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Sony will refund consumers over ‘deceiving’ PlayStation Vita ads

N

nampad

Member
Flandy said:
What if someone bought one at launch and went retail only so they never made a PSN account?
Click to expand...

I set up the Vita so long ago so I am not sure, but don't you have to set up an account?
Sure, you maybe never went online but then I guess you surely can contact Sony for your money with a receipt or product code.

I mean, people who got money back from EA for some old sports games or the Red Bull thing have to deal with it in some way or another, too.
 
U

UrbanRats

Member
Rapier said:
I never saw or read any reports or advertisements claiming that the Vita would do suspend/resume Remote Play for PS3. Ever.

I'm pretty sure if Sony had claimed that the Vita could stream any PS3 game they would have had the gaming press all over them at launch.
Click to expand...

If they decided to settle, they probably did.
It's not like Sony has no lawyers.
 
R

ryseing

Member
Fuck. My Vita PSN account is attached to an email I don't have the password for anymore. I bought at launch, so I will be eligible for this.

Any chance they'll send out a PSN message?

Edit: also, I disagree that using a hashtag in promotions was astroturfing. Can understand the other complains though.
 
Deft Beck

Deft Beck

Member
Okay, so now we know the specifics. That is pretty unfortunate.

Still, I bought my Vita used, so I am not eligible for this refund.
 
Y

Yasumi

Banned
1st Course said:
They are suing them over this

BCxOgwi.jpg


http://www.business.ftc.gov/blog/20...claims-playstation-vita-and-tweets-deutsch-la
Click to expand...
That's not really false though. Cross-save functionality is legitimately there, transferring your PS3 save to your Vita version, and the 3G portion pertains to Near. I guess it could be misinterpreted, but it says cross-save right there.
 
T

Takao

Banned
The only way those Tweets could sound any more like they were from corporate is if they included TM symbols and came from the official accounts.
 
S

shandy706

Member
I made 3 digital game purchases on my Vita in March 2012 too............I know you know I had a Vita Sony :p

Any word on when the e-mails go out?
 
L

Lambtron

Unconfirmed Member
I assumed this was based on those early Vita ads. I guess I should probably be less surprised than I am that there are people defending them?

Anyway, this $50 product voucher should help ease the sting of my foolish early adoption.
 
A

anexanhume

Member
SmokyDave said:
Seriously?!

Man, that's great news. If only they'd invest some of those profits back into the device.
Click to expand...

I'm sure they use them to continue their indie outreach programs. Digital sales along with high memory card prices and not selling the device at a loss probably all contribute to its profitability.
 
BiGBoSSMk23

BiGBoSSMk23

A company being excited for their new game is a huge slap in the face to all the fans that liked their old games.
sangreal said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJs1dW3Y6Ko

(actual ad included in the complaint)
Click to expand...

Yeah, but that's clear as rain that there has to be a Vita version of the game that supports cross-play.

If people did any fucking research these ads wouldn't be misleading.

Cross-play was never explained as being the same as Remote Play.

Some PS3 games have Vita versions, and the save file is compatible between the two.

It's not rocket surgery.
 
R

Robert at Zeboyd Games

Banned
Ugh. I literally missed the deadline for this by a few days (bought mine mid-June).

I did think it was pretty sleazy of them at the time to imply that the 3G model of the system could play online via 3G when it was limited to just stuff like checking out leaderboards.
 
L

LAA

Member
Got my Vita at launch, guess UK-ians get nothing though.
Oh well, don't regret Vita at all anyway and havent felt falsely persuaded into getting one.
(...Though I could do with PSN money....;) )
 
H

-Horizon-

Member
Sir TapTap said:
Which one? If it's the last one it's just crazy long. OTherwise the AI arent' that hard if you spam melee and healer units
Click to expand...

Its the one going to
Kyoto or however they spell it
. One of the monster girls on the map has these crazy powered cards with like 6/10 and up :/
Maybe I should just keep doing the rematches and buying more packs.
 
F

FleetingFlowAir

Member
I have one from launch and another during the holidays, so I'm only eligible for the first one. I like the Vita, but I'll gladly take the $25 for something.

I remember seeing that MLB commercial and I really thought that you could do that.
 
W

wastedyears

Member
bananafactory said:
What didn't they deliver on? Bought my Vita at launch and it's been everything I thought it was advertised as....
Click to expand...

