Sony Mass-Bans Russian PlayStation Accounts (pravda.com.ua) 94
Sony has begun mass suspensions of PlayStation accounts linked to Russian users, including those registered in other countries like Turkiye and Kazakhstan, in an effort to crack down on circumvention of regional restrictions like PS Plus access. This move follows Sony's 2022 exit from the Russian market due to the war in Ukraine. Ukrainska Pravda reports: Russians are trying to bypass the blocks and are contacting PlayStation support, but these attempts are to no avail. Users with purchased accounts encounter the most problems -- Sony checks IP addresses for verification. There are already many similar reports. In some cases, accounts with thousands of roubles worth of games purchased have been blocked. Russian media outlets like RT are reporting the news.
And? (Score:5, Informative)
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Sure they could, and then he would have them dig a pit, line them up in front if it and have his troops shoot them in the head just like China or Iran, or Saudi, or anywhere in Africa. Someone would come a few days later with a tractor and push them into the pit and cover it.
You just happen to live in one of the few countries that isn't allowed to happen in or you would already be in the pit.
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Nope. They'd be sent to Urkaine as part of meat assaults. Russia is searching for troops anywhere it can and these type of people would be perfect fodder.
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Here is what I've never understood: if someone is making you dig your own grave at gunpoint, why pick up the shovel?
You're gonna kill me whether I dig a hole or not, so fuck you. Dig it yourself.
Re:And? (Score:4, Funny)
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I understood that reference. But they didn't dig their own graves, the black old-timer singers did.
https://youtu.be/1yd7spgWcFM [youtu.be]
Re: And? (Score:1)
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Maybe Russia's gamers should
Russian gamers — similar to most Russians — won't tell Putin any such thing. Not because they're afraid of Putin et al., but because they're in perfect alignment with Putin: they were bred on Russian propaganda and their heads are filled with the glory of Russia. When Putin took his shirt off and rode around on horse back, they all got moist down there and they're still rubbing themselves thinking about it. The fact that Russia can no longer imagine itself as the world power it once pretende
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Something to keep in mind while you're banging Ukraine's War Drum for them.
Re:And? (Score:4, Informative)
there is no Universe where the attrition math ends in Ukraine's favor.
Weren't they saying the same thing about Afghanistan ?
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Though I'll grant them- if they can hold off defeat long enough for Putin to die, they may end up alright.
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The US withdrew from Afghanistan because it was no longer politically prudent to be there, much like Vietnam.
It's probably the best way a small country can stand up to a large one.
It's not like the US had gone bankrupt, run out of soldiers and materiel, the attrition rate was about 20,000 Taliban per coalition serviceman.
There's no shilling here, but you might actually be legitimately stupid.
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No way Russia can run out of materials, they have lots of Soviet stockpiles (mostly depleted by now)
Russians just love being rounded up and sent to die in Ukraine, they'll never run out of 'volunteers' & North Koreans.
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As for them running out of materiel? I doubt it.
Nobody really knows, and it certainly isn't immediately evident on the battlefield (after all, Ukraine is posting a new video of a 30 year old tank being destroyed every week).
Russia is a shithole, but it's not in danger of going bankrupt yet. Personally, I'd love it if it did- but I feel a bit icky desiring it at the expense of Ukrainian lives.
Re:And? (Score:4, Informative)
Russia has a GDP over 11 times larger than Ukraine.
As for them running out of materiel? I doubt it.
Nobody really knows, and it certainly isn't immediately evident on the battlefield (after all, Ukraine is posting a new video of a 30 year old tank being destroyed every week).
There are detailed OSINT stats available for anyone interested. The Soviet legacy is dwindling far faster than it can be replaced.
As for evident on the battlefield there is quite a bit of footage of donkeys being used for logistics as well as assaults on dirt bikes, scooters and foot.
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Russia is a shithole, but it's not in danger of going bankrupt yet. Personally, I'd love it if it did- but I feel a bit icky desiring it at the expense of Ukrainian lives.
