Get ready for SingStar on the XMB!

I have looked at the icon for over 2 weeks now. I’ve done my share. Now, pretty please with sugar on top, $CEE remove the icon.

Dear Nina,

I totally understand that you were excited about
that sing-star thing being introduced.

But I’m wondering: Do you understand why people
(including myself) are being upset by denying
them the chance to delete the icon ?

Also: The way you answer to Sony customers here
is astonishing me. To questions about the removal
there seem to be 2 possibilities :

a) no answer
b) haha ! IT STAYS !! (got you…. (to hell with customer
wishes)

I would prefer the following possibilities :
C) The issue is being discussed. I cannot promise you
the icon will become removable but we understand
your displeasure and are trying to find a solution.

OR honestly:
D) we don’t care about your wishes, we thing it’s good
that way so live with it (even a majority of
customers didn’t want it.

Seriously, if that icon remains at that place
(w.o. a chance to remove it) I’ll go with the
XBOX 720 instead of ps4/ or Orbis when it comes
out, and I would advise my friends to do the same.

At least give us some appropriate answers Nina , please !

@bjoern Essen

Nina has not been on here for a long time better you try here

http://community.singstar.com/t5/SingStar/Feedback-on-the-Singstar-XMB-icon/td-p/17318024

And here
http://community.eu.playstation.com/t5/PlayStation-Network-General/European-petition-to-remove-icon-singstar-from-the-list-games-on/td-p/17338154/highlight/false

Scee don’t seem to give a monkeys

Sent to help@uk.playstation.com today (Part 1)

I wish to add my comments to the thousands I am sure you have already received regarding the intrusive nature of the Singstar icon appearing on my PS3 XMB.

I have absolutely no intention of playing this game and do take offence that you have decided that the frankly, ugly looking advertisement screen is now the first thing I should see when turning on my system.

It is billed as a ‘free game’ which is untrue and misleading. What you have provided is a free game engine that then requires you to purchase further titles to actually play anything.

Sent to help@uk.playstation.com today (Part 2)

All in all, the whole scenario has left myself and many other users feeling that SCEE has severely damaged it’s reputation amongst the gaming fraternity and I am not surprised many have cancelled pre-order purchases and Playstation+ memberships. On the whole it is not the fact that the icon itself was put there, it is the fact that by forcing it on us without the option to accept of reject it by way of the ability to delete it, you have effectively taken away people’s freedom of choice and this is what people are resentful of.

I look forward to your reply.

Sent to help@uk.playstation.com today (Sorry, bit should go between part 1 & 2!):

You will see from the blog entries on your own website (http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2012/10/23/get-ready-for-singstar-on-the-xmb/#comments) that the inclusion of this icon is abhorred by the vast majority of users.

Therefore, I formally request an explanation of the rationale behind why is it that SCEE think it good business sense to continue with a marketing strategy that is so obviously having such a detrimental affect on your loyal user base?

I also formally request that you also provide an explanation on why, despite so many calls for a answer or at least an update on the aforementioned blog, there has been no official word back from SCEE since the 30th October courtesy of Fred Dutton. I think some sort of comment on the blog from SCEE would certainly go some way to alleviating the current ill-feeling towards your company.

I am also sure that many posters would like to know what sanctions were taken against Nina Scherer for her offensive comments to users legitimate complaints early on in the blog. Again, to know that such unprofessional behaviour has been addressed appropriately would at least restore some faith in your company.

Like all the others on the UK site, I agree, I do not want Singstar on my XMB. It clutters up what is otherwise a clean looking console!!

My son and I both have been playing on Playstations for many years. We’re both fans of certain games, and not games such as Singstar. I keep my console clean and tidy (outside and inside!), and I shouldn’t have to have this [crap] forced onto my console. I live with updates, as they may (or may not) improve the functionality of the console, but why should I have just any old game, photo, song etc…added with no way to remove it.

I don’t want an XBox, but maybe I should reconsider too…..

….Sorry Sony, I’m a big fan, but you have to know where the line is….and you keep crossing it!!!

