Calling out to All Playstation Vita owners

[RadicalR]

I've been working in video game preservation for a while - preserving delisted PS3 and Vita titles. However, my attention recently turned to the short-lived PlayStation Mobile initiative by Sony.

Out of 710 games released to the platform, currently only 212 have been archived and saved from being lost forever. I've reached out on Twitter and have saved 5 additional games we didn't have before.



If anyone of you still have your Vita and PSM titles, please let me know! Otherwise, would it be too much to ask that you could help out my campaign to preserve these titles with a retweet?

Thanks so much!

FAQ:

Q: Am I able to redownload these titles?
A: Nope! That's why this preservation effort is so important. Sony shut down the service (as it was a flop), and basically told everyone that whatever was on their Vita was theirs, but if it dies, that's it. Some support, eh?

Q: Does my Vita needs to be hacked?
A: Yes, since we need to extract the license and generate a "fake license" that would work on all Vitas.

Q: Isn't this p-
A: No. Considering the service itself was discontinued in 2015, it's not possible to redownload any legitimately purchased software, and many of the titles are not offered on any other platform, I would safely say that this is a software preservation effort.

Q: Is there a list of missing games?
A: Check out this site: http://psmreborn.com/libary.php

(Check "Show Unplayable", uncheck the other two, and click Query - that'll show you what we're missing.)

 

[StrykerIsland]

What are PSM titles? I don't recall that. I do have a vita with a ton of games on it though.

 

[mokostroika2]

can those be downloaded into the vita again? i lost mine when i swapped memory cards for a bigger one back then. such a shitty thing for sony to have done, wish we could have been able to redownload them :'(

 

[nsilvias]

What are PSM titles? I don't recall that. I do have a vita with a ton of games on it though.

Click to shrink...

PlayStation mobile games. think ps minis

 

[Deleted member 3208]

Have my Vita, but I don't recall those titles.

 

[Rackham]

There was one mobile game in particular that podcast beyond raved about but they usually raved about dumb shit

 

[Dest]

I've got one, not sure I can be any help here.

Wouldn't this be where uh, yar har methods could come into play though?

 

[Putosaure]

I only have that Outrun clone and a retro FPS but not even sure it's on my Vita anymore

 

[RadicalR]

What are PSM titles? I don't recall that. I do have a vita with a ton of games on it though.

Click to shrink...

They had a distinct look.

 

[RadicalR]

I've got one, not sure I can be any help here.

Wouldn't this be where uh, yar har methods could come into play though?

Click to shrink...

Perhaps, but PM me?

 

[VanWinkle]

Are these PS Minis or something different?

 

[Serule]

I had like 10 downloaded for a while, unsure if I still have them. They were all from the freebies that Sony gave out.

Oh found my list:

Aqua Kitty: Milk Mine Defender

Cubixx

Fuel Tiracas

Gun Commando

Mononoke Slashdown

OMG Zombies!

Passing Time

rymdkapsel

Super Crate Box

For people unfamiliar: this was a series of titles that were cross-compatible with the Vita and select Sony smartphones.

Some eventually got full regular Vita releases. I know a few (rymdkapsel) reviewed well but I only really played OMG Zombies (which was pretty rad for like 2 hours)

 

[roguesquirrel]

Is there a list I can look at? Ive got a few on mine & want to see if theyre already preserved

 

[RadicalR]

Are these PS Minis or something different?

Click to shrink...

Different.

Is there a list I can look at? Ive got a few on mine & want to see if theyre already preserved

Click to shrink...

http://psmreborn.com/libary.php (check the first two boxes and click Query)

 

[Zool]

I do have some, but do you have enough with titles only?

 

[RadicalR]

I do have some, but do you have enough with titles only?

Click to shrink...

For starters, yes. If you happen to have a title we don't have, we can take it to PMs.

 

[MrHealthy]

I only ever got Super Crate Box and Fuel Tiracas so I am of no help but I retweeted for ya.

Are these PS Minis or something different?

Click to shrink...

Different. The PS Minis program was small games developed with PSP in mind that could also be played on PS3 and eventually Vita. These are still available since they were just on the normal PSN store.

PS Mobile were games developed with smartphones in mind that could also be played on Vita. While these were accessible through the PSN store they were technically a different service since they also were available on mobile.

 

[I Wanna Be The Guy]

When my memory card died I lost all of my PS Mobile games and you have no idea how much that pissed me off. Super Crate Box was one of my daily plays and it's gone forever.

