Earlier this week, TheGamer reported that PlayStation will begin winding down and closing the PS3, PSP and PS Vita store this summer. While Sony have yet to make an official statement regarding this, many media outlets - including the reputable VGC - have also reported on the matter, meaning it's likely to happen. As a warning to owners who are building digital libraries, a US distributor has now come forward with a warning stating that "digital purchases aren't forever", and will become the "inevitable digital future."

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US distributor Limited Run, who specialize in releasing digital games as physical media, responded to the report that Sony will be closing down their PS3, PSP and PS Vita stores this summer, stating "This is the inevitable digital future. At some point all digital storefronts will cease to exist, replaced by newer technology or storefronts. Digital purchases are not forever. #ForeverPhysical"



There's two sides to this argument as well, as one commenter pointed out that physical games aren't necessarily forever either, since most disc media upgrades require digital downloads in order to function (including patches, updates and more).

Limited Run is mostly correct though, with warnings probably pointed at PS4 digital libraries (which currently applies to many gamers these days) being the key argument. PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan has talked about backward compatibility in the past, not seeing it as viable, which makes sense if Sony is looking towards the future. Though it could potentially mean that if the PS4 faces a similar fate to TheGamer's reports of digital storefront closures, we can only imagine how many gamers will be upset. Sony will likely circumnavigate this issue by allowing seamless transitions to happen between console generations (much like the PS4 to PS5) in order to preserve their current collections, but it's evident that digital purchases (and those looking to build digital libraries) aren't set in stone.