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PSN: Real Names

Boss Man

Boss Man

Member
The PS4 OS, promises of drastic increases in PSN network speed, and various features of the system were the most exciting part of the meeting for me last night. Some of that stuff was absolutely HYPE, and I had a feeling before we went in that it would be the operating systems and system features that would have the biggest immediate impact in terms of generational leaps. I was not disappointed.

Having said that, there was one thing Sony explained last night that irked me:
Henry Bayle said:
2eCJJld.jpg
Click to expand...

This guy. Henry Bayle (pictured above). I am absolutely not on board with the idea of using real names or the notion that people should be using actual pictures of themselves on PSN. There are a few problems that I have with this right off the top of my head:

Lowered priority of your PSN ID.
  • I don't want to play my games as 'Henry Bayle', I want to play them as weedGOKU666.
  • I like my PSN ID.
The ridiculous notion that PSN will be an actual, real life social space.
  • I go to Facebook to stalk people and post witty things that I stole online, not PSN.
  • The idea of having this sort of integration between video games and my actual social life is just silly.
  • Most people won't even let Facebook post statuses about their trophies, because that shit is lame.
  • No one is going to be using PSN like Facebook.
It is inevitably going to become a joke.
  • Someone Everyone is just going to take this opportunity to make a second alias.
  • The pictures won't be of the actual people behind the name, but outdated image macros and memes.
  • This shit will be trashy, and it will all be on top of everyone's PSN ID - which is tucked away in tiny font.

I don't want this to happen at all. I know it's early and things are subject to change, especially if there's public outcry about it. So here I am, outcrying. What do you think GAF?


Edit for OP skimmers: I do not care about anonymity. I'll show you my penis right now. The issue for me is that (1) I like PSN IDs and avatars for PSN, (2) no socially aware person wants to link their PSN adventures with their real life, and (3) this will probably end up making PSN look really dumb once people decide that they'll use it to call themselves Detective Butt with their actual PSN ID in tiny letters below that.
 
I'm very sure this is early/mockup screens and that there will be privacy options.


Also, I expect some people to be hesitant given that PSN got hacked big time a couple years ago.
 
I'm annoyed that Youtube keeps asking me if I want to use my real name. I don't want this stuff.

nothankyou.jpg
 
I like the idea of real names so people aren't assholes online. Anonymity safeguards assholes
 
He needs to earn more Platinums and Trophies

Also Real Info can lead to a plethora of situation including Cyber Bullying, I don't think Sony wants that battle
 
I doubt you'll be forced to use your real name or link to FB. I think they even mentioned during the meeting that it old nicknames and avatars would still be available .
 
Just be sure to put a fake name in the name fields, like I did for battle.net.

Examples:
Hugh Jass
Mike Rotch
Mike Hunt
Haywood Jablomy
Rusty Shackleford
 
I seem to recall the speaker was very clear that nicknames and anonymity were important in a lot of online situations and they weren't getting rid of them.
 
I don't think that my Facebook friends are that interested in my gaming skills.

But you can surely keep your PSN ID and ignore the Facebook connection.
 
I see it as a way to import existing networks like Facebook and Twitter. If you don't want to display your real name and contact info, I'm sure Sony will give you the option to hide said info. At least Sony will finally allow you to create an avatar.
 
There will be options of course, he seemed to hint as much. Furthermore, I don't know that generation Y are so butt hurt about privacy... You only need to visit youtube or instagram for evidence. I think it's exactly what they want.
 
fvng said:
I like the idea of real names so people aren't assholes online. Anonymity safeguards assholes
Click to expand...

It also has it's benefits

Girls will get hounded
Bullying
Stalking
Racist Comments just for name/face pic
etc.

It's not like PSN is some amazing ban-hammer system in which they take this serious
 
Not impressed with the "real name" philosophy. I feels like anonymity is key to video game online relations.

Hell, take a look at GAF. If everyone posted under their real name, things would be a lot different around here.
 
I think he meant you'll still have your PSN ID with avatars and all of that. But you can link it to existing social media if you want.

I definitely don't plan on linking it so it shouldn't bother me one bit ... I hope.

Here's a comment from Yoshida about "always online." It's not about the social stuff, but I think this philosophy will probably be present throughout PS4, thankfully.

Gematsu said:
If it wasn’t clear, he reiterated. “You can go offline totally. Social is big for us, but we understand there are some people who are anti-social! So if you don’t want to connect to anyone else, you can do that.”
Click to expand...

Few women will want to use this. Just think of the danger it poses as far as stalking and online harassment. No one with a sensitive career choice in danger of being judged will want to use this: teachers, nurses, doctors, and on and on. It's the same as the Blizzard forum real name stuff.

The ability to do damage to someone with just their name is pretty extensive. I would never, ever use it. How many stories have come out about people losing in games online then tracking someone down and attacking them? I know I saw one for WoW and Call of Duty at a bare minimum.

Privacy is not something that should be given away so easily. As long as it's optional, I can live with it.
 
You'll have to accept someone to your friendslist for them to see any of this.

To any other joe bloggs on PSN, your PSN ID is all they'll be able to recognise you by.
 
Its a cool feature you don't have to use.

Honestly very smart of Sony to integrate these features in. It's a very easy way to entice family and friends to play together on the PS4 instead of another platform.
 
The YouTube/Gmail notion is spreading. The last thing I care about (and my friends care about) is crossing real life friends with online friends/gaming activity. Let users use pseudonyms as they choose. Forcing real names is a silly idea.
 
They said you can keep your avatars and usernames.

I am also under the impression that this is optional-- especially with Sony's hacking fiasco, they wouldn't force this.

Also, I am under the impression that only friends can see this, or at least you would have that flexibility
 
Did he not explicitly state during the conference that your real name would only be visible to your real life friends, whereas your avatar and tag would be used elsewhere for anonymity? Think how Battle.net works with Real ID.
 
It's interesting in that it's the opposite of Nintendo's approach to gaming social media, and it made me feel really old as I realized I vastly prefer anonymous avatars to splashing my real self all over the place.
 
As someone who uses my various given names depending on who I'm dealing with even in real life, I'm all for even more anonymity if that's possible actually.
 
darkside31337 said:
Its a cool feature you don't have to use.

Honestly very smart of Sony to integrate these features in. It's a very easy way to entice family and friends to play together on the PS4 instead of another platform.
Click to expand...

Um the guy in the press conference said it the entire experience was centered around real names, and importing FL from social networks. I don't think its optional.
 
Wario64 said:
I'm very sure this is early/mockup screens and that there will be privacy options.


Also, I expect some people to be hesitant given that PSN got hacked big time a couple years ago.
Click to expand...
When Blizzard tried to do this there was massive backlash and they relented. I expect the same here.
 
Galvanise_ said:
You'll have to accept someone to your friendslist for them to see any of this.

To any other joe bloggs on PSN, your PSN ID is all they'll be able to recognise you by.
Click to expand...
I'm not really worried about privacy, I just think the whole concept of a PSN that's full of "actual people" is unappealing.
 
alphaNoid said:
Um the guy in the press conference said it the entire experience was centered around real names, and importing FL from social networks. I don't think its optional.
Click to expand...

Well I don't use any social media. I'm pretty sure I can still use my PSN ID. I don't see how they can make any of this mandatory.
 
Of course you are not going to have to do it. But you know that there will surely be an option to "connect" your Facebook account, and if you say yes to that it will probably autofill all the details or somesuch.

androvsky said:
Am I really the only person that heard him say they weren't getting rid of nicknames?
Click to expand...
No, I did too, and you can see it in their own interface mockup, right below the dude's real name.

2eCJJld.jpg
 
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