nhSnork

@Tharsman right, I forgot they shut down the entirety of the servers. But Wii and DSi were the same generation, not two - and used the same third party servers Nintendo decided to eliminate the dependence on. Considering how long it took them, I fail to see a precedent for Wii U and 3DS eShops to go down anytime before 2025 at worst.

Props to PS for at least reaching out to Sony for a commentary, but that's all there is to do about it and nothing to discuss until an official statement rather than the umpteenth "source familiar with the situation" the likes of which are steadily turning the already fragile reputation of gaming newsblogs into a parody of itself. I needn't even highlight all the gaps in the current narrative, from the short deadline (a couple months is a plugjerk even for a few games like last year's Danganronpa, let alone for three platform libraries) to the lack of any details on redownloads - the latter are normally a given in Delistingville, but Vita users, similarly to 3DS ones, can't redownload games without opening the Store app first. Are we supposed to believe that Source-senpai is familiar with the whole shutdown but not with such topical parts of it? The news could raise a lot of eyebrows and drive many towards CFWs (although ironically, I still couldn't do that without a spare Vita - jollyrogering my primary one would render the PS4 literally unplayable for me in return😅), but it has to be news first. Apparently NL aren't the only ones who seem to have forgotten they have a RUMOUR tag?

@Tharsman Nintendo has had a glorious three generations of digital stores, and only one of them has been shutdown in specific circumstances - keeping the users' access to already purchased titles nonetheless and outliving the respective platforms by almost a decade overall.

@JapaneseSonic many emulators - and official tech like PSP's PS1 functionality - are capable of adjusting the window size to combat resolution discrepancy. The only people who would have an issue with that are those who believe in video games expiring like dairy overtime to begin with, but they never made the bulk of the market even before the NES/SNES/PS1 generations grew up to come back into gaming with a steady income (then again, they also came back with a taste for portability, and Sony still nonchalantly believes that portability is only required for Candy Crush these days).

Well, probably not the VR titles for lack of hardware.😅 I already own some that are left, others are on my Switch wishlist... that leaves Paper Beast, I suppose? Depending, yet again, on how well it controls.

Most of my handful on the old site were Vita and PSP items...😅 But it's a welcome fix in general.

Vita' share is mostly crossbuy or just cross-platform indies again, although I may be unfair after switching to PSPrices and using content filters - for all I know, there may be delicious stuff on sale that I just already own. In any case, credit where due for Dragon Quest Heroes II - no certainty this time (especially as its discounted price still requires me to add almost $15 extra above it due to relying strictly on prepaid cards), but a relatively tempting item overall after the Switch dilogy has been stuck in Japan for almost four years. Maybe I'll keep it in mind even for summer if I make good on an earlier urge to invest some of this year's vacation bonuses into Vita stuff, discounts at the time or not. Time will tell.

@Playstation ten years, lessee... No Heroes Allowed, two White Knight Chronicles games, two Knacks (no matter how fashionable it is in our fan tarpit to crap on them), Patapon 3, Tokyo Jungle, Rain, Soul Sacrifice, Puppeteer, Freedom Wars, Oreshika, The Tomorrow Children, The Last Guardian, Gravity Rush 2... who's delusional here, again? Sure, they have mostly done remasters of their older games lately, but that's a much shorter lately that peculiarly coincides with the same years where Sony gave up on a lot of things under monetary or marketing excuses.

It's not like their earlier classics haven't been called "a mess" in the fandom. @Floki has a point - first we use "niche" and "gimmick" as negative terms, then we make a Pikachu face about corporate business starting to shun them. If there's any "Americanization" here, it's not even about moving HQs or censoring stuff - Sony is just losing grip on the Japanese industry's art of making money on niches and gimmicks. Sure, their whole VR shebang (ironically a gimmick in itself) arguably prevents them from losing it entirely, as do the efforts of folks like Pixelopus and Media Molecule. But wrapping up the Japan Studio era with "restructurings" that have been looking more and more like disbandings is still a step back, not forward.

