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)

@Guts

That excuse would work if it wasn't for Hercules, Toy Story Racer, and Bug's Life being on PSN PSOne classics

Sony should offer refunds to anyone who bought a PSP go if they want it. Just insane.

@Uncontrol

I call it a stupidity tax. PSPGo customers should just have to live with their mistake and learn for next time.

@PirateEmery
Thats not very fair because for some people the PSPgo was the way to go (no pun intended). For people who travel a lot and don't want to carry a lot of UMD's around it was a very wise decision, and many of the big hits come out on PSN I believe this is the 1st that didn't. Even at Sony's press conference there was video of BBS playing on a PSPgo. I'm mad that I bought one and THIS is the game that isnt coming out. Also the official BBS website has a PSN logo on the bottom

Read this on IGN yesterday, and I'll say the same thing I said there: this just means I'm not buying this game immediately, no matter how much I love Kingdom Hearts.

I'd rather wait until they release it on PSN, or if they don't, I'll buy it when I have fewer games to play. This game is one that I was/am extremely excited for, so I simply refuse to play it on my 2000 with relatively dull colors compared to my PSPgo, and I sure as hell won't be buying a PSP-3000 just for this one UMD game.

Sony just wants the go to fail

I've been reading these comments....so much chaos!!!!! Whomsoever made this decision has started a war. Stuff like this causes confusion over the future of relying on digital distribution! Somebody better act quick!

It's the work of the Patriots!!

Man this is bull. I don't have a PSP Go, but I also don't like to buy UMD's for my PSP 1000

Shame that the DBZ Budokai games were also on the PSN store but removed. I really liked those games on the PSP.

Madness I tell you madness. I bought the psp go so I dont haave to carry all those worthless umd's
Well look what happens the biggest psp game it isnt going on psn....... whats up with the so called ps3 hackers hack the freaking psp go because Disney just toyed with our hearts.
Im not a pirate but I will yell AArGh for piracy

If Sony was interested in supporting the PSP Go, they would make PSN releases of all new PSP games mandatory.

@Guts Disney has absolutely nothing to do with this.

BBS features a new type of DRM that prevents a PSP from running a digital version of the game because it constantly checks if the UMD is there. That type of DRM can't be applied to a digital version, thus there won't be one.

So once again, DRM screws over the legitimate consumers...

This is Disney to blame. Not SE or Sony. I remember reading about this AGES ago that Disney wasn't keen on this.

@remakeyourself Excuse me? Sony did nothing wrong?

The GO was priced expensively because, as Sony openly admitted, "they can." Games on the PSN store are priced high because Sony wants profit despite consumers wanting cheaper digital items and not the same prices as physical.

Worst of all, it's Sony's platform and Sony's rules. The same way Nintendo doesn't allow AO games Sony can demand games be published for their platform both physically and digitally but they don't care! The Go is something they whipped up as an experiment to see if they could rake in profits by abusing and taking advantage of digital media. It failed. They don't care about giving people a good experience there.

People actually own the PSP Go? Hmmm...I guess you do learn something new every day. Good thing I noticed how much bullshit that system was and hung onto my 2000.

F**K SONY!!!!! WAISTED MY D@MN MONEY BUYING THE GO,

IT ABSOLUTELY HAS NO SUPPORT FROM THEM AT ALL. THEY RELEASED THE GO JUST TO GET BACK MONEY THEY LOST FROM THE PIRECY AND ALSO TO PUSH THE CHEAPER PSP 3000.

I AM NOT BUYING ANY NEW PSP THEY RELEASE THEY MESSED UP THERE REP WITH ME SO F**K EM!

wow that really sucks :(

I'm hoping for an eventual PS2 port myself, as that will be the only way I'll ever get to play BBS.

Although now that I think of it, do I really wanna play through a game that's only gonna make the finer details of the Kingdom Hearts storyline even more incomprehensible?