Just switched my PS3 on after being away for a couple of months,the store is now an app? weird but ok..BUT..Singstar on my XBM!!! I have never and will never use that [CENSORED] so why can’t I remove it?.
I’m a single 42 year old man with no children,why on earth would I want that [CENSORED] on my console.
I don’t mind you telling me it’s there but don’t remove my choice to delete it.
Aight

No offence but people are might get a Xbox just because there’s a Singstar icon on your PS3? Seriously? I do want the option to delete it but people are thinking about getting a Xbox because of a Singstar icon on the PS3? Ok fine if you guys want to play extra money every year just to get Xbox Live go ahead

its only the same price as a plus subscription, £40 a year really isnt alot…

sony, get this crappy game of my ps3, why are you forcing this on us, just put it in the playstation store for free so people can decide for themselves wether they want to download it or not

Your joking right? £40 a year is better for PS Plus because it’s not forcing you to pay to go online, it’s a subscription that gives you games every month. Fair enough you only get to play the games as long as your membership lasts but paying £40 pound a year just to go online when on Wii and PS3 it is is completely free is just stupid. Really just because there’s a icon on the PS3 that can’t be removed, some people might buy a Xbox and pay a extra £40 a year because of it?

Still no response.

have been told they have a legal obligation to add a remove option for this.

@ryannumber3gamer

ive already got an xbox and paying £40 to play online doesnt bother me in the slightest, sorry if that makes me ‘stupid’…
i guess its completely (CENSORED) to pay £90 a year just to play world of warcraft… thats just 1 game!.!.!.

just because going online is free on ps3 and wii, certainly doesnt make them better, i dont understand the logic behind that

Could we please get an option to remove this? I don’t want to continue the flamewar but I mostly play games like Dead Space or Mass Effect and I simply have no use of it at all (please don’t ask me to try it, I’ve seen it at my friends and I don’t like it at all).
It’s not something incredibly terrible but those colorful, happy people are my daily annoyance like a fluffy pink britney spears single sticked in giant metallica collection…
If most of people like it or use it – ok, fine by me. Since this is semething for free – even better. But for those few of us who really have no use of it or simply don’t want it – would it be that hard to give us an option? Can even stay up by default with 10 other games I don’t like. I am willing to dig through some menus to disable it, but just pretty please – give me a choice.

another week passed and no progress?
not even another acknowledgment?

I’ve stopped my auto plus renewal now too. I don’t feel I’ll be missing much as almost all the games offered Ive already played and I wont be purchasing anymore psn content, Most of it’s overpriced anyway but I’m glad I never payed for any themes.
This is despicable way to treat customers. Such a ridiculously easy quick thing to fix and make Everybody happy. I’d be happy to wait for next firmware update if that’s whats necessary but to be left seemingly ignored with no idea… apparently they don’t consider customers worthy of an official response.

Maybe they’re holding fix back as an xmas present? Confused:

As i posted before, i’ve removed my billing details and switched off automatic billing. I’m actually enjoying playing secondhand games so Sony doesn’t get a penny.

I’ve also cancelled my Playstation Plus renew.

& still no response.

OK, now I’m confused…

…I received an email this morning from SCEE inviting me to download and exclusive ‘Wonderbook:Book of Spells’ theme for my console.

Maybe somebody from Sony could answer why I recieved this email giving me a choice on whether I wanted something installed on my system or not.

I would have thought it more in line with current Sony marketing that this theme should have been forced upon all of our systems whether we wanted it or not and give us no way to delete it.

Or maybe someone in SCEE has actually taken notice of the majority and made this an optional download – if that is the case would that person please arrange a meeting with the person who though removing our right to choose was a good idea and give him some lessons in customer retention?

Please Sony remove the singstar icon from my console , its insulting me.
I wouldnt want to play it even if it was really for free, i hate the wallpaper which im now forced to see on my console.

If everything you listen to is money at least give me the option to pay so i can remove the singstar icon from my console , yes i hate it so much im willing to pay you for that.

