Sony has announced that come July 15th this year, the company will stop publishing all content aimed at PlayStation Mobile.
Sony has announced that come July 15th this year, the company will stop publishing all content aimed at PlayStation Mobile – the cross platform initiative aimed at ensuring Sony gaming titles a place across devices such as the PS Vita and Android.
While Sony ceased publishing new games for PlayStation Mobile on Android last year, the news brings about an end to PlayStation Mobile content aimed at the PS Vita.
On July 15th, Sony will cease distributing content over the service, and by September 10th the conglomerate will stop in-app purchases as well as downloads of previously purchased software. Additionally, the Mobile app for Android will be fully unavailable following this date.
Sony’s decision is an interesting one, following the continued struggles its mobile business endures in the face of the PlayStation 4’s success.
PlayStation Mobile was first announced by Sony in late 2012, and was launched at the tail end of that year. PlayStation Mobile – at first limited for use by Sony’s Xperia range of tablets and mobile devices – featured games from both Sony Computer Entertainment as well as independent developers price upwards until the $20 USD mark.
Mobile was discontinued on Android last year in 2014, following a prolonged period of struggling to attract a continued user base, as consumers showed little interested in accessing PlayStation content while using Google’s ubiquitous mobile operating system. Sony officially ceased Android support following the release of Android 4.4.2.
The decision to axe Mobile comes after some desperate choices by Sony to entice developer and consumer interest in the cross-platform initiative. In the year following PlayStation Mobile’s launch, Sony ceased charging a $99 publisher license fee in order to attract more potential developers.
Users who still want to retain access to titles they’ve purchased prior to PlayStation Mobile’s shutdown will need to go through an activation process, laid out here.
Follow Bryan on Twitter: @bryansmithsa
