Less than a month after making their controversial decision official, Sony Interactive Entertainment has decided to backtrack on closing down the digital storefronts for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita consoles.
Sony Backtracks on Controversial Decision Following Fan Backlash
This particular turn of events just goes to show that if fans make enough noise, even manufacturers as big as Sony have no choice but to listen. Because of the ensuing backlash, Sony has decided that they will no longer close down the digital storefronts for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita consoles. In their announcement, Sony Interactive Entertainment President Jim Ryan claims that numerous factors played into the original controversial decision. This includes “commerce support challenges for older devices” and Sony’s ability to focus more of their efforts on their newer devices. Ryan then subtly referred to the massive fan outage. His exact words were “incredibly passionate” as he described the fans who still want to purchase games on their PS3 and PS Vita. Afterward, Ryan confirmed that SIE has had a change of heart. Unfortunately, it’s not all good news. It’s great that gamers will still have access to these classic games on the PS3 and PS Vita going forward. It’s just that the same can’t be said for the PlayStation Portable, which launched in 2004. Despite Sony’s decision to reverse their course for the PS3 and PS Vita digital storefronts, Sony will still proceed with the PlayStation Portable store closure. This comes nearly a decade after Sony decided to drop support for the PSP in 2014.
What’s the Next Move for Sony Interactive Entertainment?
Sony initially confirmed their decision to close the digital storefronts of the PS3, PS Vita, and PSP, back in March 2021. Naturally, this decision was met with a lot of fan backlash. Owners of the affected legacy consoles were rightfully concerned. Specifically, that the closure would mean they would no longer have access to their digital copies or that they could purchase additional content. Later on, Sony assured fans that the former would not happen, clarifying that the closure won’t affect previously purchased content on the legacy consoles. To make matters worse, the decision also came roughly around the same time that fans found out the PlayStation 4 had an internal clock issue. On the other hand, Microsoft seems intent on supporting older titles. Case in point, Microsoft continues to fill the Xbox Game Pass library with classic titles that have since received updates to make them look and play better on newer consoles. Thankfully, with the recent announcement, SIE will have saved its reputation to some extent. However, this is far from enough. As of the moment, SIE is currently under the proverbial microscope. Right now, there are rumors that Sony had shot down the idea of a sequel to the popular zombie shooter, Days Gone. An earlier report even suggests that Sony wanted Bend Studio, the developers of Days Gone, to help out Naughty Dog with an Uncharted game. This would then give Naughty Dog time to work on the rumored PS5 Remake. So far, Sony has yet to clarify or comment on either issue. However, that hasn’t stopped Days Gone Game Director from rallying fan support for a Days Gone sequel just in time for the Days Gone’s PC release. Hopefully, Sony learns a lesson or two about supporting older games from this recent debacle.
