Cyber Sleuth and the problem with digital only

Disclaimer: This article was written by me at the beginning of the year, before the re-release on the Switch. I still wished to post the article for the conversation on digital only media.

When the ps4 and Xbox One were announced, there was a wave of skepticism and some criticism of the new abundance of online and digital features. With digital becoming the easiest and most convenient way of obtaining games, would physical copies cease to exist?

While those fears were overblown and physical copies still sell in large numbers, digital has taken the forefront in most publishers sales approach.

This has been mostly great for those consumers who prefer the digital format, as sales are more numerous and it’s easier to buy and download a game at home than run to the local game store and hope they still have a copy of the latest release.

For those who enjoy physical copies, it has been easier to purchase the newest games, and publishers have often made buying physical copies more attractive by releasing numerous limited and collector’s editions.
For mid tier developers, this has provided an opportunity to publish many quality titles as digital only releases on some platforms. This has led to a lot of really great Japanese games being translated and brought to an American market as a digital exclusive.

Now this all seems well and good. For the most part everyone is happy and almost everyone has easy access to the games they want on release day. But the problem lies in the months and years after release. What happens when a game sold almost exclusively digital no longer is available for sale on a digital platform?
Over the last few years this has become a reality for a few titles. Though the most recent victim to this is one of the most unfortunate of these.

In December it was reported that “Digimon story cyber sleuth” was officially removed from the PlayStation online store. Fortunately those who still wanted to purchase the game could do it on the European storefront. As of last month, this is no longer possible.

Cyber Sleuth is notably absent...

For ps4 owners, this isn’t a huge deal. As the ps4 received a physical edition of cyber sleuth, but for ps vita owners. Well, we weren’t so lucky.
Before we continue I should talk briefly about the history of the original cyber sleuth game.
Digimon story cyber sleuth was released by Bandai Namco in 2015 in Japan exclusively for the PlayStation Vita. And in 2016 was translated and brought over to western markets as a digital only game for the Vita and a digital and physical for the PS4. The game received generally favorable reviews, and in my personal opinion, is one of the most underrated games for the ps4.

Cyber sleuth is often considered one of the better rpg’s for the vita and one of the more collectable. As although it didn’t receive a physical release in English in western markets. It did receive a physical release in English in a couple of South East Asian countries.

This Asian English release is one of the most expensive vita games currently on the 2nd hand market, often going for over $100 USD. This was never a big deal amongst casual vita users as it was available digitally. But as of last month, this is no longer the case.

This has brought up an important question. If digital is the way of the future for many games. What happens to games that never received a physical release, or very limited physical releases?

As far as I can tell, nearly 100 games have been de-listed and removed from the PlayStation store since the release of the ps4. While most of them are small indie titles, a few larger titles spring to mind immediately. The amazing Spider man, and Marvel vs Capcom 2, and Lego Lord of the rings, have all been removed from the PlayStation store.

As we continue to move forward, inching closer to a reality where digital only releases will be taken off the market more often, and some digital exclusives will eventually cease to see the digital light of day. How do we preserve these games?
Do we resort to piracy and backup copies of the game? Or do we resort to selling consoles installed with the game at higher prices, like how it currently is with the recent Silent Hill demo that was removed from the PlayStation store.

I was lucky enough to purchase a physical copy of cyber sleuth for the vita, and with it no longer available for purchase digitally, it has become one of my most prized games in my collection. Though for many, they won’t have the chance to play one of the best JRPGs on the vita without paying a large price for the game.