RDR, pricey but I'm tempted. Looks like a really port.

It was Jedi Survivor for me this weekend - I found Fallen Order to be fairly good and enjoyable Souls/3D Metroidvania mashup (Soulstroidvania?), so was looking forward to this one and so far I'm enjoying it.

A new week, a new round of news:

SALES /PLAYER COUNT & DEALS

GOG begins the week with a new sale: the Czech & Slovak Games Week, featuring up to 90% discounts during 6 days: https://www.gog.com/en/promo/20241111_czech_and_slovak_games

Steam

• Cloudpunk is going to be 65% off until the 18th of November: https://store.steampowered.com/app/746850/Cloudpunk/
• I didn’t saw this one until today, but it looks like Publisher Alawar has its games on sale with up to 90% discounts since November 1st until the 15th, for the ones they’ve also developed and the 24th for the other one: https://store.steampowered.com/developer/alawar/sale/gamescelebration2024
• And Lost Castle / 失落城堡 will be 60% off until the 24th: https://store.steampowered.com/app/434650/Lost_Castle/

There are two new deals at Humble:

• Humble Bundle has the 2K presents: The Sid Meier Collection, with up to 20 items to get during 16 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/games/2k-presents-sid-meier-collection
• Humble Store has the Daedalic Publisher Sale, featuring up to 90% discounts during 8 days: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/promo/daedalic-publisher-sale/

And Fanatical has three new Flash Deals and a bundle:

• These are the new 24h Flash Deals:
  • Dragon's Dogma 2 is 50% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/dragons-dogma-2
  • The NSFW House Party has a 57% discount: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/house-party
  • Steelrising is 88% off: https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/steelrising
• The BYO Triple Pack (Fall 2024) has 19 games to choose for your bundle of 3: https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/build-your-own-triple-pack

SOFTWARE & DRIVERS

-Empty-

MODS, EMULATORS & FAN PROJECTS

Half-Life 3 fan demo, Project Borealis, releases on November 11th
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/half-life-3-fan-game-project-borealis-releases-on-november-11th/
The team behind the upcoming Half Life 3 fan game, Project Borealis, announced that its Prologue will come out on November 11th. To celebrate this announcement, the team also shared a new trailer that you can find below.
Project Borealis is a fan-made project inspired by the huge cliffhanger from Half-Life 2: Episode Two. This prologue chapter will let players step back into the HEV suit of Gordon Freeman, and offer a glimpse into the next chapter of his journey.
Players will explore a Ravenholm that has changed over time and been affected by nature. While moving through this eerie place, they will face familiar enemies that have been reimagined. They will also find new secrets hidden within.
Project Borealis will be powered by Unreal Engine 5, and not by the Source Engine. In other words, we’re looking at a completely standalone free HL game. The team also promises to faithfully recreate the Half-Life 2 movement and gameplay mechanics in UE5. So, it will be interesting to see whether or not they’ll be able to achieve this.
>> The trailer is less than 1 minute long.

Fallout New Vegas Mod adds additive stagger animations to NPCs
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/fallout-new-vegas-mod-adds-additive-stagger-animations-to-npcs/
Modder ‘Kormakur’ has released a new mod for Fallout: New Vegas that adds stagger animations to all NPCs. This cool mod can make your game experience even better. So, if you’re replaying it now, you might want to give it a try.
As the modder noted, the hit reaction animations are layered or added on top of the current animations. This will give a more immersive experience in combat. At the same time, they won’t affect the game balance.
The strength of the animation depends on several things, like health, the intensity of the original animation, and the character’s current pose. This lets you actually see when a character is hit, even if they’re busy doing something else. For example, if an NPC is shooting or reloading, a pain or stagger animation will play on top without interrupting them. The good news here is that the hit reactions are just visual. As such, they won’t change the game’s balance.
>> There’s an almost 4 minutes video in the article.

