Sony US to shut down some servers

By Robert Purchese Published 7 April, 2008

Roughly a dozen for the gallows.

Sony America is pulling the online server plug on some of its old PS2 and PSP games.

Support for around a dozen titles will end on 30th June, according to dbTechno.

The better known titles are Lemmings on PS2 and PSP, plus Everybody's Golf and Jak X on PS2.

Sony Europe was unavailable for comment.

The full list of games losing online support is below.

PS2 Games

  • Amplitude
  • Destruction Derby Arenas
  • Everybody's Golf
  • EyeToy Chat
  • F1 '04
  • Jak X
  • Lemmings PS2
  • My Street
  • Syphon Filter Omega Strain
  • This is Football 2004
  • This is Football 2005
  • Twisted Metal: Black Online

PSP Games

  • Lemmings
  • World Tour Soccer 2
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About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (32) Latest comment 4 years ago

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

  • Baronen #1 4 years ago

    My Street nooooo~

    also, Amplitude had online support? How?

  • Moz #2 4 years ago

    Can only assume that server used has dropped below a worthwhile number and they're wanting some extra server grunt for when HOME hit's open beta (or release)

  • w00t #3 4 years ago

    Play the same track with power up to mess with your opponent. First one to fail the song loses.

  • Eraysor #4 4 years ago

    I'm quite amazed that until recently it seems people were playing an F1 game from 2004 online, especially on the PS2.

  • Skooch #5 4 years ago

    And people question why they should pay for Xbox LIVE....!!!

  • Moz #6 4 years ago

    @Eraysor that server may have been more or less empty for the last 6 to 11 months they don't tend to do shut downs that often it's easier to do a load at once and release a list to the press

  • Beano #7 4 years ago

    "And people question why they should pay for Xbox LIVE....!!!"

    Yes.

  • Moz #8 4 years ago

    And people question why they should pay for Xbox LIVE....!!!

    what so EA can still run their own survers anyway and close them down to force people into buying the latest version of their sports games

  • PlugMonkey #9 4 years ago

    And people question why they should pay for Xbox LIVE....!!!

    It may surprise and disappoint you to learn that MS occasionally close down five year old servers as well...

  • miiiguel #10 4 years ago

    Most ppl who do question why they should pay for Live never experienced it, and PSN. It will come clear.


    edit: "It may surprise and disappoint you to learn that MS occasionally close down five year old servers as well... "
    Like which game ?
    Edited by 2 at 07/04/08 @ 11:12

  • The_Inquisitor #11 4 years ago

    I didn't realise Amplitude was online (can you go online through the PS3?). I'll have to check it out sharpish.

  • OnlyMe #12 4 years ago

    I queston live, and I've experienced both. Out of all the games I've experienced lag in online, 90% of them have been from live. I'm paying, but I still prefer PSN for now.

  • Slamhound #13 4 years ago

    Lemmings! Noooooooooo!

    Wait, I don't play that on a Sony system. My bad.

  • Beano #14 4 years ago

    What you basicly get when paying for Xbox Live, is in-game and cross-game frriendslist, messaging and voice chat (a very good thing!) but games are not running any better on XBL than on PSN... actually some PSN games runs far smoother and lag-free than any XBL game due to the support for dedicated server.

    XBL is a great service though and I fully understand why some people want to pay to get a better client-implementation (in-game friendslist, etc.) but if/when PS3 gets in-game frendslist and messaging in addition to Home (something MS doesn't have anything similar to) - XBL will get under more pressure for making their service free allso. SteamWorks will also put more pressure on MS from the PC side. It's just a question of time before XBLA will be free.

  • miiiguel #15 4 years ago

    I wouldn't mind that, I mean is not a "dream come true", as I wont be anymore rich or poor because of 0.15 Eur/day (1/2 a cup of cofee).
    Regarding PSN/Home, it will be fine, I guess..., what bothers me is that "to be" thing, it's always something that should/probably/some day happen... . I suppose actually delivering is where the money pot is, talk is easy.

    Maybe because I'm an atheist, maybe is due to "4d gaming"; "toy story graphics"; and perls alike (from all companies, mind you), I need to see first.
    Edited by 1 at 07/04/08 @ 11:40

  • Beano #16 4 years ago

    "what bothers me is that "to be" thing"

    I agree... in-game friendslist and messaging should have been there on day one 1½ years ago (especially since Xbox 360 was out 1 year before PS3). But I'm just glad Sony are working on improving the PS3 features (not just PSN specific) and give owners new stuff and services for free.
    Edited by 1 at 07/04/08 @ 11:46

  • dominalien #17 4 years ago

    To MS it doesn't matter if they have to make live free at some point or not.

    They were first out the door with the console online service and convinced many people to start paying.

    So, they have already made a lot of money with it (I assume) which has, for instance, helped them offset the losses on hardware etc.

    Whether they make it free sometime in the future or not, it was still a very smart move by MS.

  • Kingofnothin #18 4 years ago

    I can see this happening to some early PS3 games within its lifecycle maybe, at least with Live you can play any game provided the service still exists which will probably be until the end of time when Bill Gates is the Master of the Universe and shoots lasers from his eyes.....think I lost my way a bit there but I'm sure you all get the point.

