PS3 Returns... Sort Of

This was a 180 today. A few weeks ago, Sony announced the shutdown of the PlayStation 3 store along with the Vita and PSP. If I'm judging it, I wasn't surprised. My thought was around this period of time where it would be shutting down. In a blog from CEO Jim Ryan, they have reversed course. For now, PS3 and Vita stores will still be open. However, the PSP one will be shut in July.

Just because they will stick around for longer, doesn't mean others' worry and a couple of my blogs will be wrong.  It will happen one day. Same with the 360, 3DS, Wii U, what have you. I'm still a little confused about the PSP storefront shutting down. I thought it closed in 2016. Unless I read something wrong, maybe there was something that allowed you to still buy games on its store. Whatever the case, it's a 16 year old system and wouldn't get hurt too much. A very good chunk of its library can by found physically and a number of the digital stuff are games that most will not care much about. Not all, but a decent amount.

The Vita not getting the shaft is a win. Out of the three, this one was what was going to suffer the most due to a huge part of its library being digital only. To go along with the system being a failure, it isn't easy to amass games for it. Of course, that and PS3 have games that garner attention a lot more than PSP from a digital only standpoint. Still, I'd save up a bit to get titles, but not in a panic type of mind now. Look for the ones that are digital only first and keep an eye on prices of physical copies versus the digital ones. Makes a difference in spending six to ten dollars and spending 50 or more.

Enjoy while it lasts.

Tips for PS3, PSP and Vita Digital

This should go without saying, but this topic will have meaning until July 2nd for PlayStation 3 and PSP. Vita on August 27th. If you still like this blog piece after that, feel free to keep clicking as this will apply to other competitors as well. Let's begin.

People are going to want games digitally for PS3, PSP, and Vita. I got a few tips on what to do. 

1. Look for digital only first. I'm not saying you should ignore the physical stuff that were also digital first, but the ones that were digital only should be looked into. These are what you lose for good when a store shuts down. Getting stuff like a Life is Strange and House of the Dead 4 should be a priority. Find what you may like and get it while you can. 

2. Go digital if a physical copy is impossible or expensive. This will apply to PS1 and PS2 games digitally as well. It would be easier to get Silent Hill on PSN because it's not a 70 dollar game. For six dollars, hell yeah. You can easily get into some Turbografx stuff due to it flopping back in the 90s and games not being easy to find for both availability and price. Even some of the Sega stuff can be easily gotten like Sonic CD and Nights into Dreams. For PS3, PSP, and Vita, keep eye on where the prices are for physical releases. It's up to you to determine whether or not you go the physical or digital route for a specific game.

3. Is DLC and online relevant to a game? If it's stuff like costumes and microtransactions, I would hold on to your cash. If you think it's a priority to get additional content such as extra levels, side games, that's what I would focus on. Be weary of online as both PS3 and Xbox 360 have been shutting down servers of games and will continue to do so. Buy at your own risk, especially for stuff like this.

4. Use the Search feature. There is a misconception that games are deleted off of PS1 Classics and other sections. While true in some cases, people do not want to search. When using that feature, you can look for the game that was supposedly deleted. Don't assume quickly a game was taken off.

If you think there's other tips that should be said about shopping digitally for PS3, PSP, and Vita, leave a comment. Making the experience easier and smoother should be something we should aim for. 

Supposed PS Store Shutdown

I've never heard of this website called TheGamer. Looking at responses of people who asked about their credibility, it seems like they don't. A lot of clickbait from the sounds of it, and this one might be like that, but I'm not sure. An unnamed source talked to the site and said Sony is looking to shut down their PlayStation Stores on PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, and PlayStation Vita. PS3 and PSP supposedly in July and Vita in August. It's not the first to be like that. Nintendo shut down their DS store in 2017 and the Wii Shop Channel two years later.

A lot of people are upset. Unfortunately, a lot are taking it as if it is fact without knowing there isn't any source or the clickbait nature of TheGamer. There is reason for concern, though. Along with the Xbox 360, there were many games on PS3 that you weren't getting on disc. Whatever legion of games that are still there are lost for good if it were be shut down. Same with DLC's. With PS3, if this is to be true, this was to be expected. I'm not sure what the deal is with PSP since its storefront was shut in 2016. You can get games for it via PS3 and Vita, but you have to dig deep and do a search, something I don't think most will use. Vita I can't really discuss, but it's been dead for a long time. That would probably be the worst thing to happen since you can't find many titles physically and a ton over the last five years or so have been digital.

The unnamed source said the announcement would be made at the end of the month. Take it with a grain of salt since it is a clickbait situation. If it were to be true, get what you can, but wait to hear what a legitimate group has to say. How you play games for systems DS and up will definitely be different as the online capabilities get closer to death. Preservation is a much bigger deal in recent memory since 2016, 17. Emulation is not great for these systems and won't for a good while. If to what is alleged is true, I'll definitely target some stuff you should get. But let's see what occurs and if Sony says if they have plans for it or not. Xbox could be in this situation in the next year or two as well.