Sony refunds borked PSN games

By Tom Bramwell Published 10 August, 2007

Troubled PSone game pledge.

Sony has said it will refund consumers who bought PSone title Spyro 2: Gateway to Glimmer and now MediEvil from the PlayStation Store.

In emails sent directly to customers, Sony said customers would have their purchase refunded to the PlayStation Store wallet in the next seven days, after which Spyro 2 and MediEvil would be removed from their PS Store download list.

"You will be aware from the description of the product on PlayStation Store that some variation in functionality from the original PSone version is to be anticipated," the publisher wrote.

"However there appear to be more significant technical issues."

We're still waiting to hear back about the latest on Crash Bandicoot 2, which was also pulled.

Update: Initially we told you that Spyro 2 had been refunded but within minutes we'd received another mail from Sony saying we'd get our MediEvil money back too. It's refund city and we're the mayor!

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (45) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Darren #1 5 years ago

    Well done, Sony! Maybe this will teach you to test the bloody games properly before you release them to the public? I can understand the testers missing minor bugs and glitches but this game takes at most ten minutes to discover it's sodding broken so how the heck did they miss that? :?

  • jonsaan #2 5 years ago

    Why not just give us all the PS1 games already up and working on the US store? Instead we have about 3.

  • Moogrose #3 5 years ago

    i'd just like them to put crash 2 back on - its not like anything was wrong with it in the first place surely?

  • Eighthours #4 5 years ago

    Why not just give us all the PS1 games already up and working on the US store?

    Sadly the differences between the regional iterations of the Playstation Store are another example (of so many now, it's ridiculous) of Sony treating Europe like shit.
    Edited by 2 at 10/08/07 @ 13:05

  • SeesThroughAll #5 5 years ago

    An expensive mistake (the dodgy QC that is) that Sony would do best not to repeat...

  • RumpyStumpy #6 5 years ago

    well you get what you pay for! if sony can't get their online system right and have these problems what hope does everyone else have?

    That's why I don't mind paying my xbox live subscribtion and getting a uniformed service.

    Edited by 2 at 10/08/07 @ 13:12

  • mattigan #7 5 years ago

    You don't get this sort of thing on Live Arcade, The games are generally shit though so it's swings and roundabouts I guess...

  • SeesThroughAll #8 5 years ago

    They'll probably only bring these titles back with the next firmware update (the PS1 emulation code itself needs to be fixed methinks).

  • Steroyd #9 5 years ago

    Rumpty Stumpty how the heck does a subscription charge equate to this?

    No problems with Nintendo's VC service and that's free, Sony's just plain being shitty I mean it's a PSone ROM for christs sake.

  • RumpyStumpy #10 5 years ago

    @ egstar

    What live downloads have baulked consoles? I can't think of any and it is probably the ring of death which is a problem granted but how can the same download screw up some consoles and not others? Its just not random that way.

  • SeesThroughAll #11 5 years ago

    I mean it's a PSone ROM for christs sake.

    Actually, it's more like a compressed ISO image, but then that's just me being pedantic.

    @ Rumpy Stumpy:

    He's probably referring to those early 360s that would brick on update, but that was a hardware compatibility problem, which has already been solved a very long time ago...
    Edited by 1 at 10/08/07 @ 13:25

  • Wayne #12 5 years ago

    I bet both those guys appreciate the refund ;0)

  • RumpyStumpy #13 5 years ago

    anyway I have a ps3 and the most disturbing thing about it is that all the good games are last gen rehashes which don't work properly!

    I didn't spend £425 quid to play old games on my new console.

    I also have a Wii and all I can say is novelty toy party piece shit!

  • SeesThroughAll #14 5 years ago

    Are you referring to NG sigma? What problem does it have?

  • RumpyStumpy #15 5 years ago

    no the problems for the ps3 are that apart from resistance and motorstorm most of the new ps3 games have been out on 360 for a while or are coming out with rumble vf5 etc and they now think it is important to rush out old ps2 games instead of new ps3 content.

    now don't get me wrong I think the ps3 is a fabulous piece of kit but jesus i would like something new to play on it.

    i'm not so keen on my wii though!!
    Edited by 1 at 10/08/07 @ 13:38

  • Wayne #16 5 years ago

    I like the irony. Sony said that backward compatability wasn't a priority. Then they put PS1 up for download.

  • Steroyd #17 5 years ago

    I use my PS3 to enjoy PS1 games. :/

    I guess people easily forget the Xbox 360's first year

    /time machine 2006

    after Oblivion was launched 6 months ago I'd be looking forward to Dead Rising in the coming weeks.

