform holders have similar terms, but it’s mainly Sony on the receiving end of the backlash because it’s ending disc production.
It’s unclear why the company chose to email out the updated terms & conditions over the weekend. From what I can tell, only players with accounts in Europe and the U.K. (myself included) received the email.
Frankly, I don’t remember when I accepted the new terms, but the email implies that I did so “recently.” However, I think I was prompted to accept the new terms on the PS5 several months ago.
