A PlayStation fan shares a 20-year-old letter from Sony’s customer service, sparking nostalgia in the community.
Let's be honest – back in the early days of our gaming journey, we were all frustrated about not being able to play the exciting games everyone was talking about. Buying Paysafe cards to get Dead Space on Steam or Microsoft Points to finally own that Call of Duty game you always wanted. There was nothing the author wouldn't do to get that game.
But did you ever consider another option? Not asking your parents – asking the developers themselves. Thanks to a recently rediscovered letter, we found out what that would have led to. Here's everything you need to know about this nostalgic story.
A Child's Plea to Sony
Reddit user kylez_bad_caverns recently shared a 20-year-old letter from Sony's customer service. In 2004, as an eight-year-old, he had written to Sony, expressing his desire for an E-rated version of Prince of Persia. His parents' adherence to age-appropriate gaming content meant he couldn't play the T-rated game.
Letter from Sony by u/kylez_bad_caverns in playstation
Sony's response, dated May 20, 2004, was a standard acknowledgment, stating that they couldn’t fulfill his request. Interestingly, the letter contained templated language, including phrases like 'As much as SCEA would like to fulfill your donation request,' which by today’s standards would be called out for lazy AI usage.
Community Reactions and Reflections
The resurfaced letter sparked considerable attention, receiving more than 6,000 upvotes on Reddit, where many users shared fond memories of their childhood gaming experiences. Some highlighted the generic nature of corporate responses, noting the incongruity of the templated language used. Others praised the young fan's initiative and the strict yet caring approach of his parents. kylez_bad_caverns later shared that he eventually played The Sands of Time as an adult, finding it less impressive without the lens of nostalgia.
This story really highlights how far young gamers would go to follow their passions, while also showing how impersonal corporate responses can be. It also made us wonder if Sony created templated responses stating they don't make kid-friendly remakes of adult games after this incident.
What are your thoughts on this nostalgic exchange? What were your tricks back in the day to play those forbidden games? Share your experiences in the comments!