**HEADLINE: SONY’S PS PLUS HIKE: THE 2011 “WELCOME BACK” BETRAYAL 2.0**

HEADLINE: SONY’S PS PLUS HIKE: THE 2011 “WELCOME BACK” BETRAYAL 2.0

In a move that has gamers comparing CEO Jim Ryan to a digital Nero, Sony has raised PlayStation Plus prices by up to 35%. But the most viral comparison? This is the PSN Hack of 2011—but in reverse.

“In 2011, Sony spent $171 million on the ‘Welcome Back’ program to apologize for a total network collapse. Now, they’re charging us 35% more for a service that still has server maintenance,” tweeted lore-keeper @RetroArchAngel. “They literally learned nothing. It’s the V for Vendetta of corporate amnesia.”

Historical parallels are flooding Reddit. One post draws a line to Atari’s 1983 crash: “Sony is overvaluing a subscription like Atari overvalued E.T. cartridges. The difference? At least Atari buried their mistakes in a desert. Sony just buried ours in a monthly fee.”

The iconic Cartmanland episode of South Park is also trending: “Kenny dies because the WGA strike means no new episodes? No—Kenny dies because his dad can’t afford PS Plus Premium.”

With the price hike, many are calling this the “Boston Tea Party” of digital fandoms, urging a mass cancellation. But as one user quipped: “Remember, in 1773, they threw actual tea into the harbor. Here, I’m just refusing to buy virtual swords in Fortnite. We’re not the same.”

Sony has yet to comment on the historical irony.