Total bankruptcy is not needed. If Russia's economy tanks enough for Russian citizens to turn against Putin and the war, that's enough to produce a cease-fire. BTW, this is also the greatest weapon that keeps Xi Jinping in check. Dictators have to satisfy the mob economically. Anything that impacts food and jobs is far more problematic than movement at the front lines.
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Europe's economy is quite a bit bigger than Russia's... Russia is at the "pick up the rifle of your fallen comrade" level of supplying its troops. It can limp along a little while longer. It can't for much longer than that. Putin's only hope is Trump surrendering for Ukraine.
Responded to this elsewhere.
Because everything else is already blown up...
Their "new" materiel- I agree entirely.
It's fucking gone. They burnt through it.
What we're debating is whether or not they're out of old Soviet shit.
If everything else were already blown up, then how are we still seeing videos of it on the battlefield?
That's just it- it's not all blown up.
How much is left? Who the fuck knows.
I've seen estimates of 2-3 years worth at current attrition rates. Do we think Ukraine can hold out for another 2-3 years? Maybe. I hope so. I also do
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There are detailed OSINT stats available for anyone interested. The Soviet legacy is dwindling far faster than it can be replaced.
"Henry Boyd, the institute's senior fellow for military capability, said Russia had been roughly "breaking even" in terms of replacements. He estimated that it had put around 1,000 to 1,500 more tanks into service in the past year."
Forgive me if I roll my eyes at your OSINT.
In fact, if we're being flatly honest, OSINT has been almost laughably unreliable- highly susceptible to friendly propaganda.
As for evident on the battlefield there is quite a bit of footage of donkeys being used for logistics as well as assaults on dirt bikes, scooters and foot.
You can steer someone's thoughts quite a bit with a picture. ;)
Ghost of Kyiv flies still!
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"Henry Boyd, the institute's senior fellow for military capability, said Russia had been roughly "breaking even" in terms of replacements. He estimated that it had put around 1,000 to 1,500 more tanks into service in the past year."
Current production is due to ability to refurbish existing stockpiles. Once stockpiles run sufficiently dry new production of tanks especially is wholly insufficient to keep up with current levels of attrition.
Forgive me if I roll my eyes at your OSINT. In fact, if we're being flatly honest, OSINT has been almost laughably unreliable- highly susceptible to friendly propaganda.
I have not even cited any specific OSINT yet you are rolling your eyes and making blanket statements nonetheless.
You can steer someone's thoughts quite a bit with a picture. ;)
Ghost of Kyiv flies still!
There are literally thousands of such pictures from all across the front.
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Current production is due to ability to refurbish existing stockpiles. Once stockpiles run sufficiently dry new production of tanks especially is wholly insufficient to keep up with current levels of attrition.
Says you, or your "OSINT"?
I have not even cited any specific OSINT yet you are rolling your eyes and making blanket statements nonetheless.
Because OSINT in the Ukraine war has an impressively strong history of being flat out bullshit.
There are literally thousands of such pictures from all across the front.
What, the Ghost of Kyiv, or the donkeys?
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Because OSINT in the Ukraine war has an impressively strong history of being flat out bullshit.
What history would that be? I would be most interested in ANY objective data or evidence to support what you are saying.
What, the Ghost of Kyiv, or the donkeys?
Motorcycles, scooters, Chinese ATVs.
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What history would that be? I would be most interested in ANY objective data or evidence to support what you are saying.
No, you wouldn't.
The first that comes to mind- Ghost of Kyiv, and the idea that drones are primarily responsible for knocking out Russian tanks.
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I think ultimately, this is what we all hope for, right? The internal collapse of Putin's dictatorship? It certainly is what I hope for.
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It wasn't attrition that saved Afghanistan from a perpetual US presence. It was US democracy. Something that is sorely lacking in Russia.
I think ZombieCat was referring to Russians in Afghanistan not the Americans.
