Back in January, LittleBigPlanet 3 servers were temporarily taken down by Sumo Digital. The developer said it was a necessary step to fix annoying technical issues that made the game unplayable. Roughly three months later, the team has revealed that the technical issue is unredeemable.
“Due to ongoing technical issues which resulted in the LittleBigPlanet 3 servers for PS4 being taken offline temporarily in January 2024, the decision has been made to keep the servers offline indefinitely,” read a statement from the developers which was posted on X.
ALSO READ: Larian Studios Is Working On 2 New IPs As It Moves On From Baldur’s Gate 3
“All online services including access to other players’ creations for LittleBigPlanet 3 are no longer available. User-generated content (UGC) stored locally on your PS4 will remain available. Any new UGC you create can be played on your PS4 but not shared. Offline features such as the campaign will remain playable. Thank you for your support.”
Most fans of the franchise were visibly angry and took to the comment section of the announcement to air their frustration. To make up for the loss, some fans are suggesting that the developers should announce LittleBigPlanet 4.
“LBP4 would be amazing, please bring the franchise back,” commented @JV_C_R.
“Wow. I don’t even play this game and I’m furious for all the people who busted their asses making great levels and wanted to share their work to others,” wrote Matt Barnette. “Do better, video gaming as a whole”.
ALSO READ: 2 Ways To Play PS5 In Tesla Exposed
Another user with the handle @blueaxolotl64 gave an example of how the server shutdown will impact creators. “There’s a really good LBP creator named dstomp on YouTube, he makes really funny and witty levels. I almost feel bad for the guy now because recently he was scraping all the DLC items out of his levels so that players could inspect them once the servers came back. now it’s worthless.”
What shuttering of the servers mean for LittleBigPlanet 3 players
As mentioned in the announcement, an offline campaign of LittleBigPlanet 3 will still be available to all players who own the game. Only the online part of the game will cease to exist. The game is still on sale on the PlayStation store for $20.
According to the product page, it is possible to play LittleBigPlanet 3 on PS5. However, players need to update their console to the latest system software. When playing on PS5, some of the features that are available to players on PS4 may be absent.
For those who are not familiar with LittleBigPlanet 3, it is an epic adventure of Sackboy and his team of new friends through a mysterious, unexplored world filled with endless surprises.
“Play with all of the brilliantly unique talents of OddSock, Swoop, and Toggle as the newcomers work together with Sackboy® to solve puzzles and explore the creativity-powered planet Bunkum,” read the official game description.
ALSO READ: Why Is My Gaming Laptop So Slow? 5 Ways To Fix It!
One of the lures that kept players in the game was the tools that gave players the ability to design their own games and levels. While creating the levels, the player could add any sound or voice using the PS4 headset. It was a thing of pride for players to share the levels they created with their friends.
Released in 2014, LittleBigPlanet 3 was a treasure because it was the last main installment in the franchise. Everything that followed was a spinoff that didn’t share the same name with the franchise.
Just yesterday, we reported that a petition has emerged asking the UK Parliament to stop publishers from shuttering games that were released to the public. The creator of the petition wants publishers to keep games in playable condition even when they are taken offline. See the details of the petition here.
