Closure of Digital Storefronts for PSP/Vita/PS3

Lucky Jack

First time poster here so not sure if this is best for the Retro chat, but mods feel free to move if necessary.

Just spotted that Sony are apparently gearing up to finally terminate the digital storefronts for these three systems - the Tom's Guide article (can't add the link as I'm a new user!) specifically mentions what a pain this will be for retro gamers of the future.

This is a real sickener for me as I only got back into gaming in the midst of the pandemic, and while my gf was good enough to get me a PS4 for my birthday last year, I had plans to go back and purchase these older systems one by one and explore some of the stuff I've missed (also have a DS and Xbox 360, but lost of great stuff is locked to these systems).

What about the rest of you? Have you already had your fun with these systems, or are there games you'll be trying to snap up before the stores close? Are there any digital-only titles for these systems that I and future gamers will never be able to experience now?

Inviere

If companies make it impossible for you to give them your money, that only leaves one other option. The PS3, Vita, and PSP have all been hacked wide open. In the absence of a legitimate option, I'd have no issues pirating a game I can't otherwise purchase.

Most, if not all of the games for these systems have all been archived, they wont be going anywhere any time soon thankfully.

Retr0gamer

Over the last 5 years I've been picking up everything I can on the stores as I knew this was coming. Especially after Nintendo did the same on the Wii.

The Last Bandit

This is always the danger with digital only purchases, the platform owner can pull the plug at any time. It sucks for the consumer, but that's the way the industry has shifted and without significant outcry they'll keep doing it sooner and sooner.

But from the console makers point of view, what is a reasonable (or expected) amount of time to support a store ? 10 years ? 15 years ? 20 ? The Vita is now approaching the 10 year mark, the others release 15 years ago.

Thankfully as Inviere said all 3 have been hacked and are easily modified. The Vita in particular has a great 3rd party store/app with a huge library of Vita/PSP/PS1 games available.

o1s1n

Is the Vita really almost ten years old? Wow! In my mind I still consider that a new console (probably because I still don't own one)

The Last Bandit

Japan release dates

Vita - Dec 2011
PSP - Mar 2005
PS3 - Nov 2006

Lucky Jack

Inviere wrote: »

If companies make it impossible for you to give them your money, that only leaves one other option. The PS3, Vita, and PSP have all been hacked wide open. In the absence of a legitimate option, I'd have no issues pirating a game I can't otherwise purchase.

Most, if not all of the games for these systems have all been archived, they wont be going anywhere any time soon thankfully.

Yeah - though I'll still be interested in picking up physical copies of games for these systems, the expected jump price and the diminishing availability means I'll just have to start learning about emulation etc. Didn't think I'd have to do it this quick though!

The Last Bandit wrote: »

This is always the danger with digital only purchases, the platform owner can pull the plug at any time. It sucks for the consumer, but that's the way the industry has shifted and without significant outcry they'll keep doing it sooner and sooner.

But from the console makers point of view, what is a reasonable (or expected) amount of time to support a store ? 10 years ? 15 years ? 20 ? The Vita is now approaching the 10 year mark, the others release 15 years ago.

Too true, though I think I was naively lulled into a false sense of security when they stopped making the games viewable in the store other than from those systems themselves - I thought that might be a signal that they were happy to maintain availability, but only if you went to the trouble of keeping/sourcing a system.

As for the length of support, I just don't know enough about the economics of it, but when we can still access digital versions of decades old games via the likes of GOG, I don't know why it's difficult for console companies to maintain the same availability? But that's just the old conversation about the video games industry's apparent disdain for preserving its own heritage.

Inviere

Lucky Jack wrote: »

Yeah - though I'll still be interested in picking up physical copies of games for these systems, the expected jump price and the diminishing availability means I'll just have to start learning about emulation etc. Didn't think I'd have to do it this quick though!

If you're into physical hardware, then look into modding your consoles. The entire library of games for these systems is pretty available, if the price of physical games gets too much for you. When it comes to emulation, the PS3 and Vita are better served still by original hardware (the Vita in particular is in its infancy re emulation terms.) The PSP has decent emulation, but there are some issues still to be ironed out.

As for the length of support, I just don't know enough about the economics of it, but when we can still access digital versions of decades old games via the likes of GOG, I don't know why it's difficult for console companies to maintain the same availability? But that's just the old conversation about the video games industry's apparent disdain for preserving its own heritage.

