Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep not coming to PSN

by Griffin McElroy on Aug 28th 2010 12:00PM

Late last year, we heard a pretty troubling rumor about Square Enix's first keybladed outing on the PSP, Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep -- that the game wouldn't get a downloadable version on the PSN, thereby preventing any PSP Go owners from getting their hands on it. It's almost nine months later, and Square has finally commented on the rumor, confirming to IGN that "Square Enix, Inc. currently has no plans to release Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep through the PlayStation Store."

Considering Birth By Sleep is one of the highest-profile releases on the platform in some time, this is an awfully disheartening turn of events for owners of the download-only handheld. We've contacted Sony and Square Enix to find out the reason behind the title's absence from the PSN.

[Thanks, Guts!]

Source: IGN, BecauseIToldYouSo

Tags: Kingdom-Hearts-Birth-by-Sleep, playstation, psn, psp, psp-go, sony, square-enix

Reader Comments (96)

EPIC FAIL, Sony.

You have so totally squandered the potential awesomeness of your PSP line.

I wouldn't say squandered the awesomeness of the PSP line .... Just the Go, which was arguably the 5.6 oz platypus in the room anyhow. Every other PSP is just fine.

In the end the real call here is in the hands of Squeenix as Sony can't exactly put a gun to their head and tell them they are putting their game up on PSN "or else".

I stand corrected apparently the call rested in the hands of Disney who did not want their games to go the digital download rout, as evidenced in a comment farther down the page.

@Hawaii Jeff

isn't this more SE's fault not Sony?? SE is the one refusing to add it to the PSN. you think that it SE would be all about putting the game on the PSN being it would be the easiest way to protect it from piracy.

@Scuffles PSP is Sony's platform. They can absolutely require games to be both digital and physical.

@JONNNathannn I guess your right they could start making demands like that ...

.... Unfortunately Sony isn't the only fish in the sea and if they did I'm sure you would see some of their key developers, who don't like the idea or setup of the current digital distro model moving elsewhere.

So I guess they could have put their foot down, laying out the law and BBS could have been released exclusively on the 3DS.

@Scuffles Disney has a game available on Xbox Live Games on Demand right now (Pure), so I don't know if the deal was an old one set in place before most new games appeared on PSN.

Yeah, PSPgo users got ripped off big time. I will never buy another Sony handheld console that's for sure.

Sony: It has all the benefits of the PSP-3000 but it's smaller, all digital, you'll still get the same games, and we'll rip you off big time by not having discounts on games and charge higher than retail stores even though we don't have to pay to have it put on that outdated UMD format

Consumer: That sounds awesome! Wait a second, you say we'll still get all the same games?

Sony: *Snicker* Sure!

Not to say We told you so ....................... but........

@BloodiedWraith

What I don't get is....why?

@BloodiedWraith

All the same benefits? Last time I checked the 3000 didn't have a 'pause' save state feature, bluetooth PS3 controller connectivity and tethering.

I have both versions of the PSP and I much prefer the design and functionality of the Go. But don't get me wrong, I agree it is stupid when a publisher doesn't put their game on the PlayStation Store.

@BloodiedWraith Uhhhh there are plenty discounted games on PSN...But the rest of what u said is spot on....tho I will buy the PSP2....or a PSPhone...hell both...

@BloodiedWraith

*Reads article*

.....

*Looks at his PspGo on his desk*

.....

*sigh*

@BloodiedWraith
I have a question . can this be filed as a class action suit? because this is false advertisement man!!! wtf! they advertised KHBB on the psp go on e3 and when the psp go was annouced sony said it will have ALL the games the current psp's have SO WTF!!!!!

Wow, just goes to show Sony has no interest in supporting the PSP Go.

And yes, I realize SE is not owned by Sony, but if Sony was truly interested in supporting the PSP Go I'm sure they would push SE to release it on the PS Store.

It's not Square Enix's fault that the PSP-GO is awful.

I commend them for protesting it.

@Magnalon
You know, it's not only PSPGo users that buy games on PSN. I have a PSP-3000 but I hate UMDs; I buy most of my games on PSN out of convenience. Sure I'll be able to buy Birth By Sleep on UMD, but I'd very much prefer the option to own it digitally.

I agree; I'd much rather buy a game on the PSN if the option is available. UMD's are awful.

@Willzyx Which is why homebrew and custom firmware is an important option that shouldn't be stereotyped as only for pirates. Install a CFW on your PSP, whack in your UMD, connect via USB to your PC, rip the ISO, save to memory card, job done. One UMD copy, one digital copy.

You have all the benefits of a digital copy without any of the DRM bullshit.

@Guts

Logged in and I was about to say the same thing, then refreshed and saw this =D

However I guess we could still blame Sony for not putting a UMD drive in the PSPGo and SE for not sorting these things out with Disney.

