The advent of online games for both Xbox and PlayStation necessitated that companies create and dedicate servers for those titles. These servers functioned to keep the online community active and also add new content to some games that required over-the-air updates and DLC. But, as with all things, the life cycle of any game must come to an end.
While single-player titles tend to fade away from the spotlight slowly, more connected titles have a bit of a send-off. This involves an announcement to shut down the servers, one that has recently been made for LittleBigPlanet 3. It’s a bittersweet moment, and fans have been expressing their love for the exclusive title.
PlayStation Announces LittleBigPlanet 3 Servers to Shut Indefinitely
The shutting down of servers marks the end of the game’s official life cycle. While the title will continue to live on through crowdsourced projects, it will not receive any official support. This becomes a bit more difficult when the title is a console exclusive, but homebrewers and modders find a way to keep it alive.
Play, Create, Share.
Thank you LittleBigPlanet, for everything pic.twitter.com/QSWFcT7BsZ
— Radec (@realradec) April 20, 2024
So, when it was announced the game’s servers would be shutting down, fans of the franchise came together to mourn the series’ fate. By giving the average player the ability to create their own levels and experiences, the game was truly unique.
You are going to make me cry Radec 🥲 A part of me basically died today
— Ataberk Ateş (@RedPhoenixTR) April 20, 2024
The online community also greatly enhanced the experience of the game. All of the games in this PlayStation-exclusive series fostered a sense of collaboration and togetherness, with people chiming in to help solve queries and problems faced by those building levels.
I still remember hearing about the game first in the PlayStation home lbp 1 world before the game got out and asking my parent to buy it for me 😩
— ⁎⁺˳sami (@samimotion) April 20, 2024
There were some truly unique experiences created. Ideas ranged from simple platforming to entire storylines that used the loveable Sackboys as stand-in characters.
Some were even able to recreate scenes and moments from other well-known franchises. The customization options are what helped the title stand out. Even though the servers have shut down, the spirit of the game will live on in titles such as Sackboy: A Big Adventure and Dreams.
Fans Demand LittleBigPlanet 4 to Keep the Franchise Going
People had a bit of foreshadowing when it came to the fate of LittleBigPlanet. The servers were taken down temporarily in January, and that was a warning sign. PlayStation has cited “ongoing technical issues” for closing the servers.
Any content already stored on PS4 will be available for players, but online creations are forever gone. Some fans are a little indignant about how the situation has been handled. One states that all the time and effort people put into the game has now been negated with a single-sentence tweet.
Damn that's all we get? A tweet? Countless hours spent by the whole community to make tens of millions of levels that are now completely gone to be forgotten about, and all we get is a one-sentence-long Tweet.
— Albert (@heyslimeball) April 19, 2024
Another one asks if the company is willing to disclose the issues that led to this outcome. We doubt the developer will be sharing these details.
1. are there any plans to address the completion limitations as a result of this (for instance, platinum trophies are no longer obtainable for this title)
2. if you can't fix the "ongoing technical issues", is there any interest in disclosing what those issues even *are*?— Kaius (they/them) (@KaiuswithaK) April 19, 2024
The most likely outcome is that the franchise will be carried on using community-made tools, and while that will limit access for many, it’s better than nothing. It’s time to pay our respects to the game and hope people continue to support it via homebrews.
What technical issues do you think led to the closing of the servers? Let us know in the comments below!