    /time machine back to 2007

  • citizenHUNTER #18 5 years ago

    I guess a refund is the least thing they should have done, so, yay they're acting like any other company would in a similar situation...

  • slickster #19 5 years ago

    sony your the best you won't see MS giveing refunds.look at the console for one.

  • lennon #20 5 years ago

    @Slickster - MS refund MS points if you get a new console and you complain about only being able to play games when connected so theres very little difference as far as I can see.

  • JYM60 #21 5 years ago

    Well I was silly enough to buy Spyro and I have to agree with disc. Free copy please. :)

  • jonsaan #22 5 years ago

    Anyone who has a 50hz only tv deserves everything they get.
    Edited by 1 at 10/08/07 @ 16:42

  • Fodder #23 5 years ago

    If you have a PAL PS3, it'll only output 50Hz on an SDTV no matter if your TV does 60Hz or not, AFAIK.

  • Wayne #24 5 years ago

    I've seen it all now, a TV snob.

  • BootLace #25 5 years ago

    While I'm not too keen on the PS1 games on the PS3, they work a treat on the PSP (with the one caveat of the quite possibly the worst d-pad in the world).

    Not played Spyro 2 much (1hr on PS3 and about 30min on PSP), but the only problem I'd noticed so far, was that the speech messed up once on the PSP. Are there any more significant issues I can look forward to? Oh, and will they suddenly stop working in some kind of evil DRM way if I stay net connected? At the moment I'm happy with Spyro 2, and it's now free! :) *cue distant sound of an exploding psp*

  • Diabeu #26 5 years ago

    borken? lol

  • captainrentboy #27 5 years ago

    No Steroyd, no one has forgotten the 360's first year, and back in early 2006 I'm sure there were lots of folk moaning like fuck at the lack of decent games.
    Well that was then, this is now, and hey, it's the PS3's turn to go through the same shite I'm afraid.
    I'm sure back then, you weren't saying ''Awww, leave the poor 360 alone, it's only been out a few months''
    The piss taking 360 owners aren't going to sit here remembering how bad it all USED to be are they?

  • Wyrm #28 5 years ago

    lol @ people who thought buying these games was a good idea in teh first place

  • DanWhitehead #29 5 years ago

    Yeah, they're almost as stupid as people who buy classic films on DVD. Who wants to revisit great things from the past anyway?
    Edited by 1 at 11/08/07 @ 08:11

  • ozpass #30 5 years ago

    I'm not about to get upset over £5 either way. Refunding it was the decent thing to do, however. I'd be more interested in getting a working copy of MediEvil back on my console though.

    Even better would be some sort of gene therapy that stops me being the only person in the world who gets sucked into the sh*t franchises. Example: MediEvil and Rallisport Challenge are two of my favourite games.

  • Steroyd #31 5 years ago

    Hey captain no skin off my nose was and is still enjoying PS1 and PS2 a luxury my Xbox bretherin couldn't enjoy fully last year. :p

    there were those shoddy PS2 ports for next gen prices...
    Edited by 1 at 11/08/07 @ 14:10

  • captainrentboy #32 5 years ago

    Yeah that was terrible, no doubt about it, but it's kind of like the old 360 games that the PS3 got on its launch, and is still getting now (wonderfully, for almost twice the RRP in most cases), only difference being, back in early 2006 at least the 360 ports of PS2 titles were ever so slightly more graphically advanced....

  • TheUnionFrag #33 5 years ago

    captain - obviously you were drunk off your ass in Q1 and 2 2006. We had GRAW and Oblivion. Nuff said.

  • Steroyd #34 5 years ago

    only difference being, back in early 2006 at least the 360 ports of PS2 titles were ever so slightly more graphically advanced....

    Only Sony's getting next gen ports rather than last gen ports....

  • captainrentboy #35 5 years ago

    Ha, I was going to post a lengthy comment, pointing out the errors in your, die hard, Sony defending replies.
    But, I'm a bit bored now, and I'm sure you've read the same sort of thing aimed at you 1000 times before.
    So a simple, ''My God, you're absolutely right after all'' will suffice, and will hopefully lessen the need for you to respond again.

  • Steroyd #36 5 years ago

    Games cometh with time not magic, therefore thou must enjoy thee PS2/PS1 library if thou art bored.

    *reply* *reply *reply*
    *submit* *submit* *submit*

    Don't see no-one bitchin' about the Wii's lack of games... oh wait they're in the same boat as the PS3, coincidence?

