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The big cleanup continues on the PlayStation Store. After a first massive wave of removals at the start of the year, Sony has just removed several hundred additional games considered to be “shovelware”. The objective is clear: improve the overall quality of the catalog and limit the proliferation of titles deemed opportunistic or sloppy.
Nostra Games and CGI Lab particularly affected
The majority of removals concern Nostra Games, a Cyprus-based studio that had published nearly 700 games on Sony’s digital store. This entire catalog has now disappeared from the PlayStation Store. Studio CGI Lab also had its titles removed, although its publication volume was lower than that of Nostra Games.
On Discord, a Nostra Games representative said they had not received a precise explanation from Sony regarding these withdrawals. He essentially explained that the decision was unexpected and that the studio intended to continue its publications in the years to come, while specifying that the games would continue to be available on other platforms such as Nintendo Switch, Xbox and Steam.
What is “shovelware”?
The term “shovelware” generally refers to games produced quickly, with little development effort, often designed to exploit visibility flaws or easy trophy mechanics.
These titles often feature:
- Simplistic mechanics
- Recycled assets
- Excessive use of generative AI
- Extremely quick Platinum Trophies to unlock
They clutter digital stores and make it difficult for more ambitious independent productions to be visible.
A quality long-term strategy?
This is not the first time that Sony has acted to control the quality of its digital catalog. The initial removal of more than 1,000 games earlier this year had already marked a turning point. This new wave confirms that Sony seems to want to adopt a stricter policy regarding publications on the PlayStation Store. It remains to be seen whether these measures will last and whether they will have a lasting impact on the perception of the digital store among players.