This mod recreates New Vegas’ reputation system into Fallout 4
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/this-mod-recreates-new-vegas-reputation-system-into-fallout-4/
Modder ‘bp42s’ has released a pretty new cool mod for Fallout 4. This mod implements a highly integrated, faithful, and reactive version of New Vegas’s reputation system. The mod also comes with dynamic consequences, rewards, and more. So, let’s take a closer look at it.
The Reputation Mod for Fallout 4 adds a very reactive reputation system with rewards and consequences. It also includes a new REPUTATION tab on your Pip-Boy. Plus, there is a customizable map marker to show faction reputations.
This mod aims to completely change how you play the game. For example, Faction vendors will adjust their buying and selling prices based on how much that faction likes you. If you have a good reputation with some factions, you may also gain access to their gear, materials, or even receive a tribute chest in your honor.
And that’s not all. If you reach a very negative reputation with some factions, they may send hit squads after you. These hit squads have two variants. Factions will either patrol in search of you, or they will actively pursue and attack you.
Finally, generic NPCs in the more organized or militaristic factions will have a chance to salute you when you look at them. Each salute-capable faction has a unique salute or set of unique salute animations that will play when eligible.
You can download the mod from this link. This mod is compatible with the Next-Gen Update. Thus, you won’t have to downgrade Fallout 4 to an older version. On its main page, you can also find all of its key features. So, make sure to read them as they can give you a pretty good idea of what you can expect from it.
>> The article has no media.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Mod adds a unique Drow Warlock companion, featuring custom dialogues, a recruitment event and an unfolding quest line
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/baldurs-gate-3-mod-adds-a-unique-drow-warlock-companion-featuring-custom-dialogues-a-recruitment-event-and-an-unfolding-quest-line/
Baldur’s Gate 3 fans, here is something for you today. Modder ‘Queen Plouton’ has released a new cool mod for BG3. This mod adds to the game a new unique Drow Warlock companion. This new companion has his own custom dialogues, a recruitment event, active leveling and a new quest line.
Going into more details, players can also decide to recruit Veilyn as a companion or play through his story from his own perspective as a brand new origin character. If you choose him as your companion, Veilyn will level with you. You can also take Veilyn with you from Act 1 all the way to Act 3 and see his place in camp change with your adventure.
As said, the mod also has a new quest line, called The Bloodletter. Currently, there is only a single quest trigger, but more will come with future updates. The modder plans to expand this quest line so that it can unfold across multiple acts, offering players meaningful choices that will influence Veilyn’s fate and the world around him.
Another cool thing is that Veilyn can react to specific in-game environments, NPCs, and major events. There is also a new custom dialog system. This is a demonstration of new and edited dialogs both as a companion and as an origin character.
What’s interesting here are the future plans for this mod. The modder plans to really expand it with new cool features. For instance, there are plans for voiced lines. There are also plans for new locations, romance options and additional subquests.
>> This article also has no media.

Batman: Arkham Origins Mod improves snow deformation height, shadows, FOV settings and more
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/batman-arkham-origins-mod-improves-snow-deformation-height-shadows-fov-settings-and-more/
Batman fans, here is something for you today. Modder ‘GPUnity’ has released a new cool graphics mod for Batman: Arkham Origins. This mod will make this Arkham game look better than before. So, let’s take a closer look at it.
The mod will reduce shadow banding and it will improve the quality of all shadows. It will also improve Batman’s cape, and it will snow deformation height. Not only that, but it adds some new FOV settings. As such, you will be able to adjust your FOV in order to get a more comfortable experience.
Sadly, though, this mod does not make any changes to the game’s textures. This is a bit disappointing as GPUnity’s previous mods have improved the textures of the other Batman: Arkham games. And, in my opinion, Origins would benefit from higher-quality textures.
>> There’s a slightly over 1 minute video.

Olenveld is a new DLC-sized lore-rich land mod for Skyrim
https://www.dsogaming.com/mods/olenveld-is-a-new-dlc-sized-lore-rich-land-mod-for-skyrim/
Modder ‘F0RCEFI3LD’ has released a new cool DLC-sized lore-rich land mod for Skyrim Special Edition, called Olenveld. This mod introduces a unique questline and an island recapturing system. As such, it’s a must for all Skyrim fans.
As the modder noted, Olenveld took approximately 3,000 hours of Creation Kit work, spread across nearly seven years. This was a passion project, and that’s another reason why we love – and support – such mods.
Players can expect to face fearsome undead foes and waves of relentless enemies. Moreover, their decisions will determine the island’s fate. Plus, they’ll encounter new enemies, find fresh equipment, and gain access to a stunning location.
>> There’s an over 3 minutes video in the article.