  • captainrentboy #37 5 years ago

    Ahhh, I just can't resist posting, I can't stop myself...
    Personally, I would have as much of a dig at the Wii as I do the PS3 (Let's face it, it's catalogue of games at the moment is faaar worse than the PS3's), but the thing is, I hardly ever see Wii owners on this site acting as fucking stupid, or being as argumentative, as I do the PS3 and 360 owners.
    (And no Steroyd, the insult wasn't aimed at you)
    Like I said earlier, the 360 had an awful few months early on, just like the other two are having now, but like the 360 back then, the other two are going to have to put up with numerous digs aimed at them until they actually build up a worthwhile back catalogue.
    *I'm talking about the consoles like they're living things, I need help*

  • Steroyd #38 5 years ago

    Yeah it's like a drug must...stop...trying...to...get...last...say.

    I'm just sayin' PS3 lack of games is no different to any other console just a wee bit narrow minded to only concentrate on PS3 games.

    So we're on the same wavelength why on earth are we having this er...debate?

  • captainrentboy #39 5 years ago

    I don't know.... Hug me.

  • RazorObsession #40 5 years ago

    Backwards compatibility is over rated. The Rosy tint of nostalgia affecting your good judgment. The gaming equivalent of thinking with your dick.

    Most of the retro shit on live arcade is just that, shit, but using the medium to create and distribute original yet old skool style content is where its at, or should be.

    Sony needs to concentrate on pumping out stuff like calling all cars and little big planet quickly, to pass the time waiting for bigger titles, keep their fanboys happy.

    At the moment I pity PS3 owners lack of choice, and choice of console, but hang in there guys, one day you'll look back at these forums and laugh. Probably from delirium, waiting for content, but look on the bright side guys, you can watch all those excellent Blu ray movies that you all own!

    /smugly goes back to playing considerable catalogue of 360 games. The cunt.

  • Kryon #41 5 years ago

    "I hardly ever see Wii owners on this site acting as fucking stupid"

    Wow, you must not have met smelly then ;) I swear to God, that guy seriously must be shafting his Wii up the USB port right as we speak!

  • wellzy4eva #42 5 years ago

    me personally, I hate the idea of backwards compatibility, and I'm blaming Sony for doing it with the PS2, sure people were pretty pee'd off when they bought a SNES and couldn't play NES games anymore, or their new Dreamcast couldn't play Nights, but we used to move on, now backwards compatibility seems a necessity that people moan like hell about just because a Xbox360 cannot play every old xbox game that you may have in your collection.

    I just think if backwards compatibility wasn't an issue, then companies like Nintendo/Microsoft/Sony wouldn't spend so much time and resources either trying to get old games working or porting them for downloadable services and more time on new games, improving on the other capabilities of the consoles and more new original content.

    Then again I don't mind having three consoles connected, what do the rest of you think?
    Edited by 1 at 13/08/07 @ 00:09

  • Darren #43 5 years ago

    I have three consoles connected to my TV, yes, but they're all from the current generation. I do not wish to have an Xbox, PS2 and GameCube connected as well so I'm delighted that all my current systems are backward compatible. Just because a new console is released, doesn't make all the old games redundant as the PS2 still has plenty of fantastic games, many arguably better than the majority of so called current-gen offerings. Retro gaming is also very popular at the moment with both Xbox Live Arcade and the Wii's Virtual Console so people DO want to play old games. Backwards compatibility is a very nice feature to have and makes upgrading to a new console feel less like starting from scratch all over again and it also means you don't have to hang on to the old hardware.

    Even HD-DVD and BD players have backwards compatibility as they also play DVDs. Presumably that's included to encourage people to upgrade without making them feel they have to chuck out all their old DVDs in the process. Well the same thing applies to consoles in my opinion.

  • Steroyd #44 5 years ago

    wellzy4eva

    I don't think so Nintendo is re-making money on titles they've created longer than a decade ago, and they'll stay there easier to find than in retail.

  • Sebo #45 5 years ago

    I've all three current consoles hooked up too, and seriously couldn't justify any more without it becoming a mess, so backwards compatibility gets my vote.

    I've actually spent quite a lot of time downloading old stuff, particularly on the Wii, even though it's hellishly overpriced. And the PS3's offering is good too. I have to admit that I don't like the Gamecube compatibility on Wii, it's really ugly having the controller plugged in the top, but I'd rather have it than not.

    @wellzy4eva. See your point about resources, but think Nintendo in particular are making easy money off their virtual console so it hopefully that cash will be used to help develop new projects.


    Edited by 1 at 14/08/07 @ 11:55