I mean, no matter my degree of interest in FFVIIR, getting a JRPG is always one heck of a month on PS+. Tenfold moreso since PS3 and Vita exclusion.

"Ernest Hemingway once made a bet..."

@Col_McCafferty implying that "interesting characters and stunning and vibrant worlds and thrilling stories" weren't abundant enough with Japan Studio... or aren't equally abundant with Nintendo. None of these aspects has ever clashed with pursuing fancier gameplay ideas. The likes of Uncharted and GOW are solid on their own (heck, Uncharted followed in Tomb Raider's footsteps, it should hardly lack fun gameplay in itself), but photorealistic narratives can never cover the entirety of interactive fiction's potential any more than the once foolishly overfocused CG tech could ever cover the entirety of the animation medium's among Hollywood movies. It's gameplay designs that have boosted some of the most impressive narratives and lores out there, as the likes of Bioshock and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 are my witnesses.

@Amppari yeah, right, like these people haven't been saying the same about the first game (and about stuff like BotW of all games as well). If some of the most thrilling gameplay, most interesting settings and most endearing protagonists in PlayStation history are "mediocre", then perhaps it adds more context to why Sony's first-party gems are all outlived by a kart racer in the charts?😅

@NomNom holy cow, am I a doofus - how have I missed Freedom Wars being another Japan Studio game until now? Rests my case about the diversity of their output. Despite the neat premise, I've slept on the game after figuring that God Eater and Toukiden acquisitions should satiate my monster hunting urges for a long while, but consider it significantly bumped among my Vita wishlist priorities (which, to be fair, have decreased in number again anyway, after Atelier Sophie and Firis migrating to Switch as well).

First time? Record Keeper manages to cover the entire franchise and then some. This sounds similar, except with the gameplay possibly more reminiscent of Dissidia Opera Omnia or Tales of Crestoria.

Neither open but empty jabs from commenters like @amppari nor veiled condescension from PS folks like @getsammyb (the latter even evolving into a whole soapbox now!) overrides the studio's output being the long-term pinnacle of PlayStation originality and imaginative gaming ideas. There's a reason I rank Gravity Rush 2 above all the other PS4 native diamonds like Horizon, but it's probably not untrue that these folks have always seemed to feel more at home on the portables - the space where bloated resolutions and ray tracings weren't around to wow but ambitious tech like touchscreens and gyroscopes had a chance to play first fiddle. Yet even their original home endeavours from Ape Escape to Folklore to Tokyo Jungle to Knack are all remarkably memorable experiences despite any rough edges, alleged or verifiable. This is truly an end of an era, and the motives aren't even the main derivative concern (Sony's entitled to business decisions whether we like them or not, although few sane people will readily believe narratives about them "trying their best, but it just wasn't relevant" after what happened to Vita). And no, neither is "Japanese third parties will show less support without a Japanese first party studio present" (no, really, who the fan even came up with that one?🤔).

The main concern is whether Sony has the capacity and, more importantly, even the will to pursue the projects of the late unit's level and legacy or whether Ryan & Co will just send these things Vita's way. Let's serve due credit at once - projects like Concrete Genie can make one hopeful for the former, but it'll take more where it came from to dispel the concerns of single field overspecialization - wherein, again, Sony already has a sour defeatist track record on another front. And timed exclusives like Fall Guys don't count. Indeed, forget the even lower odds of another Gravity Rush or LocoRoco entry ever happening - is there anybody left home to pitch, budget and produce something like Gravity Rush or LocoRoco? Or does Sony expect Astro to one-man-army the whole "cute quirky action for all ages" department while leaving animesque open-worlders to the mercy of Squeenix and Bamco?

