Sony Japan has officially implemented a strict new policy to combat customer harassment, explicitly warning players that the company is prepared to terminate customer service contact and involve law enforcement authorities. The new rules are a response to the ongoing wave of protests that swept over the company after Sony announced its plan to completely cease production of physical PlayStation game discs by January 2028. In an official statement, the company emphasized that employee dignity and safety should not be threatened by customers making demands that exceed widely accepted social norms.
In the published details, the company listed examples of inappropriate behavior that will result in an immediate refusal of technical services. Blacklisted behaviors include: endless repetitive complaints, unreasonable demands for financial compensation, insults, defamation, threats, and attacks on specific employees. The platform also specifically mentioned that forcing staff to publicly apologize, attempting to coerce them into kneeling to beg for forgiveness, and visiting company offices without prior arrangement are also prohibited. Sony warned that it would not hesitate to call the police, hire lawyers, and file criminal lawsuits upon discovering such violations.
The reason for such an intense reaction is the large-scale backlash from the player community against the digitization of the PlayStation ecosystem. Gamers worldwide believe that abandoning physical discs ultimately destroys ownership, turning the purchase of video games into a form of ordinary rental that publishers can terminate at will. Dissatisfaction quickly spread beyond angry posts on social media. A petition on Change.org calling for a halt to the full transition to a digital-only format gathered 200,000 signatures within just six days of the announcement and currently has nearly 400,000 supporters.
The situation has escalated into legal proceedings. In one of the class-action lawsuits, Sony's lawyers have requested that the case be moved to confidential pre-trial arbitration. The plaintiffs argue that the company misled consumers by placing "Buy" buttons in its store while concealing the fact that purchased content is merely a revocable temporary license. In court, company representatives countered that reasonable consumers should not misunderstand and believe they truly own digital games.
Despite facing a series of lawsuits and growing dissatisfaction among console users, company management has no intention of deviating from its established course. The company confirmed it will continue to cautiously proceed with plans to phase out physical media, while tightening customer service regulations to protect employees from harmful behavior and align relevant standards with Japan's newly enacted laws protecting workers' rights.