Pretty much the same here, except I didn't buy it at launch. I didn't ever see anything about playing on PS3, resuming on Vita. I've read that people claim that you can play on PS4 and resume on Vita, but not from PS3 to Vita. I've used the cross save feature, from PS3 to Vita, never had any problems with that.
 
Cha

Cha

Member
Lol. Walked into this thread wondering what on earth was I deceived about. Turns out it's stuff I already knew before buying the system (that's why i didn't go 3g). Dumb move for Sony to advertise stuff that doesn't work though. Glad they're clamping down on this. Perfectly happy with my launch Vita. Gorgeous machine.

I guess the vouchers are only for US citizens, or wherever these ads were placed.
 
Y

Yasumi

Banned
shandy706 said:
I made 3 digital game purchases on my Vita in March 2012 too............I know you know I had a Vita Sony :p

Any word on when the e-mails go out?
Click to expand...
It could be any time. I remember back in 2011, someone in Canada brought a class-action lawsuit agianst Sony for the big data breach. It took until 2013 before we actually got anything out of it.
 
R

RS4-

Member
Bought mine day 1 in Canada. I don't think I actually reg'd mine on the site though.

So I don't think I'll be getting anything back
 
1

1st Course

Member
PR

WASHINGTON, Nov. 25, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Sony Computer Entertainment America ("Sony") has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it deceived consumers with false advertising claims about the "game changing" technological features of its PlayStation Vita handheld gaming console during its U.S. launch campaign in late 2011 and early 2012.

As part of its settlement with the FTC, Sony is barred from making similarly misleading advertising claims in the future, and will provide consumers who bought a PS Vita gaming console before June 1, 2012, either a $25 cash or credit refund, or a $50 merchandise voucher for select video games, and/or services. Sony will provide notice via email to consumers who are eligible for redress after the settlement is finalized by the Commission.

"As we enter the year's biggest shopping period, companies need to be reminded that if they make product promises to consumers -- as Sony did with the "game changing" features of its PS Vita -- they must deliver on those pledges," said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. "The FTC will not hesitate to act on behalf of consumers when companies or advertisers make false product claims."

As part of its launch campaign for the PS Vita, Sony claimed that the pocket-sized console would revolutionize gaming mobility by enabling consumers to play their PlayStation 3 games via "remote play," and that they could engage in "cross platform" play by starting a game on a PS3 and then continuing it on the go, right where they left off, on a PS Vita. The FTC alleges that each of these claims was misleading.

In a related action, the Commission charged that Deutsch LA, Sony's advertising agency for the PS Vita launch, knew or should have known that the advertisements it produced contained misleading claims about the console's cross platform and 3G capabilities.

The FTC also alleges that Deutsch LA further misled consumers by urging its employees to create awareness and excitement about the PS Vita on Twitter, without instructing employees to disclose their connection to the advertising agency or its then-client Sony. Under a separate settlement order, Deutsch LA is barred from such conduct in the future.

The PS Vita is a handheld gaming console that Sony first sold in the United States in February 2012 for about $250. Unlike the PS3, which allows consumers to play video games on a television, the PS Vita is a portable device that enables gamers to play "on the go," untethered to a television screen.

FTC Complaint Against Sony Computer Entertainment America

The FTC's complaint against Sony charges the company with making false claims about the PS Vita's "cross platform gaming" or "cross-save" feature. Sony claimed, for example, that PS Vita users could pause any PS3 game at any time and continue to play the game on their PS Vita from where they left off. This feature, however, was only available for a few PS3 games, and the pause-and-save capability described in the ads varied significantly from game to game. For example, with respect to "MLB 12: The Show," consumers could only save the game to the PS Vita after finishing the entire nine-inning game on their PS3. In addition, Sony failed to inform consumers that to use this feature, purchasers had to buy two versions of the same game – one for their PS3 and one for the PS Vita.

The FTC's complaint also alleges that Sony's PS Vita ads falsely implied that consumers who owned the 3G version of the device (which cost an extra $50 plus monthly fees) could engage in live, multi-player gaming through a 3G network. In fact, consumers could not engage in live, multiplayer gaming.