 

[RadicalR]

When my memory card died I lost all of my PS Mobile games and you have no idea how much that pissed me off. Super Crate Box was one of my daily plays and it's gone forever.

Click to shrink...

Good thing that game is archived for all time. :)

There is a homebrew version for the Vita that's apparently better though.

 

[cnorwood]

I don't think I have any of those games

 

[dom]

Different.



http://psmreborn.com/libary.php (check the first two boxes and click Query)

Click to shrink...

I have 9 PSM games with rif files but seems to be all commons as they are in the database.

 

[RadicalR]

I have 9 PSM games with rif files but seems to be all commons as they are in the database.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, if you want to see what we're missing, check "Show Unplayable" while unchecking the other two and click "Query".

I got my work cut out for me.

 

[StrykerIsland]

PlayStation mobile games. think ps minis

Click to shrink...

Ahh yes, I have a bunch of those. Thanks

 

[.exe]

I might have picked up one or two, but I don't have them backed up locally on the device or PC by the looks of it.

Good luck with this!

 

[kodax_shc]

I am close friends with the creator of Seraphim and I have the activated game installed on my vita, but I don't have a hacked unit and am unlikely to hack my vita anytime soon. Not sure how much I could help.

 

[Tambini]

I remember PS Minis distinctly but I think PS Mobile has long been wiped from my memory

 

[Mammoth Jones]

Ugh, I gotta look for my Vita now....

 

[slider]

I found my Vita a few weeks ago and passed it to my son to have a look at. He actually preferred the PSP!

I'll have a look at what's on there and let you know, RadicalR.

 

[RadicalR]

I am close friends with the creator of Seraphim and I have the activated game installed on my vita, but I don't have a hacked unit and am unlikely to hack my vita anytime soon. Not sure how much I could help.

Click to shrink...

Can you keep me in mind when you eventually do hack it? And I pray that it's not on a 64 gig card.

 

[emperor bohe]

Is there a list of missing ones?

Off the top of my head, I know I bought Pix n' love rush. Might have more but drawing a blank...

Edit: oh that's a ps mini... Not sure if I ever had any ps mobile then

 

[RadicalR]

Is there a list of missing ones?

Off the top of my head, I know I bought Pix n' love rush. Might have more but drawing a blank...

Edit: oh that's a ps mini... Not sure if I ever had any ps mobile then

Click to shrink...

Added a site to the FAQs where you can check to see what's missing.

I found my Vita a few weeks ago and passed it to my son to have a look at. He actually preferred the PSP!

I'll have a look at what's on there and let you know, RadicalR.

Click to shrink...

Thanks!

 

[NewDust]

Are the PSM games no longer able to be downloaded or am I thinking of the Minis?

 

[RadicalR]

Are the PSM games no longer able to be downloaded or am I thinking of the Minis?

Click to shrink...

PSM games are no longer able to be downloaded. Hence, the effort I'm putting in to try to preserve them.
Once the memory card dies, you lose access to that game.

Edit: Another fun fact - even if you back them up, if something happens to your Vita, you can no longer play those games *even* with a valid license!

 

[NewDust]

PSM games are no longer able to be downloaded. Hence, the effort I'm putting in to try to preserve them.
Once the memory card dies, you lose access to that game.

Edit: Another fun fact - even if you back them up, if something happens to your Vita, you can no longer play those games *even* with a valid license!

Click to shrink...

That was my thinking. Might have a look on the Vita TV, but I'm afraid I had that mostly allocated to bigger titles. And I might gmhave lost a memory card or two... Why were those things so tiny?

 

[nampad]

Didn't bother to save the PSM games I had back in the days. Sony just getting rid of them like this really sucked though.
Won't hack my Vitas for this but good that there is such an initiative.

 

[RadicalR]

Didn't bother to save the PSM games I had back in the days. Sony just getting rid of them like this really sucked though.
Won't hack my Vitas for this but good that there is such an initiative.

Click to shrink...

That's fine - I had a frustrating case where someone had a bunch of PSM games that hadn't been archived, but they didn't want to hack their Vita.
I understand why. I only told them that those games are only going to last as long as that 64 gig card is going to last. And any Vita fan knows that's a *bad* thing.
Once it fails, all of those legally purchased games are lost to the void.