It's a tad different when considering GoG & the PC landscape. The platform hasn't changed all that much over the years, it's all still x86 based. With games consoles, there's considerable work involved in say running a PSP game on a PS4....you're talking about completely different hardware architectures. It could be done, but from a financial standpoint, it's probably not cost effective to continually have to put emulation wrappers around games for each and every console type.

It's just the nature of digital storefronts, for most people they're great because they're so convenient. Most people prob won't care about an 8 year old game in their library that'll be gone. Collectors will, but it's a minority voice. The only hope is console exploits, these allow the continued use of delisted games....and then failing that, there's emulation.

CiDeRmAn

This is the thing, all that money spent on the PS3 electronic store, and now it's just gone.
Physical is always preferable, but more and more often the digital is easy and there might not be a formal physical release.

At least, as Retr0 suggests, with the PS3 system open we can find the stuff we already own but can't download and retrieve them.

Makes me more cautious about spending new game money on titles for the likes of the Stadia, to be sure.

CiDeRmAn

In the meantime, I'll powerup the PS3 and get downloading!

The Last Bandit

You still be able to redownload any you've previously purchased after the stores have closed so its not as bad as the internet would have you believe.


What about content you already own?
• You will still be able to download your owned PS3, PS Vita, and PSP content, including games and video content.
• You can download your owned content onto your PS3, PS Vita, or PSP by accessing the Download List on the respective device.
• If you have purchased a PS3/PS Vita cross-buy bundle and have only downloaded either the PS3 or PS Vita version, you will need to download the other version prior to the closure of PlayStation™Store on the relevant device.
• Video content that you own can be streamed on PS3, PS4 or PS5 through the My Videos app, or on mobile devices through the PlayStation™Video app.
• You will still be able to re-download and play game titles you have claimed through PlayStation®Plus as long as you remain a member of the service.

Wikidy

Are there any must have PS3 games that are not available physically?

Lucky Jack

Wikidy wrote: »

Are there any must have PS3 games that are not available physically?

Just an update, VGC has published a fair bit in the last week about what's going "forever" (i.e. saving emulation) and what's going to get harder to pick up (again, saving emulation): here and here mainly.

CiDeRmAn

So, what should one pick up from the PS3 store, before it's gone forever?

Retr0gamer

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

So, what should one pick up from the PS3 store, before it's gone forever?

The pixeljunk games that aren't on PC.
Super Stardust and expansions.
The Last Guy and expansion.
Tokyo Jungle.
Noby Noby Boy.
The Jo Jo game with all the DLC.
The Folklore DLC (game kind of sucks but it's set in Doolin).
Drakengard 3 DLC (game by the Nier fella. Like Nier, average game, awesome narrative and the DLC chapters add a lot and can't be gotten anywhere else.)
Afrika (not sure if this is even good)
Infamous standalone expansion... I wouldn't bother myself
LocoRoco Cocoreccho!
Spelunker HD and expansion (this is actaully a really neat little game)


Oh and here's a good one I heard.

Remember how Sony were the saviours of gaming from the always online world of Microsoft and the XBox One?

Well when the PS4 servers go down and the battery for the clock in the PS4 dies your console will be a brick.

Lucky Jack

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Well when the PS4 servers go down and the battery for the clock in the PS4 dies your console will be a brick.

Apparently its the battery failure specifically that'll brick it, so even if they kept the servers up until Armageddon you'll still be screwed EVEN FOR YOUR PHYSICAL GAMES!

Inviere

This is the kind of mechanism that will nearly guarantee a homebrew solution at some stage in the future.

Retr0gamer

Inviere wrote: »

This is the kind of mechanism that will nearly guarantee a homebrew solution at some stage in the future.

It's still ****ty and ****ty engineering. I mean my CDi has the same issue except in that case it only affects save RAM.

And also it would mean having to play CDi for it to affect you.

Inviere

Retr0gamer wrote: »

It's still ****ty and ****ty engineering. I mean my CDi has the same issue except in that case it only affects save RAM.

And also it would mean having to play CDi for it to affect you.

Oh I agree, it's face-palm material. Sony and dumb design are bed fellows. I'd be quietly confident of a homebrew solution in time though (if not an actual Sony one by way of firmware update.)