WOW that was a huge mistake rite there u made sony......... such a bad move :(

@Enigma7ic

http://forums.exophase.com/showthread.php?t=11862&page=1

I think it may have to do both with the DRM (which has actually already been cracked) and Disney issues.

*eats popcorn and watchs the madness*

I feel bad for you PSP Go owners out there, I'm never a fan of a gamer not getting to play a game they desire and are more then willing to put money down for.

While I think Sony should have put there foot down and go "look, either there's a digital version to or you are not allowed here" I think it would had been equally as foolish to let a potential exclusive in a really popular franchise both in the states and japan slip trough your fingers and hurt your relationship with both a developer and mega Corp who both have the money and balls to go "fine, we're calling Nintendo".

Isnt it weird though that the main KH: BBS website has the PSN logo on the bottom? Will it have PSN support is this just for publicity
Official Site: http://na.square-enix.com/khbbs/#/worldmap/

As much as I would have preferred a digital download of BBS, I don't mind getting to play it in UMD form. Plus, my PSP is gonna look sweet with the decal preorder bonus. :D
Although as others have mentioned, there may be the possibility that it may be released on PSN at a later date, ala Dissidia.

Lesser known fact

The "GO" in PSP GO stands for "Go f__K yourself"

No kidding the PSP Go is a total failure, hopefully SONY learned their lesson.

@tmujir955

Disney Japan =/= Disney USA. Not to mention that licensing laws vary extremely from one country to the next.

Not to mention that this is information form a tweet which is from a rep during a game convention. I've seen many a rep be utterly wrong sometimes.

It's the DRM, mark my words... and since it's cracked DRM, it makes this whole thing all the more stupid and pointless.

@JONNNathannn

You're wrong on a couple of points, but I'll focus on the big one and give you a quick economics lesson. PSN games are priced like retail games so that retailers won't get pissed. If you sell the Digital games at a lower price, that cuts into the retailer's already low sales.

If Sony wants to sell hardware, they need retailers. There's already some stores that have boycott the Go since it encourages DD sales, aka sales they don't see a penny from, so Sony needs to keep the retailers happy or else they lose a hell of a lot more.

Pricing digital games at MSRP prices is standard practice. Sony does it, Microsoft does it, and hell even Steam does it (although that's more of a special case due to the huge PC piracy issue).

That really sucks for the PSP Go owners. :(

Thanks, Disney.

I really do feel sorry for GO adopters, this is definitely a low blow. Someone clearly dropped the ball here. However, I don't hate Sony as much as everyone else for the actual device. I think there is a very clear trend toward digital downloads, in television, film AND gaming. It works with Steam (thanks in part to the amazing deals).

Sony had the right idea with this device, but the execution has been pretty awful. But going all digital makes sense, it would just work a lot better with a device that has the option to play games off a disc and with a more competitive price structure. Still, I'm open to them trying again, as long as they learn from the mistakes of the GO.

@Guts
What the hell?? Disney doesn't want to digitally distribute games? If that's the case, why did Disney create TWO iPhone games - Breakspin and Luma - and release them to the App Store??? If that's not the biggest form of digital distribution, I don't know what is!!!!! I'm really not looking forward to hearing that loud a$$ UMD spin in my PSP.

Up until this point, my psp go has been all legit, but I may have to go the pirate route since Sony has failed so bad supporting digital distro and the pspgo.

Again another reason not to buy a PSPgo. Come on Sony don't you want everyone to enjoy buying your games?

This isn't "another reason" this is a reason that was brought up before the GO even launched. Much like the iPhone Vs Evo video received a resounding "I don't Care" from pre launch GO supporters.

Who apparently now care ......

Well obviously not this specific reason but this general scenario.

@rogue05
Is there a way to get C.F on the PSPgo?

