Digital Comics on Sony PSP End Abruptly

With all this talk about digital comics breaking new barriers and opening new places to view them, it's surprising to hear this morning that Sony is discontinuing viewable comics on its PSP platform. Initially launched in December 2009, for the past 19 months PSP owners have been able to buy and read comics from the PlayStation Store from a variety of publishers including IDW, Marvel, Disney and others. The service even extended outside the U.S., with native comics available for PSP users in Japan, Germany, France, Spain and Italy amongst others.

Sony had been releasing a prodigious amount of comics (new and old) on a weekly basis, with the final week containing a bumper crop of titles including the first issues of Batman: Arkham City and The Rocketeer Adventures along with a variety of other series. PSP readers will find a number of books being abruptly ended mid-series with this announcement by Sony. Over 4000 comics have been released for the PSP, and Sony says they'll remain only in perpetuity for readers to continue to buy.

Although this spells the end for new material on the PSP, Sony has stated that they are working to bring the comic services to other Sony devices, presumably the recently announced Playstation Vita.

Disclaimer: iFanboy is owned by Graphicly.

Comments

  1. And let me guess — the files are DRMed and can’t be transferred to another device with an active ecosystem?

  2. Wow, I must be the only fool that uses his PSP to read digital comics. Thanks Sony.
    Ipad 2, here I come

  3. The PSP by now ancient tech to some eyes, the iPad and tablets are where it’s at.

  4. What is “Playstation Vita”?

  5. @ctrosejr  The newest version of the PSP. 

  6. I’m not upset about this at all. I’ve never read a comic on my PSP and I’m not sure why anyone would. The screen is not at all ideal for reading comics. 

  7. Good thing I never had this trouble when I go out and buy real comics

  8. @Zarathos81  You’re lucky you can go out and buy paper comics.

  9. Perhaps digital isn’t end all be all in terms of growing the comics industry.

  10. @keith7198  Not every outlet will succeed. That’s how marketplaces work.

  11. @conor  I was being a little facetious. PSP is very different from platforms such as the iPad. I was using that as platform for my over-the-top lack of interest in digital. 🙂

  12. I tried it on the PSP and it was just so so. They are better on the Ipad.

  13. @keith7198 @conor i have a feeling this has more to do with the upcoming arrival of the PSVita and the demise of support for the PSP rather than the sucess of the digital comics

  14. @mikegraham6  PSP is dying off. It’s a dinosaur. I’m surprised they even release titles for it anymore. I probably haven’t booted mine in 3 years!

  15. not being a snark but they still make the PSP?  I used my PS3 and the network all the time, and that thing seems so nonexistent. 

    I think Sony plans on having all the DC digital stuff in september if i remember correctly from the announcements 

    i’m surprised there wasn’t a bigger anti digital party in the streets on this thread celebrating the death of digital comics.  

  16. @gravydog88  Get a Motorola Xoom. Resolution is better and you never know when Flash might come in handy.