No More Digitally Purchased PS3, PSP, or Vita Games After July

[Baul]

This is just how it goes. Providing a digital store front for consoles that are going obsolete makes no sense from a business perspective. If the demand was high enough they would continue to support it but clearly not enough people are buying digital copies of games on those platforms.

THIS. 

IDK to be honest. There must be a market for it considering how MS have been chasing backwards compatibility on Xbox. Supporting Original Xbox, 360 and IIRC XBONE games on the Series X.

When they shut down the stores. There's going to be a good few hundred digital only games that are going to completely vanish. Sony didn't even give the developers/publishers of these games any heads up that their work was about to be pulled down forever.

I don't see why they aren't putting any work into having backwards compatibility support on the PS5. I can maybe see why they won't do the PS3 because of it's wacky processor achitecture but if RPCS3 is possible then sony can develop a similar solution. But the PS5 is more than capable of handling PSP/Vita/PS2/PS1 games.

I mean just look at how they dropped the Vita. It wasn't out for all that long before sony abandonned official support and titles for it.

And again, that quote from Jim Ryan doesn't suggest that they're doing it because of obsolescence. It just seems like a way to force people towards buying new games. (That have started to be bumped up to £70 for some arbitrary reason. Just look at Godfall and the new ratchet game).

I feel like this is just an excuse for them to push people into buying new, full priced games rather than older games that they can't get away with charging full price for.

Note that corps like this often cry about piracy. As they're taking away options and ways to play the games that people are pirating.

Jim Ryan whined about "Why do people want to play old games" when a good amount of games released on previous gen were remasters of older games. I mean one of the launch titles was Demon's Souls Remake. A remake of a PS3 launch title from 2009.

One last angle: Game Preservation. Shutting off these stores and not making the games that were exclusive to them means that, if it weren't for piracy and scene groups, then a majority, if not all of those games would likely be gone forever. We've already had this precident set with DarkSpore a single player always online game that shutdown and can't be played again, for no good reason.

I agree with Jim Sterling in this case. I think this move is an absolute garbage one. I love playstation, but this move is not a good one. Especially not for the consumer. Like I said a few posts up, I absolutely support pirating these games considering that Sony apparently doesn't value them anymore. As far as I'm concerned they're abandonware and thus completely ethical to source via the seven seas, until Sony decides to support these games.



/rant

I'm just passionate about stuff like this. I really don't think it's a good move to just completely pull the stores without SOME kind of support for the games that will be lost. If Sony supported more backwards compatibility than just the PS4 then fine. Pull the PS3/Vita/PSP stores. But for as long as there isn't any backwards compatibility for those games, I don't support this move. To me it's a bit of a greedy move.

[Ash 'Kaosu' Symonds]

MVG did a great video on how to preserve and backup your vita games if anyone is interested. I have already seen some vita gmes start to climb up in price. The neptunia games is an example 

[Emotive]

This is just how it goes. Providing a digital store front for consoles that are going obsolete makes no sense from a business perspective. If the demand was high enough they would continue to support it but clearly not enough people are buying digital copies of games on those platforms.

THIS.

IDK to be honest. There must be a market for it considering how MS have been chasing backwards compatibility on Xbox. Supporting Original Xbox, 360 and IIRC XBONE games on the Series X.

When they shut down the stores. There's going to be a good few hundred digital only games that are going to completely vanish. Sony didn't even give the developers/publishers of these games any heads up that their work was about to be pulled down forever.

I don't see why they aren't putting any work into having backwards compatibility support on the PS5. I can maybe see why they won't do the PS3 because of it's wacky processor achitecture but if RPCS3 is possible then sony can develop a similar solution. But the PS5 is more than capable of handling PSP/Vita/PS2/PS1 games.

I mean just look at how they dropped the Vita. It wasn't out for all that long before sony abandonned official support and titles for it.