GAMING NEWS

Halo 2 E3 2003 Demo Available for Download on PC
https://www.dsogaming.com/news/halo-2-e3-2003-demo-available-for-download-on-pc/
And the time has finally come. 343 Industries has just released the E3 2003 demo of Halo 2 on PC via Steam. This demo is available to everyone who owns the Halo: The Master Chief Collection. In a way, this is a dream come true for a lot of Halo fans. So, be sure to get it if you are one of them.

Monday news, the second part:

Feeling the post-Suicide Squad ennui, Warner Bros. announces it won't be 'trying to launch 10, 12, 15, 20 different games' anymore
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/feeling-the-post-suicide-squad-ennui-warner-bros-announces-it-wont-be-trying-to-launch-10-12-15-20-different-games-anymore/
(...)
During a recent financial call, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav revealed plans to zero in on four IPs. Those being DC ("in particular Batman"), Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat, and Game of Thrones.
"We're through some of the worst—and it hasn't been pretty on the gaming business—but we have four games that are really powerful," Zaslav says, adding: "We're going to go away from trying to launch 10, 12, 15, 20 different games. I think we have a real chance now with focus to have the gaming business be steadier."

Things look grim for Multiversus as the Warner Bros. suits blame it for a $100 million writedown—'It hasn't been pretty'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fighting/things-look-grim-for-multiversus-as-the-warner-bros-suits-blame-it-for-a-usd100-million-writedown-it-hasnt-been-pretty/
"Hey, kid—Psst! Ya wanna buy some… um, some kinda Smash Bros.-style brawler with a buncha cartoon characters? How about a live service Harley Quinn game? Where ya goin' kid, hey kid I'm talking!" So goes the first scene of my unpublished script "Warner Bros. has a rough 2024 in games," which opens with panicked crowds fleeing the WB executive suites while the suits pursue, their pockets bulging with unsold pre-order bonuses.
Suicide Squad may be the poster child, with WB Games chalking up an eye-watering $200 million loss to the game, but it now turns out the whole Multiversus saga is responsible for another huge dent in the balance sheet.

Final Fantasy 14's upcoming patch promises improved 'character toe detail' across 118 footwear items
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/final-fantasy/final-fantasy-14s-upcoming-patch-promises-improved-character-toe-detail-across-118-footwear-items/
Final Fantasy 14's Dawntrail is getting its first major patch next week, adding the expansion's first alliance raid, ultimate raid, and new main story quests. It's also sprinkling a fair amount of quality-of-life changes in. There's a much-needed portrait update, new glamour dresser features, and, uh. Well, there's toes. Improved toes. 1,180 of them.
>> The patch will also fix a problem with the portraits.

Stardew Valley creator says he 'could work on it for the rest of my life' and wants to keep sharing new things with players
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/life-sim/stardew-valley-creator-says-he-could-work-on-it-for-the-rest-of-my-life-and-wants-to-keep-sharing-new-things-with-players/
At some point, the Stardew Valley updates have to end, right? Creator Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone has been working on it since 2011, and continually updating it since it launched in 2016. He's also working on a new game, Haunted Chocolatier. So surely the end is in sight. Except, it doesn't look like it is.
"I have so many ideas for Stardew," Barone told Nintendo Life. "I feel like I could work on it for the rest of my life, and just keep improving it, adding more stuff to it, more content, fleshing out the existing content."

Kojima Productions acquires Death Stranding IP rights, presumably meaning the series will only get more unhinged
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/kojima-productions-acquires-death-stranding-ip-rights-presumably-meaning-the-series-will-only-get-more-unhinged/
No director, whether in a game's production or elsewhere, is solely responsible for their team's artistic vision. But there is perhaps no man who currently enjoys a greater freedom to realize his creative whims than Hideo Kojima, and that freedom just got broader. Yesterday, Kojima Productions, the development studio founded by Kojima in 2015 following his departure from Konami, announced that it had acquired full ownership of the intellectual property rights to its Death Stranding series from publisher 505 Games.

