Digital PS3 and PS Vita games rendered unplayable after ‘expiring’

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

Kotaku reported that players on the PS3 and PS Vita are having trouble accessing their purchases after a strange expiration date appeared on certain games. The problem seems to affect classic titles, preventing users from playing them, as the games are now expired.

The expiration dates are not new, they are from half a century ago. Christopher Foose shared an image of his download, which shows that the game expired on December 31st, 1969 at 7:21 PM. He says the issue only occurred after redownloading the game, and that he is unable to play it on PS3 and PS Vita.

The PS3 had an expired date that made it impossible for the GamesHub editor to play the game. The classic title could not be found on the PS Vita store, a sign that Sony may have taken it down. Some users reported the issue with their entire digital library, as well as the issues with Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition and Gex: Enter the Gecko.

Some players say they have tried factory reset their consoles, unsubscribing, and restoring their game licenses, all to no avail, as outlined in the various threads and posts about the problem. The game company didn't respond to the request for comment.

There is a possibility that this is happening. According to Kotaku, the issue may be caused by a glitch that causes the PS3 and PS4 to have expired game licenses.

Even if this is just a glitch, it is stoking concerns that Sony is dealing with yet another blow to the PS3 and PS Vita stores. After the game company nearly closed down both stores, it made them harder to shop at by taking away the ability to use credit cards.