Looks like i'm trading my pspgo for a psp..

@No Kill Tayler I wasn't aware any PSP Go owners didn't already own a regular PSP....all 23 people I know that own one also have either a 2000, 3000, or 1,000....shit a few have every version of the PSP. Me myself I'm good with my 3000 and the numerous 8GB Memory sticks I have...

@Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi That's true, I'm getting myself a PSP Go when I get a chance(mostly for PS1 Classics), and I currently own a PSP 2000, but I'll be keeping it for games I want to get like KH BBS, The 3rd Birthday and FF Agito XIII on retail.

@Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi

What? Why own more than one PSP??

"Well, we really don't want to be associated with the kind of people who are daft enough to buy such a device."

@ThePenIsMightier

I lol'd.

Ok, kids, what lesson have you learned about buying a console that doesn't accept physical media?

@PirateEmery

That it's awesome and gets me great sales? Steam.

@PirateEmery

That it actually has to be supported to be successful?

If the PSP was digital-only from day one and that was just the accepted way to put games on it then we wouldn't be dealing with the BS.

@Cleric

You'll find there is a problem with your logic.

Steam is fantastic. I love it, use it. But the difference is that my computer is able to read PHYSICAL media as well as utilize the Steam marketplace. If my computer didn't have a disc drive and new games weren't available on Steam, I would be unable to play them. Period.

Same argument is equivalent to the PSP. My PSP-1000 works perfectly fine. It can play games on physical media as well as download and play games via PSN. It can do both. Sony is offering a similar console that can only do 50% of what my console can do. By mere examination, it is clear that the PSP-1000 is far superior to the PSPGo (a product released several years later). You purchased a portable console that is, uh, more(?) portable? Sorry... I can't get the logic. The PSPGO would be a great device... were it the beginning of a generation... not at the end.

This sucks. I had a modded PSP-1000, started to feel guilty, bought and loved my Go. I have played so many RPGs on it and PS Plus has made it an even better investment.

Now... If I want to play this game, when I own every other KH game, I have no choice but to pirate it.

@remakeyourself

please punch yourself in the balls

@remakeyourself

...

Or you could get off your lazy ass and go buy the UMD?

@remakeyourself You have a modded PSP-1000? So, just buy the UMD and rip it to your memory card.

@PS1 Sony did nothing wrong here. The fans clamored for a disc-less PSP, and they got it. Maybe not a solution for PSP UMD games, but whatever. We got what we asked for. Squeenix is to blame here, and I can't believe they would do that.

Put the blame where it belongs people, the PSP pirating is out of control..it doesnt take a genius to see why they would do this.

@BubbRubb

Eh...going the PSN route would PREVENT pirating. Putting it on UMD seems counterproductive for stopping pirating.

@CaptainProtonX Exactly, putting on the PSN would only make it more difficult to pirate.

and @bubbrubb - why?

I'm not sure where the link between digital disto and preventing piracy started but it really wouldn't present much if any roadblock above and beyond current DRM which doesn't seem to slow any intent pirates down.

I'm not arguing against digital distro in any way, it is a good option to have. Its just not some magical pirate killing silver bullet, its merely shifts the point of sale for honest customers.

This will be ported to the PS2 before it ever appears on the PSP Go.

"The PSP Go has been a "success".'

Suck my balls...

@Guts

I really don't understand why Disney would have a problem getting money for one of their products...

I mean, they pimp the Hell outta their Disney Princesses...

@remakeyourself
Did you even read Guts' post? It is in fact Disney's fault that BBS isn't out on the Go. The only reason Square-Enix probably didn't argue with Disney's policy is because they didn't really see enough profit coming from the Go to put it on the system. While that may be greedy of them, I can't really blame them for not supporting a failure of a system.

Your talking the Disney that arbitrarily pulls movies from its "Vault" in yearly rotation. At the end of which they demand a recall of said unsold movies to be destroyed ......

and this surprises you how ?

Lol....they don't destroy them.....they literally put them in a warehouse called "The Vault" that's how a digital copy of "Song of the South" is roaming around on the interwebs....that hasn't been re released like ever....yet there is a really good copy online....

OH #@%&#$&!!!

ok where can I get a super cheap PSP for this game...hmmmm

Square Enix is run by monkeys.

Oh well. Crap.

I'm not sure I understand Square's logic. But whatever. Dissidia came to PSN after a bit of a wait.

@Guts

So... We won't place it on the PSN and the Go (who hasn't been hit very hard by piracy so far) and we'll stick with the UMD and the regular PSP allowing our game to be pirated to kingdom come.

One would think publishers would be jumping at the opportunity to go digital and have one less link in the chain to leak the games to piracy.

It would be nice to at least get an explanation why.

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