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[Kuga]

Not buying it at all sends the message that you don't want to support games like Sonic Mania. See how that works? Voting with your wallet is nonsense. If you want to play the game without the bullshit, buying it on console gets you the thing you actually want. That's what matters.

Rewarding a publisher for anti-consumer and, in this case, also potentially unethical business practices by paying them money doesn't send the right message at all.

It tells Sega that they can get away with releasing a subpar PC version and that the people who aren't happy with it will just buy the console version instead. No - they do not deserve my sale. I want an acceptable PC version.

Sega might earn my purchase once the Denuvo DRM is completely removed and Sonic Mania goes on sale (because hell if I am paying full price after this fiasco).

Executives at Sega who take away the wrong message from this incident probably aren't competent enough or willing to learn the right lessons anyways.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

Nope. If Denuvo worked, Denuvo games would have unusually high sales that stand out from the average AAA releases.
Guess fucking what: they don't.

This is exactly the case. There are enough comparison points now to asses it's impact and yet there's still no obvious example of it making a difference.

If it worked we should be able to see a trend with games using it having higher sales by now but we know no such trend exists.

We know it doesn't work.

This is an interesting idea... has anyone ever actually looked at the math on this though? Compare the average sales per day of Denuvo games (up until the point when Denuvo was cracked) with titles of a comparable size? I haven't seen anything comprehensive.

 

[VandalD]

Well, I don’t have any problems with denuvo. Zero. I don’t agree with the issues people blame denuvo for. People pirate, it’s not an issue that can be argued. Trying to rationalize how little it affects the dev is pirate speak. Being anti-piracy has nothing to do with being anti-consumer. Let the dev have a few days to use denuvo, why is that a huge problem? Like everyone says, it will be cracked soon enough. The anti-denuvo stance just falls flat, everything considered.

Whether you personally have problems with Denuvo doesn't matter. I don't have problems with it either. Sonic Mania in particular plays great, such that I didn't even know it had DRM (for one, because it was nowhere on the store page) while playing it. People want to play the games they paid for without them installing third-party software to their computers that some consider to be malware. I suppose that is too huge of a problem.

 

[pennypincher]

Well, I'm told that removing always online is not possible while Denuvo is implemented . That patch would not work.
So basically SEGA promises an update within the following days but know they can wait for the DRM to be cracked and then remove it completely.

 

[horkrux]

Well, I'm told that removing always online is not possible while Denuvo is implemented . That patch would not work.

 

[Mr. Smiley]

Denuvo makes modding difficult?

 

[Deathknell]

From Steam forum:

Offline bug fix now implemented.
The offline play bug has now been fixed! Thanks for your patience and let us know if you experience any further problems.

Bug fix?
You mean getting an explanation to go online instead of simply getting an error message?

Is that your bugfix?! WTF?! I want to PLAY OFFLINE

That doesn't solve the problem. You still need to be online and boot it online, and then turn off the internet. You still can't start the game offline thanks to Denuvo. Please, remove it.

well, decided to check this fix.Went offline, game is not launching.Nice try Sega

LMAO what a shitshow

 

[Bowl0l]

Well, I'm told that removing always online is not possible while Denuvo is implemented . That patch would not work.
So basically SEGA promises an update within the following days but know they can wait for the DRM to be cracked and then remove it completely.

This reminds me of Namco EU whacky God Eater's always online requirement. Was it ever fixed?

 

[c0Zm1c]

Being anti-piracy has nothing to do with being anti-consumer.

It actually does when you're condoning anti-piracy measures that are also anti-consumer.

 

[Nick_C]

This is an interesting idea... has anyone ever actually looked at the math on this though? Compare the average sales per day of Denuvo games (up until the point when Denuvo was cracked) with titles of a comparable size? I haven't seen anything comprehensive.

This would be kinda tough to gauge when comparing two different products. I think the best way to do this would be to have separate Steam store listings for the same game, one with Denuvo and one without. The initial thought would be to just compare sales between Steam and GOG, but the latter has a fraction of the market share of the former.

I guess one way to see how Denuvo can affect sales of a game is to compare the sales of Rime for the period it implemented Denuvo to the sales of when it was removed. Was there a noticeable increase in sales when it stripped out DRM?

