PS3 and PS Vita maker Sony has officially canceled the decision to close the PlayStation Store on the two platforms. But a dissimilar choice for the PlayStation Portable will press on.
Sony made headlines recently when it first sent word on its plan to close the door to three of its prized hardware. The choice, as the company claims, was borne out of multiple factors. Mostly, the commercial viability of maintaining operations and the need to refocus the company’s resources to newer platforms. The latter, in particular, pertaining to the recently released PlayStation 5, the still on-going PlayStation 4, and VR.
Due to Still Existing Public Demand
With a massive fanbase from its old platforms that the Japanese company overlooked, reconsiderations were subsequently made with those people in mind. This notion is partly due to the censure that follows the inconvenient announcement regarding PS Store’s imminent shutdown on the three systems.
The community’s qualm is not without its arguments, however. As a storefront for Sony’s digital entertainment contents, the PS Store has served as a major outlet for game titles. Some of which can be occasionally gotten for cheap when promotions are ongoing, involving Sony itself or other parties.
But part that makes the digital storefront extra special is its being a source for contents that cannot be found elsewhere or DLCs. This also speaks true of assets that are exclusive in digital format as non-DLC, like the controversial Playable Teaser (P.T.). While technically inaccessible from the PS Store for a long time now, it only shows how the platform can enforce exclusivity. If anything, it means that latecomers or even those still clinging to their aging hardware would be missing out on the experience, if PS Store does shut down.
A Temporary Extension
Although Sony’s decides to continue serving PS3 and PS Vita users via the PS Store, it’s by no means indefinite. Similar to how the company weighed in factors that affect its business, the same is still true down the road. More likely even the case when the number of the fanbase precipitously dwindles, due to perceivable hardware considerations.
However, while PS3 and PS Vita owners will get a sigh of relief over the overturning option to close the PlayStation Store servers to their platforms, the same cannot be said with the PSP. As it stands, the PlayStation maker remains committed in waving its goodbye to the PlayStation Portable by July 2, 2021.
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