In The Division, PS4 agents play second fiddle. Some agents are not putting up with it (for much longer).
In a week from today, it will be time: On August 2, the Underground expansion will be released – for the PS4 agents.
Well, this news doesn’t exactly blow anyone away. Because on PC and Xbox One, all corners of the Underground and the Dragon’s Lair have been thoroughly explored for weeks, and the new gear sets have been tested. Currently, no PS4 user is eagerly sitting in front of their laptop or smartphone, absorbing every tiny piece of info about “Underground” – because they already know everything.
Many – or all – PS4 players do not like this at all. Waiting a month to receive the content that others have already been playing extensively. You can’t present that to anyone. Where’s the surprise? Sure, you get something to do again, but that’s all.
PS4 is disadvantaged – even in “Survival”
It was clear even before the release of The Division: When the “Year 1” content was presented, the 30-day time exclusivity on Xbox One for the new content was revealed. The content of the free updates 1.1 and 1.2 was still released simultaneously on all platforms, but since “Underground,” the PlayStation agents have been dancing to the music behind.
Especially frustrating: With “Underground,” the ordeal will not be over, but it has only just begun.
The upcoming paid expansion “Survival” will also be released a month earlier on Xbox One, and presumably also on PC. Thus, the agents on Sony’s console will again have to deal with disadvantages for the next “big thing”.
Only the third expansion of this year, Last Stand, will be released simultaneously on all platforms. It is expected to happen sometime in winter 2016. Then the time exclusivity will end and all agents will be treated equally again. Until then, PS4 agents must endure with clenched teeth – but not everyone puts up with this “injustice”.
The Division is clearly losing interest in Germany – also on our side
We at Mein-MMO have been a point of contact for thousands of German-speaking Division agents for months, and we clearly see in the numbers: Players have been increasingly losing interest in The Division since the separation. Also in the comments, on Facebook, or under the articles, we read the growing opinion: “The Division is dead. Is anyone even playing it anymore?” Well, such posts can be found for every game and it’s also a provocative, exaggerated statement here, but in fact, a clearly pronounced, continuous downward trend is evident for The Division. Google Trends confirms this assumption:
Usually, larger expansions lure players back en masse into an MMO: Because at some point, the excitement fades in every game when the content has been played through for the hundredth time, and the clan becomes increasingly inactive. However, when a big update comes, users step back in with renewed vigor and greedily explore the new content.
However, that was not the case with “Underground” – on the contrary: The downward spiral continued and continues. Yes, it even increased. Because most agents are playing on Sony’s gaming box, the PlayStation 4. And when the new content takes forever to arrive, Ubisoft is not making friends here. In North America, where Xbox is traditionally strong, that may be different – here in Germany, we see a different picture.
Ubisoft is not doing itself any favors with time-exclusive expansions
Marketing deals are common in the gaming industry. The competition between leading consoles PS4 and Xbox One is heated by it. While, for example, Bungie’s Destiny does things with Sony, Microsoft and Ubisoft teamed up for The Division. Everyone wants to make money, and there’s nothing wrong with that at first.
However, The Division is an especially extreme case: While exclusive deals usually only bring additional toys or cosmetic items for users on the preferred platform, with Ubisoft’s MMO shooter, they are complete expansions that are released a month later. This robs all curiosity and a lot of fun for those who have to stay on the sidelines for a while.
Moreover: A large part of the Division agents are PS4 users. And Ubisoft is doing itself no favors if it loses this clientele more and more. Generally, it is often read in user posts that people would rather stay away from Ubisoft’s online games in the future, even though the numerous bugs, exploits, and problems are to blame for that. The fact that the majority of Division players are now being disadvantaged additionally adds fuel to the fire – and results in poor player numbers.
As it is now, it does not seem that Ubisoft favors Xbox One or PC, but rather that they are disadvantaging PlayStation 4.
At this point, a note: This is not a plea for publishers to prefer the PS4 to remain successful in the long term. Rather, exclusive contents should be designed more moderately. No one wants to watch others play for weeks. Especially since all agents have paid the same amount for the season pass or special editions across platforms.
Little can probably be done about such deals in the future, as those in charge are quite willing to open their wallets for it. But a little more fairness for customers would certainly be in the interest of all players. And especially in The Division, PS4 agents feel extremely disadvantaged.
What do you think?
