PlayStation Mobile Shutting Down in July

When PlayStation Mobile was launched in 2012, Sony had hoped it could serve as their ticket to mobile gaming success via Android and iOS platforms. Unfortunately, that bid turned to be unsuccessful.

Beginning on July 15, 2015, the Japanese tech company "will stop publishing content for the platform," Mashable said.

"Purchased content will be accessible to users through the site through Sept. 10, 2015," the tech news site added. "The site will be closed after Sept. 10, but Sony will allow users to access content they've previously purchased - but only if they go through an activation process."

Gamespot described the process as follows:

• PS  Vita users need to perform the following steps between March 10, 2015, and September 10, 2015: Go to [Settings] > [PSN] > [System Activation] > [PlayStation Mobile] > [Activate] > [OK].

• From April 10-September 10, 2015, users of PlayStation Certified gadgets are required to open the PSM app and launch purchased PSM content accomplish the content authentication process.

Make sure you've downloaded all the games you want to keep on your device as you won't be able to download those purchased content again after September 10. Also, devices not authenticated before September 10 won't be able to access purchased PSM content past that date.

PlayStation Mobile "allowed PlayStation content to be accessed and played on both the company's PlayStation Vita portable gaming device, as well as PlayStation Certified Android devices," CNET said. However, Sony "failed to attract enough developers and gamers tended to go with devices that didn't support the platform."

"Save for Sony's own products, very few mobile handsets actually supported PlayStation Mobile, and none were all that popular," the site added.

Fortunately for the company, its PlayStation arm has continued to perform well sales-wise despite the rise in Android and iOS-based gaming.

"During its last reported quarter ended December 31, Sony's gaming division increased sales by 16.8 percent to 531.5 billion yen ($4.4 billion). The division's operating profit hit 27.6 billion yen, jumping 123 percent year over year," CNET reported.

This reportedly prompted Sony to focus on gaming and eliminate businesses that underperformed. Hence the PlayStation Mobile shutdown.

With this, it's highly likely that the PS Vita may lose its appeal, especially among indie developers, as observed by The Verge.

Mashable noted that the shutdown announcement came days after Sony shaved 1,000 jobs from its mobile phone unit - a move that had already been announced by the company back in February.

Have something to say? Let us know in the comments section.