The complaint further alleges that Sony also falsely claimed that with the "remote play" feature, PS Vita users could easily access their PS3 games on their handheld consoles. In reality, most PS3 games were not remote playable on the PS Vita. Sony also misled consumers by falsely claiming that PS Vita users could remotely play the popular PS3 game, Killzone 3, on the PS Vita. In fact, Sony never enabled remote play on its Killzone 3 game title, and very few, if any, PS3 games of similar size and complexity were remote playable on the PS Vita.

FTC Complaint Against Deutsch LA

The FTC's complaint against Deutsch LA, charges the company with similarly misleading consumers through ads that it created touting the PS Vita's cross-platform gaming and 3G features.

The Commission also alleges that Deutsch LA misled consumers with deceptive product endorsements for the PS Vita. Specifically, the agency used the term "#gamechanger" in its ads to direct consumers to online conversations about Sony's console on Twitter. About a month before the gaming console was launched, one of Deutsch LA's assistant account executives sent a company-wide email to staff asking them to help with the ad campaign by posting comments about the PS Vita on Twitter and using the same "#gamechanger" hashtag, according to the complaint.

In response to the company-wide email, various Deutsch LA employees posted positive tweets about the PS Vita to their personal Twitter accounts, without disclosing their connection to Deutsch or Sony, the FTC alleged. The FTC has charged that the tweets were misleading, as they did not reflect the views of actual consumers who had used the PS Vita, and because they did not disclose that they were written by employees of Deutsch LA.

Proposed Settlement Orders

The proposed settlement orders prohibit both Sony and Deutsch LA from making similar misrepresentations in the future when promoting the features or capabilities of handheld gaming consoles. The proposed order against Deutsch LA also bars it from misrepresenting that an endorser of any game console product or video game product is an independent user or ordinary consumer of the product. In addition, the proposed order requires Deutsch LA to disclose a material connection, where one exists, between any endorser of a game console product or video game product and Deutsch LA or other entity involved in the manufacture or marketing of the product. These requirements are in line with the FTC's Endorsement Guides,

The proposed order against Sony requires it to send email notifications to all consumers it can reasonably identify as having bought a PS Vita before June 1, 2012.

Information for Consumers

The FTC has information for consumers about how to detect and avoid advertisements that may be deceptive or misleading, including a new blog post, Sony Ads Shouldn't Play Games.

The Commission vote to accept both proposed consent orders for public comment was 5-0. The FTC will publish a description of the consent agreement packages in the Federal Register shortly. The agreement will be subject to public comment for 30 days, beginning today and continuing through December 29, 2014, after which the Commission will decide whether to make them final. Public comments can be filed on the proposed order regarding Sony. Comments also can be filed on the proposed order regarding Deutsch LA.

NOTE: The Commission issues an administrative complaint when it has "reason to believe" that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. When the Commission issues a consent order on a final basis, it carries the force of law with respect to future actions. Each violation of such an order may result in a civil penalty of up to $16,000.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC's online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC's website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.

SOURCE Federal Trade Commission



RELATED LINKS
http://www.ftc.gov
Click to expand...

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...laystation-vita-gaming-console-300001096.html
 
Z

Z3M0G

Member
I was never an idiot who didn't understand these limitations... remote play on PS3? I knew that worked for a small handful of games at most... Multiplayer over 3G? Why would I even want to eat my data doing that? I did it through my phone tether time to time.

On top of that, I love my Vita to death... I would never stab them in the back by trying to get anything out of this. Others who feel the same should do the same and stay away from this.
 
K

Kathian

Banned
Z3M0G said:
I was never an idiot who didn't understand these limitations... remote play on PS3? I knew that worked for a small handful of games at most... Multiplayer over 3G? Why would I even want to eat my data doing that? I did it through my phone tether time to time.

On top of that, I love my Vita to death... I would never stab them in the back by trying to get anything out of this. Others who feel the same should do the same and stay away from this.
Click to expand...


stab them in the back[/B
Click to expand...


What the fuck.
 
SerTapTap

SerTapTap

Member
-Horizon- said:
Its the one going to
Kyoto or however they spell it
. One of the monster girls on the map has these crazy powered cards with like 6/10 and up :/
Maybe I should just keep doing the rematches and buying more packs.
Click to expand...

Bug me in the PSN thread or PM or something, but with "good enough" cards you can counter those
 
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