Inexplicable Decisions

(Warning: Really long post ahead)

You know, sometimes I swear that Sega of Japan is trying to kill off the Western community. After four months of botched events and limited updates, the feeling seems to hit me almost every week.

And, after getting our first look (untranslated version here) at this week's update, that feeling is here again. If you'd rather not click the link, all you need to know is that a bunch of items are being added. No new missions, difficulties, or anything like that.

Many players will be quick to point out that we at least got something added. But I'd also like to note that an update this small is just barely removed from getting nothing at all, and that is the reason that people continue to leave this game.

Updates like this irritate me, because they pose a problem for Sega as well as the community. It's no secret that Sega of America is trying to garner up some enthusiasm for PSU through fan support. They want to show potential players (and customers, and anyone else that cares to know) that this game is still worth picking up and enjoying.

But here's the problem: if the current trickle of updates continues, it won't be. Some players will already tell you that this game isn't worth playing. I understand that Sega of America wants more people to play the game -- I do, too -- but just saying that they want people to play (or even hinting at it) just won't do the trick. Actions speak louder than words.

Sega needs to show potential players that this game is still strong and still being supported. That means delivering content updates that are more than just one short free mission, and certainly more than just adding items to an exchange mission. Unfortunately, this isn't likely to happen anytime soon, and what we're bound to see is a resurgence of bitching threads on the official forums. Few people will want to join an online community that has no confidence in the game's support, nor will existing players want to stay any longer. In the end, we'll simply be stuck in a long downward spiral towards the game's demise.

Members of the community are hurt, too, and for many of the same reasons. Over the past few months, some players have made numerous attempts to get the word out about PSU as part of a grassroots initiative to drum up interest in the game. It's certainly a great effort, but it's an effort that has largely been foiled by Sega's own hand.

When the first version of PSU was released back in October 2006, it was widely panned for the lack of content initially provided to players in the online Network Mode. A lot of people that were looking forward to the game saw these reviews and made the decision to stay away, essentially crippling the game community right from the start.

Things have gotten better, though, and right as the community began to try and demonstrate that to the rest of the online gaming world, PSU got hammered with a poorly handled billing disaster conveniently placed right in the middle of a highly anticipated event (MAG). This was followed by months of no updates, which was followed by a period of minimal updating that includes this Friday's bare-bones content addition. And we're trying to get people back into this game? These blunders only lend more credibility to the early reviews! Poor support then, poor support now. Even though things have changed, does it look that way to skeptical outsiders? Surely it does not.

So, here's the TL;DR version for those of you with a short attention span: this week's update only strengthens the argument that Sega's support for this game is fading. They want people to continue to play the game, but the community wants updates and Sega isn't budging. You can acknowledge the community's concerns all you want, but you don't gain any support among fans unless you make the effort to do what they ask.