Sony removes over 1,000 shovelware games from PlayStation Store

Sony has quietly removed more than 1,000 games from developer ThiGames from the PlayStation Store. The action targeted low-quality titles that were popular for easy trophy hunting. This follows a similar purge of another developer's games a year earlier.

On January 14, 2026, Sony executed a large-scale removal of games from its PlayStation Store, affecting the entire catalog of developer ThiGames. Prior to the wipe, ThiGames ranked fourth among developers by the number of titles available on the platform. User RobThanatos first noticed the change, reporting that all of ThiGames' releases had vanished, though trophies earned by players remain accessible.

ThiGames specialized in simple, low-effort games, often described as shovelware. Examples include The Jumping Fries, where players control jumping french fries, alongside similar titles like The Jumping Taco, The Jumping Hot Dog, The Jumping Soda, and The Jumping Taco TURBO. These games attracted players seeking quick achievements; for instance, a full platinum trophy guide for The Jumping Taco TURBO lasts just 95 seconds, featuring basic tasks such as jumping a set number of times.

Neither Sony nor ThiGames has issued a statement explaining the removal. The move echoes Sony's actions from roughly a year ago against developer Randomspin, which also flooded the store with numerous games in a short time. Randomspin faced suspicions of using AI-generated or recycled assets, leading to its quiet delisting.

Such cleanups highlight Sony's efforts to curb low-quality content on the PS5 ecosystem, potentially improving the store's overall standards. Players who relied on these titles for trophy boosts may now find their collections incomplete in terms of active games, though earned accolades persist.

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Sony announced on July 1 that it will stop manufacturing physical discs for new PlayStation games starting in January 2028. The decision has sparked widespread criticism online and prompted a petition with over 170,000 signatures. Players have also reported receiving discount offers while attempting to cancel PlayStation Plus subscriptions in protest.

Brazilian publisher Afil Games announced it will no longer release games on PlayStation platforms after Sony introduced stricter publishing guidelines. The studio's existing library of more than 140 titles will be removed from the PlayStation Store in the near future.

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Sony announced it will end manufacturing of physical PlayStation discs starting January 2028. The move shifts all future releases to digital formats only. A new report shows physical copies have historically been cheaper than digital store prices.

Shameless knockoffs of Tomodachi Life, Subnautica 2 and Paralives have appeared on the Google Play Store in recent weeks. Some use slightly altered names while others copy titles directly. Google has begun removing many of them.

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Sales estimates from Alinea Analytics indicate that 13 Xbox titles have surpassed 100,000 copies each on PlayStation 5. Forza Horizon 5 leads with 5.8 million units sold on the platform. The games have collectively generated $667 million in gross revenue for Microsoft.

Sony executives detailed new uses for generative AI during the company's earnings call on May 8. PlayStation CEO Hideaki Nishino described tools that speed up animation and personalization on the platform. The remarks came alongside forecasts of lower PS5 sales due to memory shortages.

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