Strategy studio Amplitude breaks from Sega: the Endless and Humankind developer is now indie again
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/strategy-studio-amplitude-breaks-from-sega-the-endless-and-humankind-developer-is-now-indie-again/
Development studio Amplitude has announced that it is breaking with publisher Sega to once again become a fully independent studio. This comes after eight years of ownership by Sega. Ownership of the studio is "returning to some of our original founders and members of the team," Amplitude announced, alongside, apparently, the games of the Endless universe that made Amplitude famous—Endless Space and Endless Legend.

Sony isn't giving up on PSN account requirement for PC games: Company president says it's necessary so people can 'safely' play its games
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/sony-isnt-giving-up-on-psn-account-requirement-for-pc-games-company-president-says-its-necessary-so-people-can-safely-play-its-games/
It's fair to say that Sony's insistence on requiring a PlayStation Network account for PC versions of its games is not widely popular. Don't expect Sony to back off on it anytime soon, though. Speaking in today's investors call, Sony president, chief operating officer, and chief financial officer Hiroki Totoki said PSN integration is necessary in order to ensure everyone can "safely" enjoy its games.
>> They can safely go f*ck themselves.

No Man's Sky gets cross-save on a dozen platforms and brings back Mass Effect's Normandy as a limited-time rewar
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/no-mans-sky-gets-cross-save-on-a-dozen-platforms-and-brings-back-mass-effects-normandy-as-a-limited-time-rewar/
Interplanetary exploration epic No Man's Sky has announced that a feature literally years in the making will finally release for the eight-year-old game: Cross-save between its many, many platforms.
That's not an exaggeration. Developer Hello Games earns double the manys by noting that their cross-save support will work on platforms "including PC, PlayStation 4 & Xbox One and Series X/S, Game Pass, GOG, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, PlayStation VR 1 & 2 and PCVR."

'Please give it a chance': Brighter Shores studio asks players to have patience with its unusual progression system, promises it's actually a lot of fun 'once you get used to it'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/mmo/please-give-it-a-chance-brighter-shores-studio-asks-players-to-have-patience-with-its-unusual-progression-system-promises-its-actually-a-lot-of-fun-once-you-get-used-to-it/
One of the more unusual things about Brighter Shores, the newly-launched MMO from RuneScape creator Andrew Gower and his brother Paul, is its profession system. As we explained in our recent dive into the game, professions are region-specific, so when you move from one episode to the next, your professions, including combat skills, are left behind. Not everyone loves the system, but in an update posted today on Steam, developer Fen Research asked that everyone "please give it a chance."

The best Black Ops 6 map for XP grinding finally got a 24/7 playlist, so you know what to do
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/call-of-duty/the-best-black-ops-6-map-for-xp-grinding-finally-got-a-24-7-playlist-so-you-know-what-to-do/
When a double XP weekend kicked off this time last week in Black Ops 6, there was only one map my friends wanted to play: Stakeout, by far the smallest in BLOPS 6 that's essentially one apartment. Call of Duty fans love small maps because it shrinks CoD's already miniscule time-to-action from a couple of seconds to literally zero. Stakeout is sized as a 2v2 map, but it's also in Face Off, a 6v6 playlist consisting entirely of small maps designed for maximum carnage.
Stakeout is just one of four maps you can get in Face Off, but it's so popular that players regularly leave lobbies when it doesn't appear. That dedication is probably why Treyarch created a Stakeout 24/7 playlist, an honor usually only bestowed to fan favorites like Nuketown, which just went live today.

And yes, here’s the third part of the news:

Palworld developer reports Nintendo's suing over 3 Pokémon patents for only $66,000 in damages, but a videogame IP lawyer says fighting the lawsuit could mean 'burning millions of dollars'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/survival-crafting/palworld-developer-reports-nintendos-suing-over-3-pokemon-patents-for-only-usd66-000-in-damages-but-a-videogame-ip-lawyer-says-fighting-the-lawsuit-could-mean-burning-millions-of-dollars/
Today, Palworld developer Pocketpair published a report detailing the terms of the intellectual property lawsuit Nintendo filed against the studio in September. When Nintendo announced its lawsuit, it alleged that Palworld "infringes multiple patent rights" but didn't specify which patents were being claimed, leaving us to speculate about whether Nintendo was bringing its legal cannons to bear over third-person Poké Ball throwing.
>> A patent for riding monsters. I wonder when Nintendo will sue Capcom because of Monster Hunter.