  • sneetch #19 4 years ago

    @miiiguel
    "0.15 Eur/day (1/2 a cup of cofee). "

    30c for a cup of coffee?!? Can I move to your country? Here in Ireland you'd be lucky to get a cup of coffee for less than 1.50 euro. And it bloody well snowed last night. Bloody weather.

    Anyhoo, did Sony tell us that it was for our convenience? Or is this another attempt to get people to buy more PS3 games (like removing the backwards compatability from PS3s)?

  • miiiguel #20 4 years ago

    sneetch, yeah... lol! It's true..., you UK guys love me country (nevermind the fact that there's no video-game renting, games cost 70 Eur. and always come laterrrrrrr!, etc.).

  • WinterSnowblind #21 4 years ago

    Home is essentially Habbo Hotel, I don't think Microsoft have too much to worry about there. If I'm trying to set up a game with some friends, it's far easier to just talk to them through MSN on the 360, or even just send them a message, rather than trying to track down everyone in a 3D chat room. I guess it will appeal massively to some people, but in my opinion it's only detracting from actually playing the games.

    I have no problem with Sony taken down these old servers, but there's even content on the PSN that's already been stripped off after just a few weeks. As far as I'm aware the only demo to disappear from Xbox Live is the Saints Row, it went away with a lot of the DLC, but even then, it seems to be some kind of error.. I don't really see how anyone can compare PSN to Xbox Live, especially as it's only £40 a year, less if you know where to look.

    Games like Metal Gear Online were shut down really quite quickly on the PS2, due to a lack of people using them, but with the 360 I can still play games that were unpopular like Perfect Dark Zero, without fear of it suddenly disappearing. If the new Metal Gear Online bombs, just how long will Sony keep it going?
    Edited by 1 at 07/04/08 @ 12:41

  • Les #22 4 years ago

    "Home is essentially Habbo Hotel, I don't think Microsoft have too much to worry about there."

    They don't need to as it will hardly turn Live-lovers away from MS's service. But that's not the point of Home. It's to attract the Habbo Hotel lovers to consoles. It might succeed or it might not, but it's one of Sony's initiatives to get PS3 into the mainstream. As such it's something MS should worry about immensely as that's what they're failing to achieve with 360.

    "I don't really see how anyone can compare PSN to Xbox Live, especially as it's only £40 a year, less if you know where to look."

    Yeah, people should stop doing that. They're different services for different audiences and shouldn't be constantly compared. It's nice if Sony can include some of the better Live features but not al all costs (and the same will probably go the other way as PSN takes shape more and more).

    "but there's even content on the PSN that's already been stripped off after just a few weeks."

    Demos sometimes get removed but nothing else to my knowledge. Don't really see the problem of that as most of the time they're pointless anyway. But I agree it would be nicer if everything stayed on there perpetually.

    "If the new Metal Gear Online bombs, just how long will Sony keep it going?"

    Sony doesn't 'keep it going', that's Konami's decision.

  • Amoebalove #23 4 years ago

    @headbog

    you're a cock!!!

  • dsmx #24 4 years ago

    As long as microsft charge for playing games online I will never buy an xbox, it's not the price it's the principle.

  • moggsy #25 4 years ago

    @ dsmx

    As long as microsft charge for playing games online I will never buy an xbox, it's not the price it's the principle.

    What really? Why not just buy one and then not subscribe to Live? You're missing out on some great entertainment.

    I mean Sony have done lots of things to piss people off over the last few years but it wouldn't probably stop most people from buying a PS3 would it?

  • WinterSnowblind #26 4 years ago

    You also have to pay monthly for games like WoW, that's far less value for money.

  • Beano #27 4 years ago

    LOL

  • Les #28 4 years ago

    "You also have to pay monthly for games like WoW, that's far less value for money."

    A friend of mine looks at it this way: Ever since he got WoW he never got any other games anymore (nor played his other console or PC games) so in the end he spent significantly less money overall on gaming... ;)

    He did get a Wii in between but just for Zelda and has recently bought a PS3 for GT5p (the GT games were basically the only ones he played on PS2). It seems the WoW magic is wearing off.

  • Machiavellian #29 4 years ago

    @Beano
    Xbox live has had dedicated server support for quite some time. I know a lot of people think it's only Peer to Peer but that decision is up to the developer/publisher. If they want to only use the peer to peer setup they can but games like Front Line, Halo 3, COD4 and a few others they use dedicated servers.

    Also we need to ask ourselves why most cross platform games seem to have more problems on the PSN then Xbox live but thats another discussion.

  • mkreku #30 4 years ago

    These are all PS2 games they're shutting down.. Has anyone here tried playing online with their old Xbox (not Xbox 360) as that's what's directly comparable to the PS2? Does it still work flawlessly with every game?

  • Pogle #31 4 years ago

    This isnt a Sony US story, its a Sony EU story.

    [link url=http://uk.pl aystation.com/help-support/ps2/guides/detail/item97821/Suppo rt-for-online-game-features/
    ]http://uk .playstation.com/help-support/p...[/link]

    Does the us even run these games?

  • Amoebalove #32 4 years ago

    @hedbog

    you're a chick!!!