While playing PSOne classics from the Playstation Network from time to time I’ve ventured over to the Playstation forums and into the downloadable games section. And there’s one thing I see over and over again, people getting upset about the lack of PSOne classics being released on the network for one reason or another. It made me wonder what went into getting one of these games ready for download.

PlayStation Network
Image via Wikipedia

So one update an open comment was left to Grace Chen, the Senior Manager of the Playstation store and it asked why there were no set release dates for PSOne Classics on the network. Here’s her response….

“There are a variety of reasons that need to be considered when releasing PSOne Classics… code emulation and testing, licensing rights, music clearances, etc.”

So I left it at that, but recently I’ve begin to doubt what she said. During the month of November Square sent out an e-mail to all it’s members (I’m not one by the way). Saying that…

“Way back at the dawn of time (better known as the year 2000), a certain video games company called SQUARE made a game called VAGRANT STORY, which stormed the charts, became a genre-defining classic and, amongst other things, garnered a perfect score from Famitsu magazine – so pretty much business as usual for character design god Akihiko Yoshida. But the great news is that SQUARE ENIX are bringing it to the PS3 and the PSP on the 12th November!”

Then Square said that this was a mistaken date… and that it would be coming soon.

North American box art of Vagrant Story
Image via Wikipedia

Then and announcement from Square informed us that it would be coming to the PAL territories on December 22nd. And not the NA territory as originally promised.

What is going on here?

It seems like even the companies that own the IPs, the music, and the code can’t get a break as to when their games are released. It seems like there is something we’re not being told.

Did Square jump the gun?

Or does Sony have the final say as to when these games are released?

It would seem like Grace didn’t inform us about everything when she replied to that forum question from bmart008 (which has now been removed by the way or I’m too thick to find it) . Why aren’t we being told the whole story?

PSOneClassics.com

http://iplaystation.blogspot.com/2009/11/why-psone-classics-have-no-set-release.html

http://kotaku.com/5401378/vagrant-story-coming-to-pal-psn

http://playstation.joystiq.com/2009/12/17/vagrant-story-finally-coming-to-psn-in-europe/