Sony recently updated its PlayStation Store policy to allow refunds for preordered games. This new policy is similar to ones already in place for existing PC title stores, including Epic and Steam. However, this hasn't always been the case with Sony.

Sony continues to update its business model, perhaps in preparation for the next generation of consoles. The PlayStation 4 will celebrate its sixth anniversary this year, meaning that the console is close to the end of its life cycle. Speculation has already started about the PlayStation 5, with analysts believing that Sony will announce it this year with an intended release date of 2020. Word has already spread about how most think the next unit will have backward compatibility, something that PlayStation's competitor, the Xbox One, already has. But before that console releases, the company seems to understand that it must make a few other small changes to the way it does business to stay on top of the console market.

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GamesIndustry.biz revealed that Sony recently changed its refund policy to allow players to request refunds on digital pre-orders of titles before the game's release. However, this new policy will also include refunds on games after release for up to 14 days after purchase, as long as the game isn't downloaded or streamed. Although Epic and Steam do something similar, Sony will not join those companies in offering refunds on games downloaded and played for two hours or less.

PS4 console and controller

Sony came under fire last year in Europe after claims were made that its refund policies did not adhere to legislation. This new policy update should bring the company into compliance with those laws, as well as set the stage for Sony's PlayStation business moving forward. Sony also recently began pulling digital download codes from physical stores, perhaps to keep more profit from future games in-house. This was probably a smart move, considering that analysts recently suggested that games will be 100 percent digital by 2022.

With developers already working on games for the PlayStation 5, Sony will continue to make small updates to their business model so that its new console will be a solid competitor in today's video gaming market. The company seems to have opened up about honoring refunds, even going so far as to provide refunds to players who had issues with the recent release of Anthem on the PlayStation 4. PlayStation has established a feeling of trust with players, and it needs to continue to do so to keep players happy as it moves into its next chapter.

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Source: GamesIndustry.biz