Though I'll grant them- if they can hold off defeat long enough for Putin to die, they may end up alright.
No side is anywhere near defeat.
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I think ZombieCat was referring to Russians in Afghanistan not the Americans.
That would make a lot more sense.
No side is anywhere near defeat.
Didn't say either side was. But if you stretch timeline to its logical conclusion, it's not good for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy knows this.
Why people are claiming otherwise is beyond me. Like Ukraine is a fucking sports team, and there aren't real fucking people dying there in droves.
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Didn't say either side was.
Holding off defeat implies otherwise. "Though I'll grant them- if they can hold off defeat long enough for Putin to die, they may end up alright."
But if you stretch timeline to its logical conclusion, it's not good for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy knows this.
Why do you say that?
Why people are claiming otherwise is beyond me.
Why are you claiming "it's not good for Ukraine"?
Like Ukraine is a fucking sports team, and there aren't real fucking people dying there in droves.
It's Ukraine's choice to fight nobody else's.
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Holding off defeat implies otherwise. "Though I'll grant them- if they can hold off defeat long enough for Putin to die, they may end up alright."
If you've got a man holding 300lbs of weight above his head with nowhere to go, he has holding off death. It does not imply anything about how close he is to no longer being able to hold that weight.
Why do you say that?
Because he bothers to talk to the dipshit US President in the face of the most outright disrespect I have ever seen directed toward a leader of a sovereign country in my entire life.
Why are you claiming "it's not good for Ukraine"?
Math.
It's Ukraine's choice to fight nobody else's.
Indeed. And they're eager to stop. And yet, certain weird jingoists over here in the West seem to imagine there's no peace unt
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Because he bothers to talk to the dipshit US President in the face of the most outright disrespect I have ever seen directed toward a leader of a sovereign country in my entire life.
What is the relevance?
Math.
What math? What are you referring to?
Indeed. And they're eager to stop.
Everyone save Putler is eager for the war to end. Ukraine is most certainly not eager to give up defending itself.
And yet, certain weird jingoists over here in the West seem to imagine there's no peace until Zelenskyy hoists a flag over Moscow.
Who is saying this?
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What is the relevance?
What? lol.
Are you serious?
When someone tells you to get on your knees and suck their dick, you don't do so unless you actually are running out of cards to play.
What math? What are you referring to?
Quit playing dumb.
Almost 10% of Ukraine's citizens have fled the country. Ukrainian casualties are estimated as high as 60-100k.
They're not maintaining the level of attrition they need to outlast the Russians. Period.
Everyone save Putler is eager for the war to end. Ukraine is most certainly not eager to give up defending itself.
67% or so are willing to give up the territory they've lost and failed to reclaim to join the EU and NATO.
You are entirely disco
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Who said anything about the US? It was the soviet union that got humiliated in Afghanistan, and they had to withdraw. A nuclear power, the soviet union (=russia plus who they colonized) wasn't able to prevail. A much smaller, weaker russia won't be able to conquer Ukraine just because there are 3x as many russians as Ukrainians.
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However, assuming their goal was to keep the Donbas and Crimea? Ya, that's going to happen.
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Europe can prop up Ukraine orders of magnitude longer than North Korea and Iran can prop up Russia.
Only wildcard is America.
China needs the EU way more than it needs Russia. Nobody else matters.
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This will come down to meat for the grinder.
And no matter how high the attrition is on the Russian side, the simple fact of the matter is that they have an 11x larger economy and a 3.8x larger population.
And while the Ukrainians have indeed had times where they were kicking absolute ass, the average isn't so great.
Ukraine will be putting guns into the hands of children long before Russia runs out of prisoners (of both the gulag and North Korean c
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Russia is at the "pick up the rifle of your fallen comrade" level of supplying its troops. It can limp along a little while longer. It can't for much longer than that.
Putin's only hope is Trump surrendering for Ukraine.
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Don't underestimate the power of 60 million fighting age men with 30 million rifles.