 

[Deathknell]

https://youtu.be/sJcDi5zYB-0

 

[CecilRousso]

Well, I don’t have any problems with denuvo. Zero. I don’t agree with the issues people blame denuvo for. People pirate, it’s not an issue that can be argued. Trying to rationalize how little it affects the dev is pirate speak. Being anti-piracy has nothing to do with being anti-consumer. Let the dev have a few days to use denuvo, why is that a huge problem? Like everyone says, it will be cracked soon enough. The anti-denuvo stance just falls flat, everything considered.

Not sure who you're targeting with "people pirate" and "trying to rationalize how little it affects the dev is pirate speak", because I don't feel those things are relevant for what I have posted here. My point is not "piracy doesn't matter", but rather how DRM affects paying customers.

As a customer, the quality of the product is what matters, and the piracy factor is for the devs/publishers to handle. Denuvo gives zero value to the customers, but only serves a source for current and potential technical issues. Being anti-piracy to the point of falling over to the pro-drm side, is being anti-consumer, with DRM being nothing but anti-consumer.

That you don't have any problems with Denuvo doesn't really invalidates everyone elses concerns about the DRM. You can look up my previous five point list about concerns regarding Denuvo, if you're still unsure about them.

 

[Bowl0l]

I guess one way to see how Denuvo can affect sales of a game is to compare the sales of Rime for the period it implemented Denuvo to the sales of when it was removed. Was there a noticeable increase in sales when it stripped out DRM?

That's a bad way to compare. It should be reversed instead. Day one buyers has zero DRM while future buyers get DRM. That will prove Denuvo is effective, right?

 

[Nick_C]

That's a bad way to compare. It should be reversed instead. Day one buyers has zero DRM while future buyers get DRM. That will prove Denuvo is effective, right?

I'm approaching this example in two ways:

1) Rime launched with Denuvo and later removed it.

2) Does Denuvo affect sales in such a way that a substantial amount of customers will not buy software as long as it is being implemented?

I understand where your thought process lies, and whether or not Denuvo deters piracy. I think following that logic opens us up to the fallacy that every pirated copy is a lost sale, something that isn't easily measured. At least, not as easily measured as whether or not Denuvo is costing publishers sales.

 

[horkrux]

From Steam forum:

Offline bug fix now implemented.
The offline play bug has now been fixed! Thanks for your patience and let us know if you experience any further problems.

Bug fix?
You mean getting an explanation to go online instead of simply getting an error message?

Is that your bugfix?! WTF?! I want to PLAY OFFLINE

That doesn't solve the problem. You still need to be online and boot it online, and then turn off the internet. You still can't start the game offline thanks to Denuvo. Please, remove it.

well, decided to check this fix.Went offline, game is not launching.Nice try Sega

LMAO what a shitshow

You've just patched the game and therefore need to launch it once in online mode. Then you can play it in offline mode whenever

 

[atmuh]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=60&v=sJcDi5zYB-0

nice nice

 

[RionaaM]

Not going to condone review bombing, but the idea that you should to accept whatever bullshit a publisher brings to a game, because of fear of not getting a sequel, is silly.

You should support good games, but you're well within your rights to ask for the games to be delivered in a way you're comfortable with as well.

Yep, this is something that many gaming fans seem to struggle with. You aren't obligated to support a game you want if the whole package isn't appealing. If DRM is a deal-breaker, skipping it is perfectly fine, and you shouldn't feel guilty or anything.

 

[Maintenance]

 

 

[Chris_Rivera]

It actually does when you're condoning anti-piracy measures that are also anti-consumer.

Then in that case, it also makes the pro-consumers pro-piracy.

 

[pennypincher]

And even if they fix it, as soon as you change hardware, another online activation will be required.

 

[Durante]

Then in that case, it also makes the pro-consumers pro-piracy.

Bullshit.

 

[Nick_C]

Bullshit.

Saw that response and sat here for a minute trying to figure out how they came to that conclusion. A game that launches without DRM does not make that game pro-piracy.

Still scratching my head over this one.

 

[ezodagrom]

I'm approaching this example in two ways:

1) Rime launched with Denuvo and later removed it.

2) Does Denuvo affect sales in such a way that a substantial amount of customers will not buy software as long as it is being implemented?

Denuvo was removed a week after launch, I wouln't be surprised if by then people annoyed by Denuvo would have already lost interest in the game and moved on.