Retr0gamer

sugarman wrote: »

Connecting to the servers is what currently resolves it though.

You'd expect Sony to push a software patch for it in an end of life final update.

I don't see them do it. It costs time and money and they don't need to bother with any of that.

Inviere

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I don't see them do it. It costs time and money and they don't need to bother with any of that.

It would create an incentive for everyone to update their console though. And considering 7.55 has just been pwned, I wouldn't be surprised to see them do it.

Lucky Jack

sugarman wrote: »

As for an incentive to upgrade, some of the biggest markets in the world simply cannot not afford to yet. Most of South America and large parts of Asia are only really winding down from the PS3/360 era and onto the XB1/PS4 now that they've become some what affordable to them.

This. I'd be really interested to know more about how gaming is consumed outside the Western/Japanese markets, and the effects of moves like closing of storefronts, or weaknesses like this in hardware. Seems like rank disregard for those who tend to do their gaming far behind the curve due to questions of cost and availability, as opposed to choice.

Indeed if anyone knows of good sites/resources about gaming culture and the nature of the gaming industry in Latin America, Africa, the Pacific, I'd be really interested in reading more?

Inviere

sugarman wrote: »

Adding a fix towards the end of life will be minimal effort.

Exactly.

As for an incentive to upgrade, some of the biggest markets in the world simply cannot not afford to yet. Most of South America and large parts of Asia are only really winding down from the PS3/360 era and onto the XB1/PS4 now that they've become some what affordable to them.

When I said 'update their consoles', I meant in the face of an official firmware update which resolves the problem....not to actually buy new model consoles. Firmware 7.55 has just been cracked, which is only two versions behind the current live firmware version (8.00 came after 7.55, and now 8.03 is the latest).

Doge

Inviere wrote: »

Oh I agree, it's face-palm material. Sony and dumb design are bed fellows. I'd be quietly confident of a homebrew solution in time though (if not an actual Sony one by way of firmware update.)

Let's not forget Microsoft who only managed to figure out how to put the PSU inside the console this generation! :P

Inviere

Doge wrote: »

Let's not forget Microsoft who only managed to figure out how to put the PSU inside the console this generation! :P

The OG Xbox demands you hand in your A&R Membership, & close the door quietly on the way out.....:o

ShaneU

Sony changed their mind, stores remain open

https://blog.playstation.com/2021/04/19/playstation-store-on-ps3-and-ps-vita-will-continue-operations/

Lucky Jack

ShaneU wrote: »

Sony changed their mind, stores remain open

https://blog.playstation.com/2021/04/19/playstation-store-on-ps3-and-ps-vita-will-continue-operations/

Except for PSP it seems, but certainly a much better situation.

Inviere

ShaneU wrote: »

Sony changed their mind, stores remain open

https://blog.playstation.com/2021/04/19/playstation-store-on-ps3-and-ps-vita-will-continue-operations/

A PR/corporate boo boo fixer obviously stepped in there. There was significant criticism of the decision. That said, they wont keep things permanently open for obsolete consoles, so be interesting to see how long they will run these stores.

CiDeRmAn

Lucky Jack wrote: »

Except for PSP it seems, but certainly a much better situation.

Those things are busted wide wide open, so no real loss there.

Retr0gamer

There should be no celebration here. Sony saw bad PR and made it into good PR and are now trying to make it out like they are the heroes of game preservation. The fact is had Sony done nothing we would be back in the same situation we are in.

The PSP store closing just means the store on PSP devices is closing I believe. It was closed anyway years ago, you couldn't buy anything but could download your games. You'll still be able to buy PSP stuff on a PS3 or Vita.

eddhorse

Agreed they just kicked the can down the road.

Retr0gamer

It's inevitable though. Nintendo killed Wiiware and the virtual console dead. Same will happen to the WiiU and 3DS store soon.

3DS is particularly annoying as DLC has to be bought in game for many games.

I'd love to pick up the Fire Emblem DLC but I'd have to play to a certain mission into the games to pick it up which is stupid.

Thank god for Yarrrrgh old Piracy.

Inviere

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Thank god for Yarrrrgh old Piracy.

When it becomes the only option, then so be it.

CiDeRmAn

It would be remiss of me not to post this, to be fair

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH9MmGV0Fdc