Skip to main content

Shutdown of LittleBigPlanet’s servers raises game preservation concerns

According to the official LittleBigPlanet Twitter account, the PlayStation 3 servers for LittleBigPlanet, LittleBigPlanet 2, LittleBigPlanet 3, and LittleBigPlanet PS Vita are permanently shutting down. This announcement follows an extended downtime for the PS4 servers for LittleBigPlanet 3. The LittleBigPlanet games on the PS3 will still be playable, but online support for the games will no longer be available to players.

An update on the LittleBigPlanet server and online services: pic.twitter.com/vUrvHcZvIs

Related Videos

— Sackboy: A Big Adventure | LittleBigPlanet (@LittleBigPlanet) September 13, 2021

LittleBigPlanet originally came out in 2008 and has featured user-created content since the beginning. With the demise of the PS3 servers, an era comes to a close. Fortunately, this does not mean the end for these user-created levels. LittleBigPlanet 3 players on PS4 will have access to all of the user-generated content found on the PS3 servers for the older games in the series. But it does mean that the content from the PS Vita version will not cross that threshold.

With the end of these servers, the conversation about video game preservation has come back in full force. Yes, the online content can still be played, but not in its original games. This also means that certain achievements can no longer be earned in these games, making 100% completion impossible. The content is technically preserved but at the cost of gutting these older games. Are these games actually being preserved if you cannot play them in their totality without literally playing a different game?

The flip side to this argument is how much effort and cost do we expect developers to expend to preserve their games? Resources have now been loosened up with the shutdowns of the PS3 servers and the PS Vita server. One can only imagine the cost it took to maintain these servers, which can now be allocated to something else.

If you have been invested in the game preservation discussion, the LittleBigPlanet servers issue is an excellent litmus test to see what you value more: The preservation of the game in its totality, or the content itself.

Editors' Recommendations

Resident Evil 4 remake: egg Hunt guide
Leon picking up a golden egg.

Among the new additions brought to the Resident Evil 4 remake are Merchant Requests. These are small sidequests you can take on to earn some extra rewards to help you survive the dangers lurking in every shadowy corner. One very early request you can take on is called the Egg Hunt request, which is given to you early in Chapter 4. If you are getting Easter egg-hunting vibes from the title, you'd be on the right track since the goal here is to find a very rare Golden Egg to bring to the Merchant. You probably picked up a few white and brown eggs already, but golden ones are not so common. Here's how you can complete the Egg Hunt request in Resident Evil 4.
How to complete the Egg Hunt request

You can start this quest is in Chapter 4 once you reach the lake. Before hopping into the boat, you can snag this request note on the wall just beside the boat. The request simply tasks you with selling a Golden Egg to the Merchant, but the hard part is actually getting your hands on said egg.

Read more
The best gaming monitors for 2023
Overwatch 2 running on the LG OLED 27 gaming monitor.

If you're looking for the best gaming monitor in 2023, Alienware's excellent 34 QD-OLED still takes the cake. However, it's not the perfect monitor for all gamers. We've reviewed dozens of monitors to find the top gaming displays you can buy right now, regardless of if you're chasing peak HDR experiences or high refresh rates for competitive titles.

We're focused specifically on gaming monitors here, which come with higher refresh rates and adaptive sync features like G-Sync and FreeSync. If you're looking for an all-around display, make sure to browse our list of the best monitors.

Read more
Resident Evil 4: all Blue Medallion locations
Leon holding a gun in Resident Evil 4.

As in the original game, blue request notes are scattered throughout the remake of Resident Evil 4, each asking you to track down and shoot five blue medallions in the respective area. Doing so is worth the effort, too, as you'll be able to earn Spinels as a reward, which you can then use for trading with the merchant. So, if you're ready to round up all of the blue medallions, we'll tell you where you can find them below.
Request No. 1: Farm Blue Medallions
The request note for this challenge is found as you enter the farm area, where you'll see it hanging on a wall near the gate that must be opened after finding the wooden cog.

Blue Medallion No.1
From where you first enter the farm area, the first medallion is hanging on the small building to the right. It's in clear sight and hard to miss, but walk around and face it head-on before trying to shoot it.

Read more