Take into consideration that Steamspy data isn't very accurate early on in a game's release, but, around the time Denuvo was removed, the game was around the 10~14k range, it went up to the 14~18k range afterwards, slowly going up to the 20~24k range over time.
Recently it had a 33% 3 days long sale, it went up to the 30~40k range since.

 

[Bowl0l]

I'm approaching this example in two ways:

1) Rime launched with Denuvo and later removed it.

2) Does Denuvo affect sales in such a way that a substantial amount of customers will not buy software as long as it is being implemented?

I understand where your thought process lies, and whether or not Denuvo deters piracy. I think following that logic opens us up to the fallacy that every pirated copy is a lost sale, something that isn't easily measured. At least, not as easily measured as whether or not Denuvo is costing publishers sales.

I doubt your example could ever happen consistently because DRM costs money. They will never remove it since it costs them money to purchase and implement it. Unless their game sales took a nosedive.

 

[BiggNife]

Wow. So this whole fiasco might cause a falling out between the developers and Sega, so we'll never get a Mania 2. What the fuck.

One way to ensure you don't get a Mania 2 is by tanking the rating and sale due to Denuvo.

You guys are both super duper jumping the gun.

1) Just because Stealth and Taxman aren't happy with this decision doesn't mean they don't want to work with Sega again. From what I've seen and read, this decision was most likely made by Sega Europe, whereas Stealth/Taxman worked with Sega America. I don't think Taxman/Stealth are going to blame the Sega of America team for something they ultimately most likely had nothing to do with and had no control over.

2) Sonic Mania is the kind of game that will definitely, DEFINITELY get more sales on PS4 and Switch than it will on PC. Even if PC sales of Mania are lukewarm it probably won't matter all that much.

I definitely don't think this will ruin chances of Mania 2. Could it ruin the chances of a PC version of Mania 2? That's possible.

 

[MUnited83]

Then in that case, it also makes the pro-consumers pro-piracy.

If you're not capable of rational thought that might make some sense i guess.

 

[JaseC]

• List Sonic Mania on PC to be released at the same time as the other versions.
• Delay the game on PC two weeks.
• Give Sonic 1 as a "gesture of good will" to people who pre-ordered.
• Release the game with unannounced DRM two weeks later.
• Refunds can't be issued via the standard Steam methods, since the date of purchase was marked by the gift of Sonic 1.

#5 isn't quite correct. While those who didn't already own Sonic 1 and have since played the Genesis/MegaDrive emulator for 2+ hours are SOL (this may also apply to existing owners of the emulator who've amassed 2+ hours in the past as they now have overlapping licences), the complimentary gift copy of Sonic 1 was actually attached to pre-orders just under two weeks ago and shouldn't be a factor whatsoever provided it hasn't been used in any sense. As I theorised earlier, I think the refund system isn't designed to handle licences that confer a complimentary gift copy of something and it's denying requests it should be approving or forwarding to Steam Support for review.

Edit: I've sought clarification from Valve regarding whether those who'd already played the Genesis/MegaDrive emulator for 2+ hours prior to Sonic 1 being added are entitled to a refund and what changes, if any, the complimentary gift copy makes to refund eligibility.

 

[mocoworm]

No way I'm gonna support this shit.

Fuck you Sega, I'm gonna buy this game on ps4 on sale.

... that's not how 'not supporting' SEGA works.

 

[Dahaka]

Not buying it then

 

[GabeTheGrouch76]

I'm in agreement with everyone that has said delaying the PC version to secretly stick DRM on it was a absolutely shitty move. I knew the theories given about a game like this needing "optimization" for PC were absolutely flimsy and this news vindicates my suspicions as far as I'm concerned. As I said, it was either incompetence on the developers' behalf (which I myself not only shot down, but Taxman himself said his team had nothing to do with the decision) or incompetence by Sega; and lo and behold, it was meddling by the latter.

Speaking as someone who opened a Steam account specifically for Mania and pre-purchased the game months ago because the PC version was the only available option I could get the game / support the developers...to me, this whole charade comes off as a direct insult. As unfair as it may be for other honest developers who don't engage in this tactics, the way this was handled makes me not want to ever get a game on Steam/PC again because this was an absolutely horrendous first impression.

