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Sony Announces End Of Free-To-Play Destiny Of Spirits Exactly One Year After Release
Sony released Destiny of Spirits for the Vita on March 25, 2014, here in North America. Exactly a year later, the company announced it is ending the game.
The title will begin winding down in April in Europe and Asia with the cessation of in-game currency sales. The cutoff to purchase orbs in North America is June 30, 2015, the same day on which the game ends.
Sony says that the game has been downloaded over 1 million times, and the game will end with a fan appreciation event. The final update (1.12) will bring back past raid bosses. If you’ve been playing Destiny of Spirits, make sure to use any items you’ve purchased by June 30, as the game will be entirely unavailable after that point.
Our Take
Investment in free-to-play games carries more risk than most gamers realize. This is truest of those titles that lean on collectibility and, in turn, create a sense of pseudo-tangibility.
I can go back to my Magic: The Gathering collection at any time, but investing in a similar card game that is entirely digital means that once service stops, my investment evaporates. Especially when major companies are pulling service after only 12 months, caution is warranted.
That said, 1 million downloads worldwide for a free game isn’t terribly impressive. It’s little wonder Sony has to stop the bleeding.
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