Genshin Impact's missing English voice acting returns in its latest trailer, but players aren't sure if they should celebrate yet
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/action/genshin-impacts-missing-english-voice-acting-returns-in-its-latest-trailer-but-players-arent-sure-if-they-should-celebrate-yet/
Genshin Impact's latest trailer has something the last few were missing: English voice acting. And fans are wondering if hearing version 5.2's new characters Chasca and Ororon is a sign that the game's voice acting will be restored with this update.
Characters in Genshin Impact went quiet not long after the SAG-AFTRA voice actor strike began in July. Cutscenes in its 5.1 update were oddly silent and some of its recent trailers are either in Japanese or have no talking at all. But something might've changed recently with how developer Hoyoverse is handling its voice actors.

Deus Ex director Warren Spector thinks that 'if someone made Deus Ex today it might be perceived as a documentary,' so if he made a new one it would be pretty different
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/deus-ex-director-warren-spector-thinks-that-if-someone-made-deus-ex-today-it-might-be-perceived-as-a-documentary-so-if-he-made-a-new-one-it-would-be-pretty-different/
You can't have a chat with Warren Spector and not ask him about Deus Ex. Sure, it's almost a quarter of a century old, but it feels pretty relevant today. And, crucially, it's still an impressive game—albeit a bit long in the tooth. So of course our itinerant interviewer Jeremy Peel had to raise the subject during a conversation that you'll see more of next month.
(...)
"I really have no idea why Embracer would abandon the Deus Ex franchise, at least for now," he said. "From my perspective, the gameplay approach is still relevant, but the world and situation needs some updating."
>> He also talked about the time he worked on a cancelled Half Life episode.

Darktide already has hard mode, but will add 40 extra hard, randomized difficulty levels anyway
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/darktide-already-has-hard-mode-but-will-add-40-extra-hard-randomized-difficulty-levels-anyway/
The hardcore adepts of Warhammer 40,000: Darktide are getting what they want, it seems, with a variable-modifier difficulty mode harder than the current hardest level coming in the neat future. Fatshark announced Havoc this week, a system of escalating difficulty levels for the already-maxed-out player to fight through against ever-increasing penalties. To be clear, I'm not complaining, I just think it's funny that a year after it got the always-hardest-modifiers Auric Mode the players of Darktide are like "yeah, we've had one hardest, but what about even hardester?"

2025's videogame Grammy nominations are the normal AAA fare and one surprising indie entry
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/2025s-videogame-grammy-nominations-are-the-normal-aaa-fare-and-one-surprising-indie-entry/
The 2025 Grammy awards nominations for videogame soundtracks are now out, with a slate of big-money games joined by one scrappy upstart for the prize. The award might go to Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Star Wars Outlaws, or—and you didn't see this coming at all, I swear: Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord, the remake of RPG classic Wizardry.

Tony Todd, the voice of Half-Life 2: Episode 2's vortigaunts and Spider-Man 2's Venom, has died
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/tony-todd-the-voice-of-half-life-2-episode-2s-vortigaunts-and-spider-man-2s-venom-has-died/
Actor Tony Todd died at home in Los Angeles on November 6 at the age of 69, Deadline reports. No cause of death was given.
Todd featured in movies like Oliver Stone's Platoon and several popular horror series, appearing in Night of the Living Dead (1990), Wishmaster, and The Crow (1994) as well as playing Candyman in the Candyman movies and William Bloodworth in the Final Destination series. He also made a string of television appearances in shows like The X-Files and both Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine.
Todd's career in videogames began with an appearance as Commander Kurn, the role he'd originated on television, in 1998's Star Trek: The Next Generation – Klingon Honor Guard. He went on to voice the alien vortigaunts in Half-Life 2: Episode 2 and later Half-Life: Alyx, Admiral Tommy Briggs in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, and Venom in Marvel's Spider-Man 2. He also appeared in Layers of Fear 2, Artifact, Star Trek Online, Star Trek: Elite Force 2, Back 4 Blood, and Dota: Underlords, as well as portraying a character named Locus in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which is due out next year.
>> D.E.P.