Only time will tell. And again, far be it from me to argue that Sony's entitled to run their biz the way they see fit - but as a "sell hardware at a loss and make up for it with a superb array of game experiences", you'd think they would have more motivation to maintain their most seasoned pedigree than this. The new controller's Nintenlicious niceties kinda fed that hope, too. Now there's little but a pensive mood in the air, and a wish to be proven wrong in the future.

Granted, it's all an academic matter to me this gen, Sony's whole focus being on a console I can't use by definition.😅

Despite lukewarm interest in FFVIIR (except for some salty fan buzz that may suggest the future chapters becoming something of an alternate history scenario - that, bundled with the Paradigm Shift-flavoured battle system, could actually make the title worth my time), the JRPG nerd in me couldn't name anything else March's main highlight even at a gunpoint. Especially since I've put a finger into the demo (required for a free theme or two back then), and it seemed to control decently. The rest like Maquette and particularly the shooting-heavy Remnant will remain Wildcards until downloaded and launched. Farpoint is apparently VR, so unplayable by default for me.

While Guilty Gear XX was generally the game to sell me the genre at last, I remember I-No in particular as one of my earlier introductions to the sheer versatility of voicework talent (I mean, I'd been exposed to that since childhood, but I had neither the internet nor the ability to competently scan foreign language end titles when I was 8), finding out that she was voiced by the same person as Kasumi Tendo. Kikuko Inoue is a legend and I'm glad she's back on the job here again.

The redesign itself feels more like "in-universe restyling", though, akin to Bayonetta. I tend to associate the former term with more radical changes (like the Soviet "Prostokvashino" series whose team never really buried the hatchet on a certain main character's appearance).😅

Even PS comment sections now devolve into fanbrained Direct complaints? 😏 Not finding anything to one's liking sucks but hardly means much beyond personal tough luck when other viewers watched the same 50 minutes and were left up to their necks in new wishlist items. Legend of Mana, Skyward Sword, World's End Club, Famicom Detective Club, Ninja Gaiden Sigma trilogy, a crazy TRPG from Octopath Traveller creators, Outer Wilds, a new Mario Golf with a story campaign and a fun multiplayer mode... and even a fighter reveal that has finally given me a serious itch for getting Smash Fighter Pass, adding one of the best Xenoblade characters this side of Melia. Most of this scheduled no later than summer, too. Guys, if all you got instead was NMH3 release date, it's your luck that has a logical purpose to burn in hell, not the Direct.

As for SOP, it'll happen when it happens. Granted, I have little stake in the matter since by now Sony is not too likely to announce anything I'll be physically able to access.

Not sure what or vote since packaging is usually used for the format I barely buy anything in. Seeing as Sony has had a digital store for ages and seems rather fascinated by the prospects of cloud gaming, they might already be going greener than we realize.😄

As in, a game taking place in a village as opposed to a game taking place in a house?

Hey, glass half full - if anything, it should reinforce the steady sales down the road. See how Switch remains in high demand four years into its life? PS5 may be much less unique and versatile on the hardware side, but it still boasts an exclusive lineup of games from two libraries (or three in a glorious few countries with PS Now support). There should be more to it than the launch hype.

@JapaneseSonic right, missed that sentence, especially with Aniplex of all publishers. But while PC stands a fair chance, I'm with the article on holding little breath for XBox territory. Anything console and not on Switch is pretty much bound to sell best on PS, it seems.

Might prove a bit of a killer app for PS5, considering the franchise's recent popularity.

I'm not sure if an optional sub available on a full-fledged console was ever in completion with a standalone sub you need separate dedicated hardware for.

That's a perk of browser/app Store over the eShops for you. How else do you think I amassed over seventy PS3 titles?😅

Take a country where Remote Play was always the most viable, and distribute a game strictly on a console where Remote Play is devoid of native controls unless you duct-tape a controller. It's a mystery indeed.

Might check out Control, ironically - a stream like on Switch, but guaranteed to be a manageable resolution and much less risk of an "insufficient connection" hurdle in-game as long as I can get past the recurrent ones on Vita's own side first.

