In a surprise announcement, Jim Ryan from Sony Interactive Entertainment posted an update on the official PlayStation Blog regarding the impending PS3 and PS Vita PlayStation Store closure that was expected this August. In the update Ryan stated that Sony had made the wrong decision in closing the store for both platforms and that they would remain live for the “foreseeable future”. Unfortunately, the PSP store is still earmarked for closure in July but it is still a huge victory for PS3 and PS Vita owners everywhere.
What Happened?
Briefly, since the initial statement was made by Sony regarding the PlayStation store closure, there was an unprecedented backlash. Not only were fans angry, but the gaming press and social media have been alight with the story since it broke. Especially the PS Vita community, that has united stronger than ever.
Developers spoke out in frustration about games they were having to cancel. Gamers flocked to the store in their droves to buy digital only games before they were set to be lost forever. And websites were working as hard as possible to provide support and assistance to anyone who needed to know just what was available and the long term implications of what was going to happen.
All Change
But something happened. These voices were being heard by those in charge at Sony. It wasn’t just about losing access to games that we wanted to play any more. There was real concern that many of these digital only releases would be lost forever. This was the first console era that depended on digital downloads for gaming and we were about to see the reality of games disappearing for good.
At the same time, Vita owners especially were taking to social media sharing stories of their recent purchases. It’s no secret that the PS Vita has a high attach rate as a console. It may be a decade old but Vita owners are a loyal breed and these last few weeks that has been evident. No doubt sales have been higher than they have been for quite some time as people have scrambled to get games they have missed out on, and it’s made Sony sit up and take notice. It’s proven that the Vita and PS3 can still make them money.
Can We Relax Now?
Despite this “win”, it’s not time for us to become complacent. Jim Ryan’s exact words regarding the PlayStation Store closure was that they will remain live for the “foreseeable future”. That mean that at some point, the decision to close both could still resurface. Just looking at the PS Vita for a moment, there are still over 1,200 titles available for purchase including the PS Vita, PSOne, PSP and Minis.
In order to keep the stores available, we need to keep buying the games that we want. Not only will this show Sony that they made the right decision and that the PS3 and Vita are still profitable, but it supports developers as well. At the same time, we need to keep talking about the Vita and it’s existing and new releases as they happen. No-one should forget that the Vita still has a vibrant and active community
The Future?
Right now it’s not clear what will happen next. While the PlayStation Store closure has been averted for now, no word has been given as to whether approval will be given for the release of new games. The original cut-off date for submission was due shortly but if this is now extended then we’re likely to see development resume on a number of games. Some developers are even hoping to start on new titles after they have completed current projects.
From our perspective as a fan site, we’re going to continue our work developing our Cross Buy Guide in the eventuality of the store’s long term closure. With reviews we’ll bring you more coverage from the Vita’s extensive library as well as looking at more PSP, PSOne and Minis available from the store as well as highlighting must-have digital exclusive releases continuing our recent series.
We want to make sure we can continue to support Vita owners everywhere with news, guides and reviews for as long as games will be available. As we mentioned before, preserving your collection is also still critical despite the store’s continued existence so if you haven’t already done so make sure you’ve downloaded Content Manager as well to back up your games to your PC.
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