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And yet Russia has barely advanced the last couple years, completely stalled out.
I mentioned attrition.
If you've got a stalemate, but one side has less resources, the side with the resources that can last longer wins.
It's not clear that Ukraine is that party.
Why hasn't Putin called up those 60 million extra troops? Will the 30 million rifles be pointing in the wrong direction?
Because while he is a piece of shit dictator, he's anything but stupid.
Absolutely they'll be pointed in the wrong direction.
Keep calling them up slowly and burn through the Ukrainians is the winning strategy here.
Even Zelenskyy knows there's no winning in the long run. That's why he has signaled a willingness to negotiate.
I d
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I hope your dreams come true, I really do.
Re: (Score:1, Insightful)
I understand the righteous outrage, but is there a lot of difference between the average ruzzkie who voted for putin because he "returned Crimea to the homeland" and the average Amurikhan who chose trump who wants to "return" to the "homeland" pieces of Panama and Greenland?
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lol, the 'murrikan butthurt is so much like the butthurt of a ruzzkie when you ask them why they kept electing putin back when elections mattered.
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lol, the 'murrikan butthurt is so much like the butthurt of a ruzzkie when you ask them why they kept electing putin back when elections mattered.
America elected trump. I doubt russia has ever "elected" putin.
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It has, about 3 times in 2000, 2004, 2008, when his avatar stood instead of him. The first truly massive falsifications happened in 2012. The real crushing the opposition also began in earnest around 2012.
Re: And? (Score:1)
"Sony checks IP addresses for verification" (Score:2)
VPNs can only work by VPN having servers available in target countries, like the US or in Europe.
Countries should simply block Russian IPs, thereby preventing VPN access in the process.
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I Say... (Score:1)
I say, Good!
I say, they should have done it much sooner.
I say, the source of this article is a Ukrainian propaganda site and that you shouldn't give it much credence.
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It's a Ukrainian News Organization that calls itself "truth". As you can imagine, it's about as straight shooting as pravda.ru.
Parent is correct, and you are a moron.
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Should we see who he was quoting?
If Ukrainska Pravda wrote an article, it's because they figured it had a possible Pro-Ukrainian slant, just as it can be assured that Pravda.ru articles will have a pro-Russian slant.
Grandparent is right, and you're still a moron.
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The actual source is this shit. [t.me]
I wonder if you're even capable of feeling as stupid as you look.
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Second, I don't doubt the news one bit. After all- Sony exited the market back in 2022.
The OP's point that this comes from a Ukrainian propaganda site is valid.
The propaganda has been widely regurgitated word-for-word.
The propaganda is also likely true.
None of these are in conflict.
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Even US propaganda (VoA) tends to be true.
Being I'm the only one in this conversation who seems to think that propaganda should be avoided where possible, regardless of the factual basis it may ride upon, you claiming my brain is propaganda riddled is the most 1984 shit ever.
Big Brother loves you, for sure.
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Ukrainska Pravda is not RT, and is not the Russian site Pravda.
It's a Ukrainian News Organization that calls itself "truth". As you can imagine, it's about as straight shooting as pravda.ru.
This is incorrect, the two are nothing alike.
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Historically, they come from very different places- I'll grant you that.
However, both are now in the business of trying to lie as much as possible without lying, to make themselves seem like the good guys.
UP systematically skips publications that shed any kind of severely negative light on Ukrainian military activities.
The western world eats that right the fuck up right now. Talking about the fascist problems within certain Ukrainian circles, or the atrocities that international aid organ
I don't like this (Score:4, Funny)
Sony doing something I approve of is very disturbing...
Sony, say goodbye to the Chinese market (Score:1)
Everyone in China have been watching all these sanctions applied to Russia, well aware that one day, the same and worse will be done to them.
Hence the Chinese have been building their own version of everything that used to rely on other countries, most recently being their own PC OS, and the most notably their own chips.
I guess we will be seeing their own gaming console in the next few years, and then Sony can say goodbye to the Chinese market.