I agree man i may do the same.
i was legit until i herd about this

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!!!!!

to clear things up, it was to prevent piracy. this is a pretty big game to be released onto the psp, and as we all know, the psp has suffered a lot because of piracy. the coders and people who made the game put a certain piece of software they made onto the UMD itself, and made it so then the game would have to check for the software on the umd itself. this caused many problems as to whether or not to put it up on psn. and don't try to flame SE or sony for this because it was disney who pushed this on SE. i know because i have hacked my psp and i actually buy my games and back them up onto my memory stick. i keep it hacked so then i can enjoy the homebrew and the emulators on my psp.

Wow that's messed up. People that were loyal to Sony by spending an extra 50 for a go compared to the regular cooler psp just got ripped off. I'm sure Sony isn't the only company to do this but that's still harsh for psp go only owners

Uh, I don't have a PSP or a PSP Go and people complain they're going to have to carry a disc? Oh well I'll just borrow my friends PSP + game when he finishes :]

whatever the reason maybe it doesn't change the fact that this is truly disheartening

I only bought a go cause my psp 1k died... shouldve just used the money to repair my psp... And btw they failed since they were trying to prevent piracy by not adding it to the psn..was on a website and saw the full game ripped and iso'd.. So Epic fail Disney,and Epic Fail Sony for not caring for the go owners.

@ManiacDanDmone9k exactly, its funny that they would release it for the psp 1k-3k which is all hackable as of now, and not for the psp go, which is currently unable to be hacked for iso's

I asked play station about games on the psn. here's the reply, http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/3909/gamess.jpg

the games I asked about have yet to go up on psn, and I don't know if "not all games are available for download from the psn storefront" means that they'll never be there. Two of the games i asked were old and rare, and i doubt they'll be going on psn anytime soon... I hope bbs goes on psn. if enough people contact the publishers, we might get this game on psn.

i agree with DoverOs, i see alot of people bitch about things they dont like about games all the time, but no one seems to get that you guys always bitch to the wrong people. if all of you on here were to tell the people in charge of these things about you frustrations on it, then maybe we would get somewhere, we gotta just set them straight and say "either you can give us what we want and get paid, or we can find a way to get it for free", hell ill just send them a quick message saying, "im very unhappy with the amount of games on the psn, and this has been a huge downfall to the psp go, and sony".
cut-paste-send, and go one your way, wont take five minutes.

i personally love my Go and think its far Superior to the previous psp's with only one major downfall, but it that downfall were to be fixed entirely (all games on psn) then i think everyone would agree it would be the best psp to date. if everyone helps out, we could be helping to make the next generation of gaming even better

Previous 50 Comments

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep

Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep not coming to PSN

Reader Comments (96)

Posted: Aug 28th 2010 1:56PM Cleric said

Posted: Aug 28th 2010 2:00PM Uncontrol said

Posted: Aug 28th 2010 8:33PM PirateEmery said

Posted: Sep 7th 2010 6:23PM AquaRhapsody said

Posted: Aug 28th 2010 2:01PM Nobledevil Gaming Optimist said

Posted: Aug 28th 2010 2:52PM technician199 said

Posted: Aug 28th 2010 2:54PM Hayatoblaze91x said

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Posted: Aug 28th 2010 3:11PM SuperNovaCoolHD said

Posted: Aug 28th 2010 3:17PM Roto13 said

Posted: Aug 28th 2010 4:06PM Enigma7ic said

Posted: Aug 28th 2010 4:06PM ZAKTMT said

Posted: Aug 28th 2010 4:35PM JONNNathannn said

Posted: Aug 28th 2010 5:30PM superaj said

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Posted: Aug 28th 2010 8:50PM tmujir955 said

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Posted: Aug 29th 2010 11:38AM Gillz123 said

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Posted: Aug 30th 2010 3:34AM rogue05 said

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Posted: Sep 7th 2010 6:48PM AquaRhapsody said

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Posted: Nov 19th 2010 12:02PM ivera said

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Posted: Nov 19th 2010 11:58AM ivera said

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