It's a big shame too because outside of the DRM aspect....the actual game itself is fantastic. I've never been this enthusiastic about an official Sonic game in years. It's not only a great sequel to S3&K, it's easily in my personal top three Sonic games. So while I'm still happy to have bought for and paid the game at all as a means of supporting the developers, I'm genuinely disgusted with whoever at Sega was responsible for doing this (as well as not giving it a retail release, but that's another topic) and I seriously hope they get repercussions for this move.

 

[Bowl0l]

... that's not how 'not supporting' SEGA works.

yup. Buying 2nd hand is the best bet now.

 

[Have a Nice Day]

It's really bizarre how game publishers are still using Denuvo knowing that it's not a viable option as an effective DRM anymore, we all know that this game is going to be cracked in the next few hours.

 

[Bjoern the Smexy]

I feel sorry for those who had and/or wanted to wait on the PC version and now have to deal with this.
That really sucks :\

 

[Nick_C]

Denuvo was removed a week after launch, I wouln't be surprised if by then people annoyed by Denuvo would have already lost interest in the game and moved on.

Take into consideration that Steamspy data isn't very accurate early on in a game's release, but, around the time Denuvo was removed, the game was around the 10~14k range, it went up to the 14~18k range afterwards, slowly going up to the 20~24k range over time.
Recently it had a 33% 3 days long sale, it went up to the 30~40k range since.

So one conclusion that may be drawn is that Denuvo neither helped nor hindered that game's performance, but that is only on data point. But I would say that there isn't enough data to draw any conclusion.

I doubt your example could ever happen consistently because DRM costs money. They will never remove it since it costs them money to purchase and implement it. Unless their game sales took a nosedive.

Yeah, and I don't think any pub would be willing to throw away money trying to figure out whether or not they're wasting money on Denuvo in he first place. Sadly, it seems like most consumers don't really care about Denuvo and what it means for PC gaming preservation.

It's really bizarre how game publishers are still using Denuvo knowing that it's not a viable option as an effective DRM anymore, we all know that this game is going to be cracked in the next few hours.

Denuvo doesn't guarantee that their software is uncrackable now. They use it as more a preventative measure, to "protect" launch period sales. Their site even states that one of the products that they protect has gone "over 300 days" without a crack. Not mentioning things like RE7 being cracked within a week, obviously.

 

[AcceptableGhost]

"Voting with your wallet" is nonsense a lot of the time and does absolutely nothing in this case. Review bomb the page immediately, make the page have a scary "very negative" red rating. Then they can scroll the page down and see what people don't like about their game (the DRM). Flood their emails with complaints about it. Tweet at their twitter constantly. Just silently not buying the game does nothing, you need to scream what your problems with it are. Ironically, buying the game and leaving a negative review probably does more damage then not buying it (if the game has a scary red rating it will ward off people from buying a game because they think something is wrong with it, and in general it looks really bad). The only thing that could make them change their mind is bad PR.

 

[GabeTheGrouch76]

yup. Buying 2nd hand is the best bet now.

Maybe I might be missing something here, but outside of maybe the Collector's Edition (and that's only if the code hasn't been activated), you can't exactly buy secondhand copies of Mania since it's a digital-only game. Pretty sure buying it digitally ensures the cash goes directly to Sega.

The next best thing you can do is wait for a sale when it's dirt cheap going or simply wait for a retail release...but it's anyone's guess whenever either of those may happen.

 

[Chris_Rivera]

If you're not capable of rational thought that might make some sense i guess.

It was in response to the guy that says being anti-piracy is anti-consumer. Of course it's bullshit.

The DRM excuses never make it past hypothetical in these threads anyway.

 

[Durante]

From what I've seen and read, this decision was most likely made by Sega Europe,

I have a hard time believing that. Sega Europe understands the PC platform.
This has the smell of "old Japanese management" all over it.

 

[Joey Ravn]

Low PC sales doesn't mean that Mania 2 won't happen, it will just mean that it releasing PC is unlikely.



Jim Sterling thinks that Sonic Generation was a bad game and mocks those who thought it was good so I wouldn't take stock in what he says.

Personally I think that Sonic 1 was generally was a gift and not a Trojan horse bait to deny people refunds of the game, which wouldn't even work in EU laws as customers are entitle to a refund if the game is an unplayable state.

I have no idea why Jim Sterling's opinion about Sonic Generations somehow invalidates his opinion about this mess. Are you trying to imply that he's "anti-Sonic" and just looking for excuses to bash the game? Because otherwise, I honestly don't know why you're dismissing his take on the implementation of Denuvo in this game based on his opinion of Generations.