What I'm definitely checking out is Concrete Genie.

I don't, and it's not like I don't want it. It's just unusable for me.

Of course it's a good thing, seeing as the PSS overhaul technically made it impossible to buy the games in question elsewhere. If a Vita game doesn't show up on the console Store now, it may be as good as unreleased.🙄

@Juanalf that sounds like the memetic "Switch Pro". PS4 level is one thing due to its broad definition (Switch is capable of running quite a few games also on PS4, and not just indies at that), but the likes of Horizon seem to be a task for a Gen 10 portable console at earliest.

What my wishful thinking paints at times instead is a sort of "PlayStation Legacy" console - a souped-up version of Vita with additional buttons, full support for - and consequently more digital releases for -Vita/PSP/PS1, added first party ports from PS2, PS3 and even PS4 (I'm sure the proportionally higher but realistic specs would be enough to handle Gravity Rush 2, for one), maybe even a TV out or a dock to approach s portion of Switch's trademark appeal... alas, it's a pipe dream for the next couple years at least. Sony is still in the mood to put all their eggs into the home console basket, and despite all their region importance comments, it can feel like they'd rather lose Japan than go portable again right now. And since they won't be losing Japan per se (like I said before, I fully expect PS5 to alternate between trickles and occasional RPG-themed spikes over there just like PS4 did), there's not much incentive to discuss.

Guess some of those politicians happened to be among the parents failing to find a unit for Christmas only to see half the stock on parade north of $1000 elsewhere.

I'm all for OG 2 and 3 if they hit Switch, but no fret as long as PS Store still has them available for Vita.

Even NSMBU made a comeback - perhaps more people are getting on board to bridge some of the binge gap between 3D All-Stars and the upcoming 3D World? Like I said before, only Galaxy 2 and NSMB Wii seem to be holding Mario back from the "all the flagships officially portable" achievement.

@Cornaboyzzz yes, estimatedly anyone without the hardware to run it. Which should be a dwarfing number even after compatible PCs factoring in.

Impressive considering the launch stock shortages that make Switch's from way back when look tame. Otherwise, not surprising. Even PS4 had a good start, but compared to it, PS5 boasts gameplay perks outside the new controller, backward compatibility and a launch year full of lockdowns that turned many extra heads to video gaming for a while. RIP console Remote Play, though - the PS4 app notwithstanding.😅

A lot of fine stuff, but a Gravity Rush game is a Gravity Rush game. One of the most Nintendoesque Sony franchises and one of the most loveable PlayStation protagonists in history. Granted, it takes some nerve to mean specifically the sequel here without playing it myself yet - but Gravity Rush Remastered was never a PS4 exclusive.

Which, incidentally, is why Tearaway Unfolded barely belongs on the list as well... but then again, they did expand the content and added a few mechanics, so hey.

DualShock 4 was already PlayStation's most Nintendoesque controller to me, in the most complimentary sense possible. DualSense just took over that title. As a Switch user, I needn't be told about the joys of haptic feedback - I honestly can't imagine myself picking any locks in Skyrim without it. And there are so many more examples.

Maneater is on Switch (or will be?), but Greedfall and more Tomb Raider are welcome provided they control well.

@mwatcher So basically Switch.

Kinda hard to discuss such a milestone race as long as some of the generation's participants get a head start. Not that it always helps (as Wii U is my witness), but still.

At least you guys are dealing with games actually in the browser store. Vita did get a courtesy handful of discounts (all PS4 crossbuys, no PSP or PS1 Classics this holiday), but good luck finding them on the console even while browsing through the full list. I looked at the PSPrices stuff and picked Axiom Verge for comparison - indeed, the price checks out, but it's literally listed as THE price, with zero mention of discount percentage or original pricetags. I don't even.

As the man's wallet said in a separate interview, "I just thank all the possible deities out there that he doesn't collect Nintendo consoles... or - gulp - Atari ones..."

