Some LittleBigPlanet Servers Have Been Permanently Shut Down
Today, PlayStation announced that update 1.27 for LittleBigPlanet 3 is live on PS4, bringing the game's server back online, as well as more than 10 million community levels dating back to the days of the PS3. The server went down in May, alongside the servers for LittleBigPlanet, LittleBigPlanet 2, the PS3 version of LittleBigPlanet 3, and the Vita version of LittleBigPlanet, following attacks by hackers. Unfortunately, it seems that the servers for the previous games will not be coming back. In a statement on the franchise's official Twitter account, PlayStation confirmed the news, while thanking players for their patience.
"We have no doubt that this news will come as a big disappointment to a lot of you, ultimately this is the best way to protect the LittleBigPlanet community and to help ensure that our online environment remains safe," the statement reads.
While the news is slightly disappointing, there are multiple upsides. Though they won't be playable online, these games will remain playable in single-player and in local co-op on PS3. All of the old fan content created in the PS3 games will also remain playable on PS4. Some fans are disappointed that there wasn't advance warning about the shutdown, but the situation could be much worse, and fans will still be able to enjoy all of the amazing things that have been created throughout the franchise.
These server shutdowns might have been precipitated by bad actors, but they also serve as yet another reminder of the fleeting aspect of online content in gaming. There are time and cost factors associated with preserving these servers, and publishers simply can't keep them going forever. The servers for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Metal Gear Solid 5 are another recent casualty, following Konami's announcement last month that it will no longer support the game's online functions. Sadly enough, with the PS5 era now in full swing, it seems likely we'll see more online functions and options from the PS3 era shut down in the coming days.
Are you happy that the LittleBigPlanet 3 server is back on PS4? How do you feel about the servers on PS3 and Vita? Let us know in the comments or share directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!