The consumer backlash that Microsoft faced as a result of Xbox One's DRM and always-online policies — prior to the recent 180 — was a "very useful source" when Sony was finalizing its own position on user rights for the PlayStation 4. Speaking with Famitsu, SCE Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida explained consumer reaction wasn't the decided factor, but did reaffirm they were on the right track.
"There were lots of people who gave their opinions on that issue to my Twitter account before E3," he said. "It's not that our hardware policies are decided strictly based on user reaction like this, but when we were thinking about what we had to bring across and how to bring it across, it was a very useful source."
The final moments of Sony's E3 press conference was dedicated to solely to announcing the PS4's own DRM and always-online policies, many of which were the exact opposite of Xbox One's strict rules. These announcements were met with thunderous applause from the crowd and, for many, are what helped Sony "win" E3 — though that's still a debatable topic. While Sony had likely already decided on the PS4's policies prior to E3, I wouldn't be surprised if they planned that last little E3 bit, and the infamous "game sharing" spot, as a direct result to the negative reaction towards the Xbox One.
[Polygon]