As usual, if I were to consciously want anything on PS+ these days (above just going with the flow and watching the library occasionally grow), it'd be something not on Switch with primary controls not on Vita's touchpad. Maybe Gravity Rush 2 will show up one month?

I remember when this announcement would make me keep some of the holiday gaming funds on a standby... but I'm not holding my breath these days. Although PS1 classics may still have a chance - last year I got two Suikodens for my Vita. Then again, last year such games still had luxury stuff like browser store presence, too.

Ephemeral-to-absent prospects on Vita front here, no Frozen 2 to drain money into double digit cinema pilgrimages there... yeah, that sinister laughter you just heard was Switch eShop.

@Iroha that explains it, thanks.

This may have been clarified deep within the 176 comments here already, but... did they actually delist the PS5 port for good measure?🤔

Now let the complaints reveal all the paradoxical folks (or the usual advocates thereof) who pay money for a game only to pay more money to finish it sooner. Although the same kind of perversion (which we gamers first developed, then started blaming the industry for the temptation to make a quick extra buck on) is commonplace in freemium land as well - paying money to skip grinding in an RPG.

Which, in my nerd eyes, is tantamount to ordering a pizza and paying the delivery folk to eat it themselves right in front of you.

Guess that means a chance for Vita to get one more PS+ game someday.😄

Will they be available in single player? Or is "GTA 5 single player" something no one has heard in years?

@Fenbops consoles on a decline in Japan? Weekly sales reports suggest otherwise. Home consoles, yes, but even PS5 is finding some 6-digit audience there. Heck, even XSX has sold some thousand units at launch, the numbers Microsoft probably hasn't seen from the country in forever.

Japanese gamers are just portable gamers en masse by now. Imagine a whole market of nhSnorks.

Most of them, unless they're not very playable in terms of controls. And the gamble around said controls is mainly why my PS4 collection barely grows outside of PS+ these days.

Trolling me much, Push Square?😄 For all the wrestling with the touchpad, Vita RP still remains far more handy and portable than laptop/smartphone and DualShock combos. And where Vita support - unlikely as it's always been - would have ensured better streaming chances outside by sticking to 544p or optional 360p, all the current supported devices probably view such resolutions as blatant expletives. Even smartphones probably default to one-thousand-something pixels - imagine that in a country whose local 4G can barely run 720p trailers in Switch eShop.😅

Both PC and smartphones have nominally had RP during the PS4 days as well, but were always inferior to Vita in my book even despite their DualShock-strapped control scheme advantages. Now this shadow is all that remains, at least for 5-6 more years if I so dare estimate.

Meanwhile, I just launched Just Cause 4 to a pleasant surprise - the triggers are mapped to upper screen corners for a change, so... while certainly not ideal, this game is A LOT more playable on Vita than JC3 was. Which is all the more comforting after the recent NFS Rivals disappointment.

This might spell low odds of new Gravity Rush chronicles... but then again, higher odds of its creator's subsequent games on Switch where the odds of any Gravity Rush chronicles are safely zero. Win some, lose some.

As someone noted on Reddit, two consecutive logins to the same account from many miles away within less than an hour will probably raise a suspicion or two.

And seriously, giving random people access to your account AND paying them for that is generally an idea I couldn't make up if I tried.😐

Definitely downloading Just Cause 4 - I had some fun with the previous game even despite the control issues (the feuding impressions that led me to give the game a shot on my laptop as well... alas, despite the machine's quite passable performance on stuff like Prey, JC3 proved taxing enough to leave the framerate noticeably slow even by my standards), and I've been enjoying the franchise overall, even the currently cultivated JC1 with its rather peculiar driving physics.

Rocket Arena, on the other hand... I appreciate it as another PS4 library item, but it sounds like a strictly online multiplayer game, and I don't even tend to those much even on Switch, let alone when I have to stream the thing.

An informative article for others, although salt on the wounds for me.😄