A lot of attention is currently being placed on the recently releasedMindsEye, with the Build a Rocket Boy title releasing on June 10 across Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and Windows. The widespread discussion around the game is not the kind that the studio would have been hoping for, however, with the unpolished state of the title’s launch leading to a massive amount of criticism from players.
The release ofMindsEyeis already drawing comparisons to other high-profile titles that have had infamously problematic launches, with this negative attention recently culminating in Sony offering refunds to players who have purchased the game on PlayStation 5. This placesMindsEyein an extremely exclusive club that no studio wants to be a part of, with only a select few titles in recent history ever receiving this same refund policy, with even fewer games issuing refunds for the same reasons asMindsEye.
Sony’s Recent MindsEye Refund Policy is Only Reserved For Exceptional Circumstances
WhileCyberpunk 2077has gone on to repair its reputationquite impressively, the launch of the game was one of the most controversial the industry has seen, with its own myriad of glitches and performance issues leading to Sony issuing blanket refunds for the game in late 2020. The reasoning behind this form of refund policy is essentially identical to whatMindsEyeis now going through, with only a few other games facing similar refund approaches for a variety of other reasons.
Only a Few Other Titles Have Necessitated PlayStation Refunds
Of course, the short-lived PlayStation exclusiveConcordwas the recipient of a massive refund policy in September 2024, with the multiplayer project going offline roughly only two weeks after its launch. While theConcorddebacle led to widespread refunds, the entire life cycle of the game was completely unprecedented, with the refunds stemming from its essentially immediate cancellation as opposed to the kinds of early performance issues thatMindsEyeandCyberpunk 2077faced.
It is estimated thatConcordcost Sony anywhere between $200 million and $400 million across its entire development cycle, making its swift cancellation a completely unprecedented move within the gaming industry.
It is true that other recent titles likeBleach Rebirth of Soulshave also led to Sony issuing refunds on request due to technical issues, but no other title comes as close to the widespread performance-related dissatisfaction that the likes ofCyberpunk 2077andMindsEye’s launches have caused. Sadly, it seems like a much more difficult task forMindsEyeto repair its reputation through post-launch updates in the same way2077has over the years, yetBuild a Rocket Boyhas already outlined a plan for urgent updates to the title, hopefully allowing it to somewhat mend the criticism that has surrounded it since its launch on June 10.
