PSA: PT Demo May Restrict Your Access From PSN Library

Update: some PS4 users are chiming in (particulary this N4G thread) to point out that they did not encounter the same issues as this user in connection to PT. Sony also recently had maintenance downtime for the console, so these may be explanations for what happened to pacifist_elk's account. I will share an update when more information from pacifist_elk, Sony, and/or Konami appears.

News of PT’s removal has had gamers in an uproar the past two weeks, and for good reason. This latest revelation, however, may be going too far for Konami.

Twitter user pacifist_elk claims that Konami is holding his PlayStation 4 digital library hostage, by virtue of PT’s license. If you downloaded the demo, you should know that the game will fail the system’s regular license check. You may not know this, but this is really, really bad news.

See, PSN checks all your licenses to see if they exist on the network. If one license does not exist, all DRM checks for all your digital games fail. As a result, you will lose complete access to your digital games.

It gets worse. pacifist_elk tried deleting his copy of PT, of course, but this did not work. What this means is when Konami delisted PT, they sloppily did not account for PSN’s DRM check. As a result, everyone’s copy of PT has a license that will definitely fail, because Konami removed their end of the license online. Deleting the game from PSN will not remove that license.

In the end, just having downloaded PT now means your access to PSN, especially your games, is now compromised. If you own a PlayStation 4 and downloaded this game, you will want to keep it offline momentarily.

Earlier, Konami removed Shareplay functionality for PT. While no surprise, this seems to be one incremental move on top of another that literally shows Konami’s disdain for their gaming customers.

Konami has the right to decide how and when they distribute demos, and also when Silent Hill games are to be made or cancelled. However, their actions are atypical of a developer acting in good faith.

In any case, if Konami won’t resolve this issue, Sony should. In the meantime, if you do have a PlayStation 4 and a copy of the demo, disconnect it from online ASAP.

You can read pacifist_elk’s twitter feed below.

Konami doing shady shit. Going to elaborate in future post#PS4share pic.twitter.com/ailoJr362L

— Nick Cramer (@Pacifist_Elk) May 12, 2015

All of my games are locked, all of them. #PS4share pic.twitter.com/PzFzg47x1K

— Nick Cramer (@Pacifist_Elk) May 12, 2015

I am taking one for the team to show the world and save others from this suffering #PS4share pic.twitter.com/NcQ9Kiwxph

— Nick Cramer (@Pacifist_Elk) May 12, 2015

#PS4share pic.twitter.com/XUqykiytUM

— Nick Cramer (@Pacifist_Elk) May 12, 2015

PSN checks all liscences at once. if one does not exist on network, all DRM checks for PSN fail #PS4share pic.twitter.com/XCjwYbBK40

— Nick Cramer (@Pacifist_Elk) May 12, 2015

so just checked, even deleting P.T. does not remove its license from your system. If you downloaded P.T. ever at any point, then

— Nick Cramer (@Pacifist_Elk) May 12, 2015

You will be unable to renew licenses of your digital games. For someone like me who owns mostly digital, this means that I cannot play

— Nick Cramer (@Pacifist_Elk) May 12, 2015

I cannot play any of my games. Konami is holding all of my games hostage. For the crime of having downloaded P.T.

— Nick Cramer (@Pacifist_Elk) May 12, 2015

Them pulling it from the store fucked everything up in ways you cannot imagine. Driveclub players had the same issue back when it was pulled

— Nick Cramer (@Pacifist_Elk) May 12, 2015

but driveclub pull was temp. Problems for people ceased when driveclub finally returned. For those who downloaded P.T., you might be

— Nick Cramer (@Pacifist_Elk) May 12, 2015