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. 

Console Buyer's Guide 2019

Black Friday and the holiday season begins very soon, so there is the look of what game systems are out on the market. For 2019, it may mark one of the last big years for the current ones out there.

Starting with the dead systems, it's safe to say you can't find many PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, Wii U, and Vita games on store shelves. Your best bet is going to be the used local stores or having to use online to get the games. Everything but the Vita can still be found easily at a GameStop, but how much longer they will have these games, I'm not sure. Until PS3 and 360 stop using servers for good would be my guess or when the new systems come out in November.

I'm surprised to still see the 3DS on store shelves. Nintendo stated that it will still be supported heading into 2020, but I don't buy into it fully. Not any big releases and being eight years old is not healthy. I guess milk it until the cows come home. For what it was able to do, it stabilized and did very well following a disastrous launch due to the high price. You can find 2DS XL's and some games, but the selection is not the greatest at most stores. Used local stores and online may be the ultimate way to get the titles you may want that aren't the usual suspects.

This year will be the last very huge year for PS4 and Xbox One. I don't think there's one advantage over the other except in exclusives. It comes down to what you like more. Do you like Halo, Gears of War, and a couple others? Uncharted, MLB, Ratchet and Clank? I still think the edge goes to PlayStation, but I don't think either one is a bad choice. They're cheap and you can get games at good prices everywhere. Not much else to say.

Last is the Switch. The Lite model should entice some for the holiday season, but will they like that it's portable only? That I'd ask because it being a hybrid prior to the release may be the only incentive. I think there should be a price cut for the original model. Beyond the first party games, there is relatively good support still and plenty of releases from older games and new ones. It's a way to make up for some of Nintendo's blunders. How well this does beyond this year and 2020 is a question in itself and if the novelty sticks or fades away.

Shop safe. Shop smart. And shop carefully for these systems and games.