As Sony prepares to shut down the PlayStation 3 (as well as the Vita and PSP) store, it seems that some game patches and updates are no longer available to download, even if you already have the game installed on your console.
PlayStation Network trophy site PSNProfiles is starting to compile a list of games affected by the new issue, but as Sony isn’t exactly telegraphing that this is happening, much of the work is having to be done manually by users who own a PlayStation 3. A handful of them, such as Journey and SoulCalibur IV, have online components, which you can’t access unless you have the latest version of the game installed. This means that, without these patches, the online capabilities of these games may be lost for some players forever.
Sony has already said that PlayStation 3, Vita, and PSP users will still be able to redownload old games once their respective stores are shut down, but if these patches aren’t restored, some of the functionality will be inaccessible. As some users on PSNProfiles point out, this has been an issue for some games as far back as February, but given that Sony seems more than ready to drop all support for the system and its online services, it’s unlikely that resolving this is a priority for the company.
In other news:
- Gorgeous Rhythm Adventure Game Unbeatable Gets Fully Funded In 15 Hours
- New No More Heroes III Trailer Reminds Us that the Series’ Strength is its Personality
- Deathloop Delayed Once More into September
Between the shutting down of old stores, as well as reports that the company is stifling its developers in the name of prestige games along the lines of Naughty Dog’s output, Sony is not being shown in the best light these days, especially in regards to preserving its history. The PlayStation 5 is selling as well as it can with hardware shortages, but that the Xbox Series X/S is capable of playing games throughout the brand’s lifetime hasn’t gone unnoticed as Sony is making so many short-sighted decisions in a short period of time.
