Earlier this week Sony made an unexpected change to July’s line-up of free games for PlayStation Plus subscribers, swapping out Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 for the Digital Deluxe Edition of Detroit: Become Human.
Initially, it wasn’t clear who made the call. Perhaps the developer Konami had changed its mind? Or perhaps it was Sony that made the switch after feedback from PS Plus subscribers?
Now the mystery is unravelling. Konami says the decision to remove PES 2019 from the free games line-up is the sole responsibility of Sony.
“This decision was made by Sony and so please make an inquiry to Sony,” a spokesperson for Konami told GameSpot in a rather to-the-point statement.
Related: PES 2019 vs FIFA 19
Furthermore, PES’ European brand manager Lennart Bobzien added: “I cannot really tell you what happened because I just found out today, in the morning when I opened my laptop. I can’t really explain.”
Sony said it just decided to make the call as a company. Its own statement said: “We have decided to make a change to the PS Plus games lineup this month, and will be offering Detroit: Become Human Digital Deluxe Edition instead of PES 2019. This was a decision we decided to make as a company, and we apologize for any inconvenience.”
Now we know the “who”, it doesn’t get us any closer to the “why”. Eurogamer speculates that a contractural issue was behind the decision and points out that Sony has a marketing arrangement with EA sports for FIFA.
Maybe EA Sports kicked up a stink? Maybe it’s just as simple as Sony making the decision because gamers were annoyed about getting a football game, even though it’s one of the finest ever made? Perhaps we’ll never know.
Anyway, you can help yourself to the Digital Deluxe Edition of Detroit: Become Human, if you’re a PlayStation Plus member. The second free game for PlayStation Plus members in July offers a dose of nostalgia through Horizon Chase Turbo, which is a self-professed love letter to the arcade racers of yesteryear.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.