Anthem reportedly shutting off PS4s, Sony issuing refunds
Update: EA investigating issue where game crashes boot players out of game, turn off console entirely
Original story:
A number of Anthem players on PS4 are reporting that game crashes are not merely sending them out of their current session or to the game's main menu, but are sometimes closing the game to the PS4 main menu, or shutting off the console entirely.
Multiple Reddit threads have been posted over the weekend explaining the issue, with a number of users replying to weigh-in and report that the same problem had occurred for them at least once.
Those who have experienced a crash that shut the PS4 off entirely say that when the console was restarted, it gave a message as if it had been shut off incorrectly (such as the power cord being pulled while the console was still running). One user said their system was bricked entirely.
Some users have reported receiving a refund on the game when bringing the issue to Sony's attention, but others in the same thread said they were denied refunds under the same circumstances.
Though the widespread nature of this problem seems to be somewhat new, game crashes and other technical problems such as long loading screens have been a concern in Anthem since its launch, and contributed to the game's lukewarm reception from critics.
Update: EA has acknowledged the issue on its support forums and is asking for affected players to provide more information to help them resolve the problem.
Having said all this, the basis of the story- a reality shifting mechanism,( even though we only see one small evidence of it in gameplay) is full of potential. The mechanism can take the narrative in unexpected directions- something I hope to see more of in later content.
The world and it's richly populated day night cycle is visually and audibly beautiful.
I'm more than happy to wait for a fix.
Interestingly most of the crashes I experienced occurred in the Fort or at transition moments in the game, particularly at the end of missions.
The default "EA is evil" mindset is an unnecessary skewing and escalation of negative reactions. Bioware should be praised for their openness to engage with the gaming community and working hard to deliver all the potential the game has to offer.
I've been playing the game from day one and I'm kinda enjoying it but saying Bioware should be praised for this is delusional. They could have released it in this state as an early-access game and nobody would have complained. That's not the case. Also, it's not particularly interesting that your game crashed during transitions. That's been an issue for as long as online games have been around.