Re: Sony, say goodbye to the Chinese market (Score:3)
This is a silly conclusion. A walled garden is the last thing they want in many areas. Instead they want their artistic works to be competitive international. Overall the gaming market in China is low value. They sell ripped games on Taobao and knockoff emulators of many old consoles. They have a few titles that are first class and they want those to sell overseas because they can be sold for 6 to 8x the market value price in China.
China isn't worried you are going to take their vidya games...
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Re:Sony, say goodbye to the Chinese market (Score:4, Insightful)
Chinese CPUs are fucking lightyears away from Western parts.
Their OS is a pile of shit- try it, though I bet the one that is a Ubuntu fork is decent, if you don't mind the fact that it's likely rooted to all fuck.
China will definitely have its own game console running on all domestic parts. And it will fucking suck.
They will also have one that kicks ass, but it'll be running Intel or AMD parts with RAM manufactured in Korea, and software that was 99% written everywhere except for China.
It's not even that the Chinese aren't capable engineers. They are. Get them out of that country, and they're brilliant. There's just too much fucking corruption in anything that touches so many of its citizens, and a quasi-communist culture of swindling, cutting corners, and copying rather than innovating.
It's tragic, really.
So ya, it will suck for Sony to lose the Chinese market- but it'll suck for the Chinese even more.
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It's not even that the Chinese aren't capable engineers. They are.
Nah. They're barely competent as copycats. It's why the only way China "competes" on the international market is corporate espionage and IP theft.
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Chinese Americans are great contributors to US science.
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"their own gaming console"
A chinese gaming console that is a PC is nothing new...
If they can actually produce exclusive games and hardware worth playing on is something else, but then there is the issue of piracy.
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I do love the part about Al-Jolani though.
On one hand, murdering civilians bad... but on the other.... murdering civilians.... good? As long as the revolutionary who's going to topple the murderer has former ties to Al Qaeda?
You're the fucking problem. Just as political as everyone else, you've just got a different set of innocents you're ok with dying.
Re: (Score:2)
or the militarily occupation of eastern Syria and intentionally bringing Al-Qaeda terrorist Al-Jolani into power?
Also, nowhere did the post you replied to say that they were ok with any group of innocents dying.
There are 2 terms in their sentence.
They're the one that put Gaza and Syria on the same level.
That's a 'Non Sequitur' fallacy right there, with an added sprinkle of 'Appeal to Emotion' fallacy to top it off.
No, it sure the fuck isn't.
It's basic English.
I'll grant you it's perfectly possible that the poster wasn't terribly proficient in English, and didn't mean to make the comparison.
As for you- your stupidity is, I suspect, irredeemable.
Hmmm... I don't know... (Score:1)
Cutting off all connection points with the Russian population seems like a good way to make bridges more difficult to build in the future. I wonder if turning a blind eye to this wouldn't be a good strategy in the long term.
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They are accomplices. Not victims.
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Sure. That's why their government "disappears" people. Because they're all happy participants in whatever the government wants.
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Would you have supported Western companies selling entertainment products to the population of nazi Germany just to avoid burning bridges? Lol.
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Do I think that every German during the war was a Nazi? No. Nor do I think that every Russian supports Putin. Leaders come and go.
Fuck russia (Score:2)
russians should focus on stopping their unprovoked, criminal, fucking war against Ukraine, instead of enjoying the spoils of the Western world they publicly despise but privately idolize and yearn for. They should grow a pair and overthrow their 21. century Hitler.
So clever (Score:2)
What I see lately on here is loads of political commentators, keyboard warriors and social stuties graduates flaunting their "knowledge" of political situation around the world. I wonder what your mums and dads say about your constant internet use?
Back to topic at hand.
If Sony decided to flat out ban US gamers - who I assume paid for some subscription - we'd be seeing class action lawsuits left, right and center. What gives Sony the right to punish gamers for their presidents actions? From what I can see, i