Oh & while you’re @ it put trophies back under games & also remove singstar 0% that has magically appeared in my trophy list. The simplest things mean the most sony.

@ kieranmarsh

No your not stupid, no one is stupid for liking Xbox and paying a extra £40 for Xbox Live is fine if it’s for a good reason like if you like the internet on it better but i’m saying it’s stupid to pay a extra £40 a year just because of a icon on the PS3.

Sony – Founded in Japan in 1946 by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita. Founded in a country who’s roots are loyalty, respect and honour.

Sony (2012) – One of the most disloyal, disrespectful and dishonourable companies that exist.

Sony, what happened to you?

Silence

Fony.don’t.believe

How do you feel bout the Singstar XMB icon?
It is great and is perfectly placed on the XMB 2% (44)
It is a good addition but I would prefer it to be under “Music” 5% (92)
I would like the option to move the icon to my game folders 4% (76)
I would like the option to disable the icon 33% (643)
It should not be on the XMB at all 56% (1094)
Total votes: 1949

Take a look sony, think about it, see a trend

Still no official response from Sony, I see. I e-mailed customer services 4 days ago and not even got a response from them. Can’t believe they are ignoring such a huge outcry. That in itself is a real slap in the face – for me the issue has gone beyond the annoying icon itself and become more about how Sony treats their customers. I love my PS3 to bits but this treatment has definitely opened my mind up to considering the alternatives for next -gen.

Ok, I’m actually that motivated that I went ahead and created a Facebook page – my first one ever

https://www.facebook.com/RemoveSingstarFromThePs3Xmb

If we can get enough Likes and Shares, maybe it will be a further prod for Sony to sit up and take notice, so please Like and Share with those you think will be interested.

Thanks all for keeping the pressure up

SingStar ARE involved in this. Check out this interview:

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/going-free-sony-s-singstar-gamble/0105448

It has quotes such as:

 “It is a logical next step for us,” SingStar senior producer Chris Bruce tells MCV”
 “It is a bit of an unknown. Obviously we on SingStar haven’t done this kind of thing before.”
“We are very excited and confident. The latest version of the PS3 has just launched, so it is a great time for SingStar to be there on the European Cross Media Bar.”

This next quote is unbelievable:

“If you do a simple search on Twitter for SingStar, what you see is people talking about it,”

Chris Bruce, see what people are saying on here!

@ Dragomyrr

I haven’t got a Facebook account, but please feel free to put my psn id into the “Get SingStar off my XMB” pile.

@SK4SF

The interview just goes to show how far out of touch Fony are with their customers. Fred and co lied when they said all the comments on this forum are noticed.

Fony.Don’t.believe

@ Dragomyrr

at least for the german support you get an auto reply with a tracking link where you can check if the support simply closed your request. You can send a link to your email for password generation for your login (it’s not your psn account).

@ all

I think I have recognized the software behind the support email. There are a lot of counters in the background to check if you get a quick answer – or more important for the counters – a quick closed status. It is used for some quality check on happy customers. But if you are annoyed about the Singstar icon:

Keep sending emails to the support and make sure your requests are not closed!!!

This will create decent statistics about unhappy customers.

I am a very calm and patient person but my anger grows by the minute.

As I said before, it’s not the icon itself why I am angry, it’s the statement it stands for.

Come on guys, let’s face it, Sony moved on. They don’t care.
We are not the majority. I mean, how many customers has Sony? 1.000.000 + x? How many people are posting here? 500-600? Do the maths. (don’t be fooled by the postcount – I posted here 5 times)

i have been supporting sony ps3 since 2008 and buying multiple games each month , i think i deserve a fair treatment even if there may be more singstar fans , but do they spend as much money in favor of ps3 as well ?

if the singstar IP is so desperate that it needs to be forced upon people because nobody wants it, ok im willing to donate money for it , just give me the option to delete that icon+wallpaper in return

So this Chris Bruce is either seriously deluded on the popularity of singstar or is trying to spin the truth. First thing I did when it first appeared was a twitter search, almost all comments were along the lines of “what the.. I didn’t dl this, I don’t play or want singstar, why can’t I remove it?” As many of us knew “this is the next logical step” shows that there will be further additions of pointless demos locked to the xmb. Well dome Sony, you’ve lost the next gen war before its even started!