Karate Survivor is an 80s-tastic battler about building your own combos
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/karate-survivor-is-an-80s-tastic-battler-about-building-your-own-combos/
A horde battling roguelite inspired by 80s action movies recently released: Karate Survivor throws you up against hordes of mooks and tough elite bosses as you customize and combine your very own combo sequence of attacks into a punchy arrangement all your own. The fast runs at the game's five levels are pretty intense, encouraging you to use not just your attacks but the environment to take down foes.

Trash Goblin is a game about being a little goblin that sells trash
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/trash-goblin-is-a-game-about-being-a-little-goblin-that-sells-trash/
Hello goblin enthusiasts, would you like a game about being a cute little goblin that sells trash? Well, guess what, that's a game you can now play, as Trash Goblin released into early access on Steam this week. In it you're a little goblin that runs a business cleaning up dirt-crusted junk for resale to the quirky weirdos who live in your fantasy town.
>> Hey, it’s an honest job.

NetEase employees have allegedly laundered up to $139.3 million in a trading scheme that involves nearly 30 companies
https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/netease-employees-have-allegedly-laundered-up-to-usd139-3-million-in-a-trading-scheme-that-involves-nearly-30-companies/
Late last week, Bloomberg and the Chinese outlet Leifeng reported that several NetEase employees have been arrested for money laundering and bribery. The company is currently developing the Overwatch 2 competitor Marvel Rivals and the mobile game Destiny: Rising.

For those that haven't checked Steam yet:

https://store.steampowered.com/category/cooking

Thanks for sharing that game. Added to the list of games to add to my free games thread whenever I'll get to update that one again.

Wow, Sony found a way to make the PSN account requirement even worse - by blatantly lying about it. I used to like Sony the best among the console companies, but it has somehow managed to become the worst by far. I'm sure Microsoft would like to be worse, but it's not in a position to be, so it's not, so that dubious victory goes to Sony instead. What a despicable company (and no, I'm not saying this just because of the account requirement, it's actually a lot of things across the years - among which GaaS games aren't actually a major thing).

RIP Tony Todd. Upon hearing him in Back 4 Blood, it didn't take me long to realize it was a vortigaunt speaking.

See I give MS the benefit of the doubt because of what they did to get back into PC gaming's graces, as well as making XBL baked into their OS, meaning I don't have to login all the time (looking at you Ubishit/EA/GOG).

Sony on the other hand: multiple data breaches, helped fund Denuvo, now trying to use Steam's ecosystem to implant it's own on top of it.

All Sony has done for PC is merely release some ports, okay ports here and there, but mostly high priced delayed port jobs, which I consider the bare minimum of effort to get into good graces. Now they're just going full GFWL "fuck you, it's my ball I do what I want", but they're also using Steam to do it, and that's what really irks me a lot. Had they done this with their own storefront on PC, I would have just noped out and ignored them forever (like how I've done so with Ubisoft's requirement, and Epic's), but them using Steam feels like an abuse of an ecosystem ppl like using/being a part of. 

The fact Valve isn't doing much of anything kind of irks me even more, because I know Valve, they are used to saying/doing nothing and having things work out for them, but I'm still a customer, I still exist, Sony is blocking me ON YOUR STOREFRONT, VALVE!. I feel like the customer should 100% have the choice to block a publisher/studio, and we barely even get a full block on Steam (Publisher games and studio games can still show up on the front page, during sales), yet publishers like Sony get to outright block customers out entirely, and that storefront isn't even theirs to do with. 

Also found this recently from a news headline:

"Sony boss admits forcing PC gamers into PlayStation accounts can "invite pushback," but insists they have to keep games safe – which doesn't really track in single-player"

See that's not even a valid excuse. it's all about sucking up as many people into their ecosystem, not about "keeping players safe", all snug, with their warm blanket and a cup of tea, that's horseshit. There's plenty of people cheating all all platforms, Sony's system isn't free from this, so the "keeping players safe" doesn't track at all, and also invites an anti-modding stance (which I know they dislike).