PlayStation Store Purges 150 Games from Floppy Publisher ThiGames
In a move that has left many gamers scratching their heads, Sony's online store suddenly and without explanation removed nearly all of the games published by German developer ThiGames. The sudden disappearance of the company's entire catalog was first spotted by Twitch streamer Rob Thanatos, who pointed out that the publisher had been offering an astonishing 1194 PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 titles for sale - a number that ballooned to over 1500 when including translations and regional variations.
ThiGames is notorious in the gaming community as a publisher of what's known as "shovelware," games that are churned out with little regard for quality, but rather to cash in on gamers' desire for trophy hunting. Titles like "The Jumping Bonbon," "The Jumping Strawberry," and "The Jumping Onion Ring" have become infamous among PSN subscribers for their sheer ability to grant Platinum Trophies - a coveted achievement that requires completing every single game objective.
While the removal of ThiGames' catalog has been welcomed by many as a much-needed house cleaning, some commentators are questioning whether Sony had the authority to unilaterally ban an entire publisher's work. It appears that ThiGames may have done something more egregious than simply producing low-quality games, prompting speculation about what might have triggered Sony's decision.
The incident highlights the tension between publishers who prioritize quantity over quality and those who focus on creating engaging experiences for gamers. As AI-generated assets and "vibe coding" become increasingly prevalent in game development, it remains to be seen whether platforms like PlayStation will adopt stricter guidelines to protect consumers from shovelware.
In a move that has left many gamers scratching their heads, Sony's online store suddenly and without explanation removed nearly all of the games published by German developer ThiGames. The sudden disappearance of the company's entire catalog was first spotted by Twitch streamer Rob Thanatos, who pointed out that the publisher had been offering an astonishing 1194 PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 titles for sale - a number that ballooned to over 1500 when including translations and regional variations.
ThiGames is notorious in the gaming community as a publisher of what's known as "shovelware," games that are churned out with little regard for quality, but rather to cash in on gamers' desire for trophy hunting. Titles like "The Jumping Bonbon," "The Jumping Strawberry," and "The Jumping Onion Ring" have become infamous among PSN subscribers for their sheer ability to grant Platinum Trophies - a coveted achievement that requires completing every single game objective.
While the removal of ThiGames' catalog has been welcomed by many as a much-needed house cleaning, some commentators are questioning whether Sony had the authority to unilaterally ban an entire publisher's work. It appears that ThiGames may have done something more egregious than simply producing low-quality games, prompting speculation about what might have triggered Sony's decision.
The incident highlights the tension between publishers who prioritize quantity over quality and those who focus on creating engaging experiences for gamers. As AI-generated assets and "vibe coding" become increasingly prevalent in game development, it remains to be seen whether platforms like PlayStation will adopt stricter guidelines to protect consumers from shovelware.
what if thi games did something wrong and sony was just protecting gamers from low quality games? 
its a good thing tho cuz we dont need more shovelware in our lives 
by this news! 150 games gone?! What even is the point of having a store if you're just gonna wipe out half of all the games on it?! 
I mean, I get that ThiGames was basically churnin' out garbage with no care, but who gets to decide what's good and what's not?!
I guess we'll just have to wait and see if Sony comes out with some new guidelines or rules in place... but for now, it's just a big ol' mess 
But seriously, 150 games gone in one day is wild. And what's up with the lack of warning or anything? It's like Sony just decided to give ThiGames a big fat delete button. 
But at the same time, it's weird that Sony just got to make the call without any explanation. Was ThiGames really doing something shady or did they just get too spammy with their games? 
, i mean i've been saying it for ages, the ps store needs some serious quality control 
, these shovelware titles are straight trash 
, but now sony's just gonna ban an entire publisher? that don't sit right w/ me 
now it's just a big mess for gamers who still wanna play some of those weird games... did they even give anyone warning or anything? and btw, have you tried playing "The Jumping Bonbon"? 
my question is though did sony even have the right to just delete thigames' whole catalog without warning? 
it's like, if u wanna get rid of trash, jus delete it already 
thiGames was basically pumping out trash and making bank off PSN subscribers, but now they're gone? 
guess that's some sweet karma for all those low-quality games 
also wonder how many people got duped into buying those "Jumping" games thinking they were actual games 
. No excuse for making low-quality games, and now the question is what triggered Sony's purge... 
. If platforms like PlayStation start cracking down on shovelware, it'll be a win-win for consumers and developers alike 
! The future of gaming is all about quality over quantity 
thigames was literally churning out trash and making bank off it tho. i'm kinda surprised sony didn't just ban 'em like 6 months ago tbh. anyway, this whole thing is weird cuz now all those trophy hunters are outta luck