And again, that quote from Jim Ryan doesn't suggest that they're doing it because of obsolescence. It just seems like a way to force people towards buying new games. (That have started to be bumped up to £70 for some arbitrary reason. Just look at Godfall and the new ratchet game).

I feel like this is just an excuse for them to push people into buying new, full priced games rather than older games that they can't get away with charging full price for.

Note that corps like this often cry about piracy. As they're taking away options and ways to play the games that people are pirating.

Jim Ryan whined about "Why do people want to play old games" when a good amount of games released on previous gen were remasters of older games. I mean one of the launch titles was Demon's Souls Remake. A remake of a PS3 launch title from 2009.

One last angle: Game Preservation. Shutting off these stores and not making the games that were exclusive to them means that, if it weren't for piracy and scene groups, then a majority, if not all of those games would likely be gone forever. We've already had this precident set with DarkSpore a single player always online game that shutdown and can't be played again, for no good reason.

I agree with Jim Sterling in this case. I think this move is an absolute garbage one. I love playstation, but this move is not a good one. Especially not for the consumer. Like I said a few posts up, I absolutely support pirating these games considering that Sony apparently doesn't value them anymore. As far as I'm concerned they're abandonware and thus completely ethical to source via the seven seas, until Sony decides to support these games.



/rant

I'm just passionate about stuff like this. I really don't think it's a good move to just completely pull the stores without SOME kind of support for the games that will be lost. If Sony supported more backwards compatibility than just the PS4 then fine. Pull the PS3/Vita/PSP stores. But for as long as there isn't any backwards compatibility for those games, I don't support this move. To me it's a bit of a greedy move.

That's why it feels like a betrayal, because I wasn't pirating games (anymore, I might reconsider though after that) and I was a faithful Sony collector/consumer. So, pirating games might seriously pick up after what is undoubtedly a greedy move on Sony's part. It's frustrating too, I don't have the means to get as much as I'd need to get to buy everything I want to buy from the Vita's or PS3's PS Store before they cut them off. >_< MAYBE enough for 2 games before they axe the digital availability, but still nowhere near enough. Not when there's DLC for those games too. It does make me want to dive into Xbox though. It's salt on the wound to see those games' prices increase too.

[LikkleMel]

I'm surprised the PlayStation store doesn't just merge into one? Have different designs for each console but have it from the same database.

[Baul]

That's why it feels like a betrayal, because I wasn't pirating games (anymore, I might reconsider though after that) and I was a faithful Sony collector/consumer. So, pirating games might seriously pick up after what is undoubtedly a greedy move on Sony's part. It's frustrating too, I don't have the means to get as much as I'd need to get to buy everything I want to buy from the Vita's or PS3's PS Store before they cut them off. >_< MAYBE enough for 2 games before they axe the digital availability, but still nowhere near enough. Not when there's DLC for those games too. It does make me want to dive into Xbox though. It's salt on the wound to see those games' prices increase too.

All I can really say is to just not be loyal to a corp and just buy from whatever seems best at the time. They prove time and time again that they'd rather throw you under the bus for profits than to reward any loyalty. I'll gladly buy anything if the means so do so are there. But if stuff like this gets pulled then I really don't mind donning the ol' eye patch because at this point they're basically pushing us towards doing that by taking away legitimate means of obtaining these games.

Honestly, I wouldn't feel bad about pirating these games that are going to be lost. I mean, you literally have no other choice if you want to play them. This is on Sony for not providing an alternative.

I'll either don the eyepatch or just completely ignore it like I ignore and forget about anything that goes EGS exclusive, something I'm also extremely against. Epic throwing around money to strong arm consumers into their store is a pretty anti consumer move as it just takes away the freedom of choice that is one of the foundations of PC gaming.

[Emotive]

I'm surprised the PlayStation store doesn't just merge into one? Have different designs for each console but have it from the same database.