 

[yyr]

I have four folders' worth of them. Actual app titles below, sorry that I don't have the "real" titles on me. Hit me up if you don't have these yet. I already have CFW so I should be able to do whatever you need. Unfortunately I don't have any paid DLC for the below, so if that wasn't already included with the game, I can't help with that.

60second shooter
A_B_Labyrinth
Aqua Kitty
Aqualibrium
Beats Slider
Beats Trellis
Crab In Space
Cubixx
Daryl
DontDieDateless
Dynamite Dude (my friend made this)
F*Note (ENG)
Fuel Tiracas
Galatic Junk
Gun Commando
Hamster Crane
Life Born
MUSYNC
Microbe Chain
Mikogaku Kaede
Miko Gakkou 2
Mikogaku Sanae
MSD
Mussoumano
Oh, Deer! Alpha
OMG-Zombies!
Picbox
Pixel Poops (I made this)
Puzziball
RIVAL
Rock Boshers DX
SHOOTING
Samurai Beatdown
Saviour Sammie
Sokoban Catzzles
SpiritsOfElduum
Super Crate Box
Sword of Rapier
zencat

Meanwhile, last time I checked I could launch these, but now it says I don't have the runtime package. Sigh.

That's fine - I had a frustrating case where someone had a bunch of PSM games that hadn't been archived, but they didn't want to hack their Vita.
I understand why. I only told them that those games are only going to last as long as that 64 gig card is going to last. And any Vita fan knows that's a *bad* thing.

Click to shrink...

wtf. Why would anyone still have an official 64GB card and an unhacked Vita? It's amazing the card lasted *this* long as it is. That is just sad.

I have never pirated anything on my system but IMO the hack is absolutely necessary for anyone still using a Vita in 2022, just to be able to use SD2Vita and a microSD card.

Edit: hey cool, I have 6 of the games currently listed as "unplayable." Hope I can help!

 

[GhostSeed]

I'll have to check my Vita when I get home. The only one of these I remember playing was Oh, Deer!.

 

[VanWinkle]

wtf. Why would anyone still have an official 64GB card and an unhacked Vita? It's amazing the card lasted *this* long as it is. That is just sad.

I have never pirated anything on my system but IMO the hack is absolutely necessary for anyone still using a Vita in 2022, just to be able to use SD2Vita and a microSD card.

Edit: hey cool, I have 6 of the games currently listed as "unplayable." Hope I can help!

Click to shrink...

I'm always scared I'm going to mess something up, so I never end up hacking any of my old systems - Vita included.

 

[RadicalR]

I'm always scared I'm going to mess something up, so I never end up hacking any of my old systems - Vita included.

Click to shrink...

I can assure you hacking the Vita is one of the easiest things to do.

 

[yyr]

I'm always scared I'm going to mess something up, so I never end up hacking any of my old systems - Vita included.

Click to shrink...

Following the simple directions at vita dot hacks dot guide is really simple, I assure you, and the chances of bricking your console are near zero.

You could try softmodding a Wii first, if you want. Replacement cost on those is pretty low.

 

[Novocaine]

The only one I have is Super Crate Box

 

[RadicalR]

The only one I have is Super Crate Box

Click to shrink...

Have that one, but thanks for checking!

 

[emperor bohe]

I'm always scared I'm going to mess something up, so I never end up hacking any of my old systems - Vita included.

Click to shrink...

If anything it's hard to mess anything up while hacking a Vita

 

[RadicalR]

Two more PSM games were preserved today! Vita Bounce and Monster Hotel!

 

[Oyashiro-Sama]

The only one I have still downloaded is Tokyo Jungle Mobile.

 

[RadicalR]

The only one I have still downloaded is Tokyo Jungle Mobile.

Click to shrink...

Been archived, but thanks for checking!

 

[gr8kamon]

Fuck me I know I had a bunch of these, but I never got around to buying a SD2Vita and now my 64GB has failed :(.

The only saving grace is I don't exactly remember having any of the unarchived ones, but I def could've. I feel like I've let you all down

 

[SixelAlexiS]

EDIT: sorry, OP is talking about Mobile and not Minis games.

They are preserving only the Vita versions? I played Minis on PS3 when they were given away on Plus, my favorite where "the 2d adventures of rotating octopus character", "aero racer", "flying hamster", "where is my heart?" and of course the first "Velocity", at least the one I remember.

None of those are on the OP site tho :/

You can see them here:

 

[MrBS]

I lost my PSM titles to a card reset. It sucked.

SixelAlexiS minis are different from PlayStation Mobile titles and can still be downloaded