Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2021 7:59 pm
Sony is officially shutting down its digital store for PSP games on July 2, 2021. Originally they were going to shut down the PS3 and Vita digital stores as well, but according to the official Playstation blog they've changed course on that.
Old article about the three digital stores shutting down:
https://www.vgchartz.com/article/448114 ... is-summer/
Playstation Blog entry about keeping digital stores other than the PSP digital store open:
https://blog.playstation.com/2021/04/19 ... perations/
Since Mystic Chronicles (specifically the English translation; maybe the Japanese-language mobile title still exists under the name Fantasy Chronicles?) is a digital-only game, sold only on the PSP/Vita digital store as of this writing, that means it's going away.
I hope Mystic Chronicles comes to other platforms, but since Natsume had a hand in it, I'm concerned that rights-holding issues could prevent that.
End of Serenity on the PSP/Vita digital store is also going away, but I assume the version of that game titled "End of Aspiration" will continue to exist on Google Play/App Store/Amazon.
Re-downloading PSP games will be possible if they're purchased before the PSP digital store is shut down.
Purchasing anything off the PS3/Vita digital stores can be tricky. Sony allegedly permits it only through a PS3, Vita, or Vita TV device (not through websites on PC) and I encountered some technical hassles trying to buy End of Serenity before the deadline. Supposedly using a Playstation gift card to create a store balance can be a workaround for any problems with purchasing stuff.
EDIT: I've updated this post with Sony's change-of-course information on the official Playstation Blog.
Old article about the three digital stores shutting down:
https://www.vgchartz.com/article/448114 ... is-summer/
Playstation Blog entry about keeping digital stores other than the PSP digital store open:
https://blog.playstation.com/2021/04/19 ... perations/
Since Mystic Chronicles (specifically the English translation; maybe the Japanese-language mobile title still exists under the name Fantasy Chronicles?) is a digital-only game, sold only on the PSP/Vita digital store as of this writing, that means it's going away.
I hope Mystic Chronicles comes to other platforms, but since Natsume had a hand in it, I'm concerned that rights-holding issues could prevent that.
End of Serenity on the PSP/Vita digital store is also going away, but I assume the version of that game titled "End of Aspiration" will continue to exist on Google Play/App Store/Amazon.
Re-downloading PSP games will be possible if they're purchased before the PSP digital store is shut down.
Purchasing anything off the PS3/Vita digital stores can be tricky. Sony allegedly permits it only through a PS3, Vita, or Vita TV device (not through websites on PC) and I encountered some technical hassles trying to buy End of Serenity before the deadline. Supposedly using a Playstation gift card to create a store balance can be a workaround for any problems with purchasing stuff.
EDIT: I've updated this post with Sony's change-of-course information on the official Playstation Blog.