unforeseen issues

[Stargazer2600]

So last night i got into some deep thinking about what is gonna happen to the PS3 in a few years. Now that some game publishers are starting to move away from last gen. it got me to thinking ahead of what will happen when PS3 Isnt supported by PSN. Now this is a pretty big question since PS3 is the first real PSN supported system. It isnt like PS2 where 99.9% of the games were offline based. Now we know that once this happens, obviously any games that have multiplayer lose half the value but, what about all those downloaded games? you know the digital games you bought off PSN that sit on your PS3. Well, I bought the MGS Legacy Collection and i'm currently waiting for it in the mail. On it comes the Original PS version of MGS and it got me thinking. When PSN stops supporting PS3, can i get this game to my PS4? A short google search later and i found the answer is no, but things kinda get worse. 

See, PS3's and such arnt built like PS2's or anything. lets face it these things are like glass, handle with care. So its safe to assume my PS3 isnt gonna live like my PS has. That means that if we cant somehow get these digital games over to PS4, then over time we are gonna lose them over the test of time as the PS3's die over time. Now on the other side of the coin, lets say PS3's do live long and prosper, I worry about if we can still play them offline. call it a isolated incident but when Konami removed the PT demos. quite a few people were locked out from playing ANY digital games on there system. Now that may just be a one case thing but its still something to think about.

 

what do you guys think will happen with the digital games left on PS3's after PS3 has fully run its course?

[Cleggworth]

They ceased production on ps2's in January 2013 only 10 or so months before the ps4 came out and as you say that was an offline system. With the massive digital library and no end in sight on physical releases they'll be churning out more ps3s for a decade or more at least. When the end does come for the ps3 I'm sure they'll have backwards compatibilty nailed for every game ever released, most likely PSnow. There is far too much potential business on the table for Sony to ever turn the switch off

[NotAFoxAnymore]

Doesn't psp still have psn? Kinda doubt they'd remove it

[Ric]

All your games and other content is attached to your PSN account. Even if by some means the PS3 would completely stop existing, you will still have that content on your account.

You won't be able to do anything with it... but it's still there. I don't think they will remove any actual game software from the servers. They will just stop making new games and they might stop offering the games for purchase. But if you already bought it it will remain available to you.

 

Just think of the horror on social media for Sony if they just removed all PS3 content from all PSN accounts....

[Super-Fly Spider-Guy]

The PSP lost access to it's store ages ago. Content can still be downloaded for it through a PS3 or a PC.

 

PS3, one day, it could lose it's store too. PC's will (probably) never go away, and with that in mind, before the hypothetical PS3 PSN store shutdown, I'd imagine they'd allow you to download something on your computer and copy it over via USB or something. That of course would open the floodgates to piracy, but that far down the road, I doubt they'd care too much.

 

As for syncing trophies up, that's something I don't see an easy backup plan for.

[StrickenBiged]

That's the downside of digital content. Under the EULA, you don't actually own any of your digital content. You're just licensing it. If they decide to remove it from their servers and you delete the game from your HDD, then you're shit out of luck.

 

Now, there will come a time when it simply isn't worth it to Sony to maintain servers holding the PS3 digital library. When will that day come? Who knows... 20 years from now? 50?

 

But yeah, legally, you never owned anything in the first place, and the EULA allows Sony to remove access at its discretion.

 

Just a few quotes from the USA EULA below. 

 

 

 

Upon SNEI's confirmation of your transaction, you may access the item you ordered through your Account that you used to order the item, until such time as SNEI removes the item or your license to access or use the item expires. We encourage you to download or access the item immediately after completing your transaction.

 

 

 

You are solely responsible if you do not choose to download or access the content before it is removed or your license expires, and for ongoing storage and safekeeping of the content. SNEI is not obligated to provide you with replacement copies for any reason.

 

 

 

Except as stated in this Agreement, all content and software provided through PSN First Party Services are licensed non-exclusively and revocably to you, your children and children for whom you are a legal guardian (collectively for purposes of this section, "You" or "Your"), solely for Your personal, private, non-transferable, non-commercial, limited use on a limited number of Authorized Devices in the country in which your account is registered. 

 

 

 

Use of the terms "own," "ownership", "purchase," "sale," "sold," "sell," "rent" or "buy" on or in connection with PSN First Party Services shall not mean or imply any transfer of ownership of any content, data or software or any intellectual property rights therein from SNEI or its licensors to any user or third party. 

 

Edit: Sorry, this bit related to videos, not software (i.e. games).

Edited September 17, 2015 by StrickenBiged