Be that as it may, the fact of the matter is that receiving pre-order bonuses in the form of games or redeemable codes often imply forfeiting the ability to refund or return the pre-order. Many publishers use this as a "trick" (aka "trap") to secure their pre-orders. It's not something new. And, sure, European laws may not allow this practice... but who has the time and/or money to actually go to court if GAME, Steam or whatever store refuses to refund your purchase? That's exactly why publishers are able to take advantage of this kind of situation.

I don't know if SEGA was actually banking on this when they decided to give out Sonic 1 as compensation. But if they weren't, that makes the situation extra shitty. You can't refund a game because of something that you didn't ask for in the first place and couldn't refuse. Or didn't even think you should refuse, because you didn't have all the information you needed to begin with.

Either way, it's a fucking shitty situation. How can anyone say that Denuvo isn't anti-consumer is beyond me. Actions speak for themselves.

 

[Bowl0l]

Maybe I might be missing something here, but outside of maybe the Collector's Edition (and that's only if the code hasn't been activated), you can't exactly buy secondhand copies of Mania since it's a digital-only game. Pretty sure buying it digitally ensures the cash goes directly to Sega.

The next best thing you can do is wait for a sale when it's dirt cheap going or simply wait for a retail release...but it's anyone's guess whenever either of those may happen.

Didn't know it didn't get a physical release.
If it's a digital only product, making more noise about the DRM for PC should be super effective.

 

[Guess Who]

I have a hard time believing that. Sega Europe understands the PC platform.
This has the smell of "old Japanese management" all over it.

This isn’t even SoE’s first Denuvo game.

 

[hiryu64]

• List Sonic Mania on PC to be released at the same time as the other versions.
• Delay the game on PC two weeks.
• Give Sonic 1 as a "gesture of good will" to people who pre-ordered.
• Release the game with unannounced DRM two weeks later.
• Refunds can't be issued via the standard Steam methods, since the date of purchase was marked by the gift of Sonic 1.

I may not see eye to eye with him in many cases, but I have to agree with Jim Sterling here. This totally looks orchestrated by SEGA from the start to thwart the inevitable refunds that would come from the backlash from Denuvo being used.

Either that, or they have zero knowledge of how to carry a business on PC. I don't know which option is better.

Add to that the following:

• Act as though failing to disclose Denuvo until game's release was a mistake while using "mistakes were made" type language to skirt blame
• Purport to have fixed the error while keeping Denuvo around, which is the reason the majority of consumers are complaining

For fuck's sake, their community manager and the developers of the game are coming out against this. This is absolutely deplorable, and there's very little doubt in my mind that they attempted to sneak Denuvo in knowing that it's a universally reviled piece of software and are now attempting to play innocent. Fuck that, 100% fuck that.

They encouraged pre-orders by discounting the price and offering a free game, and then they pull this cosmic dick move. If I can't get a refund for my purchase, I will absolutely be pirating the game in order to play it -- with zero shame and self-righteous indignation. I paid money for a very specific product, and for them to tack on this fetid excuse for an anti-piracy solution and coerce me into buying into it without my consent -- not to mention prevent me from getting my money back -- is unconscionable.

I don't doubt that I'd probably be able to install and play with no apparent issue, but these companies need to be held accountable for their shitty practices, and we must send the message that we as the consumers hold the power, not the other way around. You can talk about, "Oh, they'll just say it was a flop and not make another one (because I am literally too afraid to question our corporate overlords)," or, "Oh, they'll get your money anyway if you buy it elsewhere (because I don't believe in our ability to affect change)," or, "Oh, they need DRM because piracy is a bad thing and it was either that or their game gets pirated (because I have no self-respect as a consumer)," or, "Oh, stop complaining because it's stupid to care about this (even though I care about this enough that you caring about this upsets me so deeply)," but we need to continue to raise hell and show SEGA that we won't accept their bullshit. If you redeemed or used your Sonic 1 copy, push for a refund anyway. If you ordered it through Bundle Stars or some other key reseller, push for a refund anyway. Continue to blast them on Facebook, on Twitter, on Steam, on their support page. A user posted a link earlier in the thread where you can submit your complaints (and it's even endorsed by their community manager!):

Aaron Webber encourages you to complain about the DRM on the link here :
https://support.sega.co.uk/hc/en-us/requests/new

https://twitter.com/RubyEclipse/status/902608083200819200

SEGA needs to feel the heat, and we need to give it to them.

