What's up gamers? Recently Sony unveiled it's next console, the Playstation 4, and millions of gamers world wide are super excited...except me. Big Brother is all around us. More and more, our online identities are being crossed with our real life identities. I have noticed mixed reviews after Sony released that your new Sony ID will be your real name. Some people are okay with it, and others are not.
I game for many different reasons. The first and foremost, is an escape from the boring real world. I like to step into my unique gamer profiles, whether it be on Steam,XBOX Live, or PSN. I like to be a badass gamer. I enjoy being able to shed some of my true identity when I pick up a controller. If I wanted to relive my real,office working,average identity, I would go back to work. In the real world, I work with people, and most of them are adults, and most of them purchase video games...for their children. I would like to be able to maintain my privacy when I am gaming.
I also LOVE making Youtube videos. In my Youtube videos, I take on the persona of The Masked Gamer. Yes, this character is my personality, but it isn't exactly relevant to my real world persona. Youtube is another service pushing for the entanglement of your real name, and your online ID. Some people are okay using their real names online, but I think the choice should be left up to the end user, not the actual service provider. If I want to be "DragonSlayer69" online, and John Smith in real life, I would like that choice. Facebook is another item that I would like to keep separate from my gaming ID. I do NOT want to connect my Facebook account to my PSN account, or vice-versa. I don't think my boss at work needs to see how much time I put into video games, and how little time I put into work. It is my business.
Some people are saying that it will be an "anti-troll" measure. In all honesty, there are internet trolls out there. So what ? Mute them. Block them from your account. Issue resolved, and you aren't forcing me to reveal my professional persona to my gaming world. If Sony wants to protect it's gamer base, it will not force people to use real names. Children play online, and they should be protected as well, from bullying, and from weirdos.
The bottom line is, if Sony wants to alienate it's gamer base, they should force people to use their real names, and link their Facebook accounts. Many adult gamers (who spend the most money) will drop PS4 like a fly and get a PC. Many Adult gamers, that purchase games for their kids, will not allow their children to use a service that forces them to use their real names.
Bad move Sony, bad move...
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