Sony seems to be culling it's UK studios one after another starting with Sony Liverpool a few years ago. Now with the European HQ moving to Holland and the SingStore shutting its servers on January 31st 2020 the question has to be asked:

How did Sony kill this license to print money? Why did they not allow backwards compatibility with the PS2 / PS3 song disc to bolster the track listings like the PS2 to PS3 transition? Why did they alienate players by forcing the SingStar icon to be displayed on the PS3 Dashboard?

More widely; do they even still care about Europe? SingStar and WipeOut were both massive in Europe but not in the U.S. Does this bode well for Media Molecule and Dreams?

Anyway, please get any remaining song you want online while the servers are still on. Not many of the listed one still allow purchases in the UK region (would it be embarrassing to show only those that are still ACTUALLY available?). The Oasis tracks are still up though if you'd like to blast Don't Look Back in Anger on 31st January next year!

Last edited by BigD on 28-Dec-2019 at 02:18 AM.

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"Art challenges technology. Technology inspires the art."
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Forget about Brexit and the entry of the Coronavirus into the UK, it looks like Sony have already shut down the SingStar server as SingStar.com is completely unresponsive! Those wanting a last song download are going to be disappointed now even though the shut down was supposed to be midnight tonight!

There have been no Tweets and no Facebook posts from Sony Studio London. This is a passing of a truely iconic party game but with no fanfare or even acknowledgement from Sony!

Luckily I picked up the downloadable Oasis / Kings of Leon tracks I wanted at Christmas and the discs will always be available on eBay. So much fun and memories! It looks like the Creative Director Charlie Hasdell saw it was a sinking ship in 2017 and left! Sony are too risk averse in my view; case in point their old IP and the lack of desire to follow up the Vita handheld!

A sensible well thought out relaunch of SingStar was never really considered with FULL PS2 / PS3 disc compatibility for the PS4 and regular digital song updates. They honestly thought giving people the option of singing an increasingly limited selection of songs using their smart phone microphones was going to keep SingStar as the leading party game? What a waste!

Rest in peace SingStar servers

_________________
"Art challenges technology. Technology inspires the art."
John Lasseter, Co-Founder of Pixar Animation Studios

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... yep, Sony definitely shut down the Singstar servers early and now we get this generic message!

https://www.singstar.com/store.html

_________________
"Art challenges technology. Technology inspires the art."
John Lasseter, Co-Founder of Pixar Animation Studios

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... so as promised I'll be booting up my PS3 and twin SingStar mics tonight for a blast of Oasis - Don't Look Back in Anger!

It'll be directed it at both the bureaucratic mess that is the European Union and the corporate sell outs with no common sense; Sony.

Of course I truthfully have no anger toward the individual European nations / citizens themselves or indeed the original common market market idea; the European Economic Community (EEC) made a lot of sense for the UK to join. I also love my PS2 and PS3 and look forward to Media Molecule's 'Dreams' on a fully back compatible PS5 one day! Psygnosis however made far riskier and interesting computer games than Sony have been able to muster in the last 5 years and Dreams will never be as popular as SingStar was! FACT! Anyway...

"Don't look back in anger, I heard you say."

_________________
"Art challenges technology. Technology inspires the art."
John Lasseter, Co-Founder of Pixar Animation Studios

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At least someone covered the news yesterday:

Gamerverse SingStar Servers Shut Down & World Record

... and I enjoyed my 'Don't Look Back in Anger' tribute. Hopefully, Studio London also had a SingStar party. They should be proud of their heritage.

_________________
"Art challenges technology. Technology inspires the art."
John Lasseter, Co-Founder of Pixar Animation Studios

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I'm providing the answer to my own question:

8th Oct 2019 = Massive layoffs of Sony's European staff on the day of the PS5 announcement.

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/playstation-eu-put-dozens-up-for-redundancy-on-day-of-ps5-announce/

Quote:

... following a restructure SIEA (Ed: Sony Interactive Entertainment America) is increasingly taking the global lead, VGC understands, with Europe frequently having to take orders from the American operation. SIEE (formerly SCEE) has been an integral part of PlayStation since the PSOne, having been responsible for mass-market brands such as Wipeout, LittleBigPlanet, Killzone, SingStar, EyeToy and much of PlayStation VR’s output. However, the feeling among many SIEE employees VGC talked to is that the arm will have a significantly reduced influence during the coming console generation.

And there you have it; the country that brought Sony the WipeOut franchise and the cash cow SingStar is being relegated to taking instructions off Sony America along with the rest of the European continent. I am used to Nintendo treating Europeans as second class citizens but this is the first time that Sony has shown us such disdain!!

PS5 tagline: "For the Players (as long as you are American)!"

... and if you aren't a Yank then you'll like what Americans like or else!

P.S. Sony are Japanese!?!

Last edited by BigD on 03-Feb-2020 at 03:46 PM.
Last edited by BigD on 03-Feb-2020 at 03:06 PM.

_________________
"Art challenges technology. Technology inspires the art."
John Lasseter, Co-Founder of Pixar Animation Studios

@Thread

Another 1st party UK studio bites the dust without releasing a single game!


https://uk.ign.com/articles/sony-closes-first-party-playstation-studio-manchester-vr

Four down two to go!

I still hold a candle for Psygnosis! Sony are approaching EA for the prize of destroying the most valuable studios. I thought Sony are investing in PSVR2 and need all the VR studios they can get?

Dreams better sell like hot cakes or Media Molecule will be gone too within a year! No wonder Sony London kept their mouth shut about their SingStar legacy as they don't want to rock the boat with their US overlords with this brutal hack and slash anti-European regime in place!

Last edited by BigD on 06-Feb-2020 at 08:48 AM.
Last edited by BigD on 06-Feb-2020 at 08:43 AM.

_________________
"Art challenges technology. Technology inspires the art."
John Lasseter, Co-Founder of Pixar Animation Studios

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Dreams was released today to minimal fanfare (though Media Molecule's Twitch Stream was quite good). Having Googled for a good 10 minutes there are NO console bundles either official or unofficial where you can get Dreams bundled with a new console! This could have been a major selling point for the PS4 but Sony have fumbled the ball. Let's hope they relaunch it when the PS5 swings round or Media Molecule are history and it's another great chance squandered!

_________________
"Art challenges technology. Technology inspires the art."
John Lasseter, Co-Founder of Pixar Animation Studios

@Thread

Great Dreams review up:

https://www.destructoid.com/review-dreams-580550.phtml

I just fear that this 'soft launch' is a bad idea when the Early Access lasted 8 months! Strike when the iron is hot and get EVERYONE on board at this point with proper marketing including TV spots. I've seen nothing on TV and most coverage of today's launch has just been on Twitter!

Seriously, I was excited about Blitz Basic 2 and Deluxe Paint allowing me to get into game creation but this is for absolutely everyone who can use a gamepad to get into!

_________________
"Art challenges technology. Technology inspires the art."
John Lasseter, Co-Founder of Pixar Animation Studios