(EDIT: As a disclaimer, I'm not condoning piracy without purchase. Merely pirating the game doesn't send a message at all.)

 

[GabeTheGrouch76]

"Voting with your wallet" is nonsense a lot of the time and does absolutely nothing in this case. Review bomb the page immediately, make the page have a scary "very negative" red rating. Then they can scroll the page down and see what people don't like about their game (the DRM). Flood their emails with complaints about it. Tweet at their twitter constantly. Just silently not buying the game does nothing, you need to scream what your problems with it are. Ironically, buying the game and leaving a negative review probably does more damage then not buying it (if the game has a scary red rating it will ward off people from buying a game because they think something is wrong with it, and in general it looks really bad).

I'd say it depends on the scenario. If the product itself is desirable, then voting with your wallet about how that product was handled or a certain version of a product turned out may not be the best way to handle things. But if the product itself isn't desirable then voting with your wallet can be very effective.

Metroid right now has good examples of both instances that come to mind. Hardly anybody in the Metroid fanbase wanted the Federation Force spinoff, and they made sure to tell that to Nintendo by letting the game bomb. A new 2D Metroid title in Samus Returns is far more in line with what they want, but one of the game's difficulty modes locked behind an amiibo has some people on the fence about supporting the game. Though in both cases, Metroid fans haven't been shy in voicing their disapproval.

 

[Nick_C]

"Voting with your wallet" is nonsense a lot of the time and does absolutely nothing in this case. Review bomb the page immediately, make the page have a scary "very negative" red rating. Then they can scroll the page down and see what people don't like about their game (the DRM). Flood their emails with complaints about it. Tweet at their twitter constantly. Just silently not buying the game does nothing, you need to scream what your problems with it are. Ironically, buying the game and leaving a negative review probably does more damage then not buying it (if the game has a scary red rating it will ward off people from buying a game because they think something is wrong with it, and in general it looks really bad). The only thing that could make them change their mind is bad PR.

Have to agree with this. Buying on PC then telling them the DRM is shit and refunding is going to send a message. That is an actual sale that they are losing because they used Denuvo.

 

[FrozenCell]

Spending time & money on always online DRM trying to lock down the Windows version instead of widening your audience with a Mac & SteamOS version, great logic Mr Whitehead.

 

[Durante]

This isn't even SoE's first Denuvo game.

Then I might be wrong, but I really expected better.

It's such an out-of-touch decision that will very obviously not increase sales and generate negative word of mouth (on a platform where word of mouth is more important than anything else).

Have to agree with this. Buying on PC then telling them the DRM is shit and refunding is going to send a message. That is an actual sale that they are losing because they used Denuvo.

I'd say that the most effective method of getting a company to listen and also making very clear what the issue is is buying the game, writing a negative review of it which explains the issue, and refunding it (stating the same reasons). It's pretty clear-cut at that point.

 

[iavi]

Was going to double dip. Not anymore

 

[kewlmyc]

Swore I was able to play Tales of Berseria offline and that also uses Denuvo. How bizarre that it's doing it with this game.

 

[Lagamorph]

I never even knew about the Sonic 1 free gift. Will need to try refunding as soon as I get home from work later and hope for the best.

Then might rebuy from the Russian Switch store.

 

[Dragoon En Regalia]

I still think this delay solely to implement Denuvo came from the SEGA of Japan side, even if Europe's complicit. Sonic is SoJ's pet franchise when marketing to the West, so of course they'd want to get extra draconian to satisfy Sonic Team or executive stakeholders. Regardless, it's anti-consumer to pull this kind of delay where users can't refund a tainted product because of an extra doodad they weren't going to use (because it's not hard to get the first Sonic anyway).

Spending time & money on always online DRM trying to lock down the Windows version instead of widening your audience with a Mac & SteamOS version, great logic Mr Whitehead.

...Whitehead, the other Mania devs, and the Sonic community manager have so far implied or outright said this decision was thrust upon them, never their idea. That doesn't even make sense considering how well the PS4/Switch versions have fared, and I think the devs have already been paid for their trouble such that extra royalties via scam aren't part of the deal.