Sony has confirmed that LittleBigPlanet 3 servers on PlayStation 4 will stay offline “indefinitely” following troubles with the service from earlier this yr.
The firm up to date followers on the dangerous information in an replace on its web site (through Delisted Games), explaining that the non permanent server shutdown in January will now be in impact for the foreseeable future. It’s a choice which means hundreds of thousands of user-generated ranges will now not be accessible to new gamers. Sony cites “ongoing technical points” as the explanation for its option to discontinue help.
Creation content material that has been saved on gamers’ units domestically can nonetheless be accessed, with customers additionally nonetheless free to create content material and play it whereas disconnected from the servers. PlayStation additionally guides LittleBigPlanet followers to offline options ought to they want to proceed enjoying in some type.
As gamers ultimately flock to new experiences, video games have been identified to lose connection to sure on-line options within the years following their releases. Lack of server entry to the LittleBigPlanet video games is an particularly giant blow, although, as they’re identified for his or her countless ocean of player-generated content material like ranges and outfits. LittleBigPlanet 3 even allowed gamers to take pleasure in user-generated ranges from the earlier two entries.
PlayStation 3 gamers misplaced entry to that content material when Sony moved to close down PS3 servers for LittleBigPlanet 1, 2, and three in 2021, and now, the PS4 model of the third sport is struggling the identical destiny. With servers shutting down indefinitely, it signifies that there isn’t a official approach to see the content material gamers have been creating because the unique LittleBigPlanet launched in 2008. LittleBigPlanet 3 launched for PS3 and PS4 in 2014.
There’s no telling precisely how a lot user-generated content material was pumped into the sport since its launch, however in February 2017, greater than seven years in the past, Sony boasted that the sport featured greater than 10 million ranges. It’s unclear precisely what number of had been misplaced immediately.
Thankfully, LittleBigPlanet 3 isn’t fully unplayable with out its servers. Although its now-lost library of content material was its premiere providing, gamers can nonetheless obtain and luxuriate in its story mode, which, in our assessment, we estimate provides round seven-to-eight hours of enjoyable. We gave Sumo Digital’s Sony installment a 6.8 upon its launch, calling it a “a beautifully-designed sport with an important creation toolkit, LittleBigPlanet 3 is let down by unimaginative co-op & bugs.”
Michael Cripe is a contract contributor with IGN. He began writing within the business in 2017 and is greatest identified for his work at retailers resembling The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
Be certain to present him a comply with on Twitter @MikeCripe.
