Sony has begun removing a number of games of dubious quality from the PlayStation Store after various media and users criticized the lack of filtering in digital distribution. The PlayStation virtual store, like other platforms such as Steam or Nintendo's eShop, had been receiving a constant wave of titles considered to be of low quality, many of them generated with Artificial Intelligence or reusing content from other games.
The debate over these games, known in the industry as shovelware, was recently revived due to an article published by IGN. In the report, several developers spoke out about the ease with which unknown studios manage to publish numerous titles of dubious origin in Sony's digital storeFaced with this criticism, PlayStation has decided to take action on the matter, removing a significant number of these titles.
Sony responds with a cleanup of its digital store
One of the main studios affected by this measure has been RandomSpin Games, a developer known for releasing large numbers of games in a short amount of time. Among the titles that have disappeared from the PS Store are Supermarket Simulator Pro, Bodycam Shooter y Backrooms Inside The Escape. According to reports from specialized sites such as PSNProfiles y True Trophies, virtually the entire library of this study has been removed from the platform.
These types of practices not only affected the player experience by flooding the store with low quality content, but also hurt legitimate indie developers, whose games were buried under an avalanche of titles with no quality control whatsoever.
A problem that affects all digital stores
This phenomenon is not exclusive to Sony. Other platforms such as Steam and the Nintendo eShop They have also been singled out for allowing the publication of titles that contribute little to the industry. In particular, it has been highlighted that Nintendo is especially vulnerable to this type of practice.. According to an anonymous developer quoted in the report, IGN, once a studio gains access to publish on the Nintendo Store, they can release anything with virtually no restrictions.
Microsoft, on the other hand, appears to have a more rigorous filter, as it reviews each title individually before approving its distribution. This has allowed its digital store to be better protected against the proliferation of low-quality games.
Artificial intelligence and the proliferation of filler games
A worrying aspect in the rise of shovelware is the use of Artificial Intelligence in the production of these games. Many of these proposals not only reuse content without adding anything new, but also They are automatically generated to be launched in large quantities with hardly any human intervention.
Esto has caused a problem on platforms such as PlayStation Store, where these games managed to slip through minimal quality controls.
The case of RandomSpin Games is just one example of this trend. In 2024, this developer He managed to release 19 games in a single year, something that is practically unthinkable for any independent or big-budget studio. The removal of its titles is a sign that Sony is beginning to recognize this problem and is looking to solve it.
More measures could be on the way
Although this first cleanup has been well received by the community, There are still many low-quality titles in the Sony storeThe Japanese company could continue its work to improve the user experience and ensure that PS Store remains a space where quality is prioritized.
Sony's move also opens the door to a broader reflection on the regulation of digital content. While digital distribution has democratized access to video game development, it has also has created a saturation that can be detrimental to both players and legitimate developersIt will be interesting to see how this situation evolves in the coming months and whether other companies will follow in Sony's footsteps. fight against games shovelware.