I would've loved that! There actually was a way to buy things from the PS Store in a browser that brought up all the PS games, PSX, PS2, PS3, PS4, Vita, but they ended that not too long ago too. No doubt they were just working their way towards axing the PS Store for the older consoles/games. >_< I feel like the Bomb bird from Angry Birds. lol

That's why it feels like a betrayal, because I wasn't pirating games (anymore, I might reconsider though after that) and I was a faithful Sony collector/consumer. So, pirating games might seriously pick up after what is undoubtedly a greedy move on Sony's part. It's frustrating too, I don't have the means to get as much as I'd need to get to buy everything I want to buy from the Vita's or PS3's PS Store before they cut them off. >_< MAYBE enough for 2 games before they axe the digital availability, but still nowhere near enough. Not when there's DLC for those games too. It does make me want to dive into Xbox though. It's salt on the wound to see those games' prices increase too.

All I can really say is to just not be loyal to a corp and just buy from whatever seems best at the time. They prove time and time again that they'd rather throw you under the bus for profits than to reward any loyalty. I'll gladly buy anything if the means so do so are there. But if stuff like this gets pulled then I really don't mind donning the ol' eye patch because at this point they're basically pushing us towards doing that by taking away legitimate means of obtaining these games.

Honestly, I wouldn't feel bad about pirating these games that are going to be lost. I mean, you literally have no other choice if you want to play them. This is on Sony for not providing an alternative.

I'll either don the eyepatch or just completely ignore it like I ignore and forget about anything that goes EGS exclusive, something I'm also extremely against. Epic throwing around money to strong arm consumers into their store is a pretty anti consumer move as it just takes away the freedom of choice that is one of the foundations of PC gaming.

Bleh. Definitely an eye-opening revelation. I'm definitely feeling compelled to don an eyepatch myself though after this though.

[Nishizono Shinji]

Pirating from huge AAA publishers is always ok imo. ALWAYS do your best to support small indie Devs but when it comes to companies like Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft, EA and such I have zero qualms about piracy.

[Emotive]

Games come and go, memories are forever.

Sometimes. My memories though don't seem to last too long. I wish they did. Maybe one too many hits to my noggin. It's sad how likely of a reason that is.

[Emotive]

lol That's true. Sometimes I do get surprised by in-game scenes again and again. ^_^

It reminded me though after hopefully getting a decent PS Store gift card soon as a belated birthday present how much DLC for PS4 games can still be tempting to get. I'm planning on getting everything in Dissidia (4th weapons and the DLC characters and the DLC characters' other costumes) which makes me pretty grateful that PlayStation hasn't messed with the PS4 digital purchases.

[Emotive]

Yeah, but I need to wait until mom and dad get paid to get that PS Store card. >_<

[Emotive]

lol Very harsh reality. No wonder I play so many games. xD

[Kai]

They've U-turned the closure of the PS3 and PS Vita stores

[Emotive]

They've U-turned the closure of the PS3 and PS Vita stores

I just now read that and got such a relief from reading that. They do still plan on taking down the PSP stores July 2nd though, so there still won't be any more chances to digitally purchase PSP games via the PS Store, which there's a lot of those in the PS Vita's PS Store, but it's an easier pill to swallow. For those who want to read an article for themselves:

https://www.psu.com/news/ps3-and-ps-vit ... on-july-2/

I guess there were a lot of consumers unhappy with their plans to ditch the PS3 and PS Vita, so at least PlayStation didn't turn a deaf ear to their consumers, but they seemed a little too ready to do it before they got the reaction I doubt they anticipated. So, still unfortunate since there's plenty of PSP games in there I'd love to digitally buy but them changing it to just the removing the PSP digital games from the PS Store is a lot more preferable.

[Ash 'Kaosu' Symonds]

Yeah i seen they reversed that decision for the ps3 and ps vita

[GraceMellody]

Oh wow, wasn’t expecting a reversal given it’s technically two gens out of date now