3 days on from my email to help@uk.playstation.com and no response despite the automated message informing me that it would be answered within 24 hours. So, another one sent today:
____________

It is now 72 hours on from my initial email and I am yet to hear anything.

It does give the impression that you are burying your heads in the sand over the Singstar icon and hoping it will all go away.

Please answer my initial query or my next email will include Trading Standards and the media in the CC line.

Also told family & friends not to buy me ps3 games this xmas.
Most releases of interest are apparently very buggy or disappointing. Leaves only 1-2 I might have asked for but I already have plenty games still to get through eventually anyway.
The price of neglecting and turning off your customers, Ive lost interest with continuing business with sony.

imo saying you will not buy any games isnt a good way to prove your point , because if you say so and do it you disqualify yourself from a loyal customer status , i will still support sony even if they keep the icon because i already created a new sinstar-less account to get rid o it , yet im still here to keep the feedback going because im disapointed by that addition like most people here, i just wish more people would be here to keep the discussion going as it is slowly dying , that makes the impression people accepted it

& still no response. Damaging your image sony.

& still no response. Keep it up sony it’s your reputation that’s suffering.

Another day and more silence from Fony.

Rumoured to be released in the State later on today. Lets see how they do that.

Get your damn spam off my XMB.

Dear Nina,
Please tell me this is coming to the USA as well? I love singstar but I hate having to use the discs. (Especially when I take my PS3 to a friend’s house only to realize I forgot the disc at home!)
I have bought hundreds of songs so this would make me really happy!

Am I missing something? Why are people complaining about this?
People really are stupid sometimes. But if it makes them happy, why not make Singstar optional?
I guess these are the same dummies who would prefer to see ads on X-Box live.
Looking over the posts I’ve seen a hand full of sensible requests buried by constant whining from brats.

@saintaqua

I’d like to ask you a question. Lets assume you have some children age 10-14 who like to play Singstar. And Sony installs an app so that they would see a full screen picture of “Dishonored” every time they start the ps3. What would you do?

Apparently blog post comments get locked after 30 days, so we’ll need to continue this elsewhere if we want to carry on voicing our displeasure with the enforced icon, which I fully intend to do.

Just a reminder to everyone that I’ve started a Facebook page about this very issue – https://www.facebook.com/RemoveSingstarFromThePs3Xmb

It’s intended to be a one stop shop for info, articles and links to good places to kick up a fuss about the icon.

If we can get enough Likes and Shares it may be enough to get Sony to sit up and take notice a bit more, so please give a Like and share with anyone you think may be interested.

Thanks!

@saintaqua – People are complaining because they don’t like Singstar, as a brand, concept or game, and they don’t like having an enforced icon and wallpaper for a brand that they dislike and don’t identify with in such a prominent location.

Some people love Singstar and the X-Factor imagery it presents (whether genuinely or ironically), and some people abhor it. And that’s totally cool – the world would be a lot less interesting if we were all the same, right?

However, we who don’t like that sort of thing and are uncomfortable being associated with it are simply asking for the option to move/hide/remove it – if there was such an option, no-one would have any reason to be annoyed and this whole thing would have gone away in a puff of smoke rather almost 30 pages of complaints on just this blog (there are plenty of other threads too).

Finally, people are also annoyed at Nina Scherer’s handling of our complaints and her flippant and inflammatory responses, as an employee of Sony towards Sony paying customers, and the lack of updates and interaction from Sony with the many customers who are unhappy about the icon and are asking for options.

Hope that clears things up for you

Well Well Well SCEE – The USA Have Now got Singstar Digital But Have They Got The Unremovable Spam Icon On There XMB ? NO

They Singstar App is on The Store to Download !!

Sort this Out !