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LittleBigPlanet 1/2/3/Portable/Vita/Karting online services shutting down in Japan

miku

Member
QaXKqvF.jpg


All of them on July 31, 2016

http://www.jp.playstation.com/scej/online/bcjs30018.html
http://www.jp.playstation.com/scej/online/bcjs30058.html
http://www.jp.playstation.com/scej/online/bcjs30095.html
http://www.jp.playstation.com/scej/online/pcjs50003.html
http://www.jp.playstation.com/scej/online/ucjs10107.html
http://www.jp.playstation.com/scej/online/vcjs10006.html
http://www.jp.playstation.com/scej/online/bcjs30085.html

No longer available after shutdown:
- Viewing and playing other users created stages
- Uploading created stages
- Online play
- Community functions

:(


EDIT:
BTW, Sony has LBP Portable scheduled to be shut down on July 31st and Karting to be shut down on August 31st in NA/EU regions.

https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/legal/gameservers/

https://www.playstation.com/en-ca/games/littlebigplanet-karting-ps3/
 

Scrawnton

Member
I'm surprised they're shutting down three this soon, even if this is for Japan. I wonder how much longer the U.S. servers will stay active.
 

Turnstyle

Member
Is LBP not popular in Japan??

My son loves to play user created levels on LBP3. It's one of the first games he's ever really got to grips with (he's 3).

Would really suck if he couldn't play them anymore.
 
I know a girl here in Japan which plays that like every day on her PS3. That and CoD nazi zombie survival mode. She won't be pleased lol.
 

PaulLFC

Member
What on earth? Why? This isn't some yearly sports franchise, online sharing of creations is pretty much the entire point of the series.
 

sackninja

Member
Okay so I dont think anyone bought lbp 3 in japan. Looking at media create of its release date it didnt even break top 20 for either version. Unless itis digital only.
 

Kai Dracon

Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
Wow. Some of the best LBP levels I'd ever played came from Japanese authors. But this is kind of a big deal. It really is killing off the franchise in a country, which doesn't bode well for the franchise in other countries.

Sadly I'd suspected LBP3 had grossly underperformed.
 
First two I can kind of see. The 3rd must have really bombed over there. The most shocking to me tho is the vita.

Maybe they're clearing the way for dreams
 

HMD

Member
The Japanese make the coolest levels on LBP :(

First two I can kind of see. The 3rd must have really bombed over there. The most shocking to me tho is the vita.

Maybe they're clearing the way for dreams

All three games share the same level browser, they're all basically the same game with different expansions.
 

Kai Dracon

Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
Actually I wonder what kind of server structure LBP has, since the content is compatible across games (in one direction at least).

Also means a shutdown is extra disappointing as Sony had positioned LBP as an ongoing platform rather than a series of isolated games.
 

Noobcraft

Member
It's kind of sad to think that there's a real possibility that the levels I spent hours making to get the platinum (legit!) in LBP will disappear someday.
 

emb

Member
Weird to see it happen all at once, and especially for 3. I guess the usage statistics, at least in Japan are just that low.
 

HMD

Member
Actually I wonder what kind of server structure LBP has, since the content is compatible across games (in one direction at least).

Also means a shutdown is extra disappointing as Sony had positioned LBP as an ongoing platform rather than a series of isolated games.

Considering how botched the level browser was in LBP3, I suspect 99% of levels would go unnoticed and just take up server space.

Also they might be moving on to Dreams from now on, sadly.
 

ZeroCDR

Member
This sort of thing really doesn't sit right with me, especially since they've been charging for online play for a few years now. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect first-party games to stay online for the long haul.
 

Yoshi

Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
Wow. This feels as if Sony killed the franchise

I think it actually is just that, at least in Japan. If they shut down all servers for all LBPs without a replacement available it will hurt the perception of the brand too much. They probably really don't want to continue LBP in Japan.
 
I really, really hope ours are not next.
The hook LBP3 has is that it can play levels from all three games, especially when the offline campaign is that short. And it's a current gen game too...
 

mclem

Member
So what is the server setup, here? There's a number of good Japanese levels, and I'd assume they exist in the same database as levels from elsewhere in the world - you don't want to poll multiple sources for database searches - so I'd expect them to remain intact. Is it just the servers that handle the interface between the Japanese PS(whatever) and that central database that's being removed?

Would offering a free download of the US/EU version still permit access?
 
Wow, LBP3 must have absolutely tanked in sales. You would think they would at least keep LBP2&3 (and to a lesser extent, Vita) up and running, but shutting down all online functionality effectively kills those games.
 
Developers need to get this server stuff figured out. This bums the hell out of me.

There's nothing to figure out, servers a real, physical objects that cost money to maintain. If the money just isn't their to keep it running them you shut it down and move it too another game. This is 100% a publisher thing and devs have no control over it.
 

mr_chun

Member
LBP3 shutting down is really surprising. I guess it bombed in Japan?

I will be crushed with LBP Vita goes down in NA.



Sony gonna Sony.

I'll never forgive for the bullshit they they pulled with Resistahce.

Resistance stung me. I was still actively playing 3, and chipping away at the 10K kill trophy in 2.
 
LittleBigPlanet was one of the first PS3 games I bought. That really sucks for Japan. Hope they don't end up shutting it down worldwide.
 

Katori

Member
What? Just...what?

Like a few said already, some of these games I could see being shut down. But 3? Portable? At least maintain the two latest entries...

I hope they remain up in other regions.
 

Peltz

Member
Yikes. That's horrible. I hate when online services in games just die like this :-(

I don't even like those games. It's just a shame to see it happen.
 

Catalix

And on the sixth day the LORD David Bowie created man and woman in His image. And he saw that it was good. On the seventh day the LORD created videogames so that He might take the bloody day off for once.
Nearly had a heart attack till I saw "in Japan". But it's still pretty upsetting. Some of my favorite level creations were Japanese.

I didn't know the LBP brand was in such dire straits over there. Part 3 getting shut down so soon is very surprising, and just plain sucks. Really hope this isn't a sign of things to come internationally.
 

mclem

Member
I bad for everyone that heavily invested in dlc.

This is why I'm not a fan of digital only futures.

It's not really a DLC thing that's the big deal, here. The fact that the game was built around encouraging users to make and share their own levels, and play others from around the world - all that's going away. And that's the heart of LBP.
 
Feels like console communities get shut down a lot faster than PC communities when they are on the smaller side.


P2P is not a good look. Allow people to host their own servers so you dont have to keep the service open only for as long as you're willing to pay the upkeep. when you can just use a regular server host, or rent a PC dedicated server, you only need a in game browser for other people to play.
 
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