 | Digital Release | May 2011 |
| Delisting | March 24, 2021 - Store Closure May 19, 2021 - Accounts Erased August 18, 2021 - Support Ends |
|
| Developer | Various | |
| Publisher | Playism | |
| Available On | Many titles also released on PC and consoles | |
| Links | Playism Store [Archive] Playism homepage Shutdown Announcement and FAQ |
Delisting
The PLAYISM Store was a DRM-free, PC games marketplace operated by the Japan-based localization firm, Active Gaming Media. The company announced plans to close the PLAYISM Store on February 22nd, 2021 with the ability to purchase games being retired on March 24th. Account access and downloading of previously purchased content was scheduled to end on May 10th but was pushed back to May 19th. The end of customer support was also rescheduled, from May 17th to August 18th. PLAYISM’s full announcement from February follows:
Thank you very much for your continued support of PLAYISM. As of 13:00 on March 24th, 2021 (Wed.), features allowing for the purchase of games and content such as OSTs, etc. (“PLAYISM Store Functions”) on the PLAYISM official website will be terminated.
Please don’t worry – we want to emphasize the fact that it is ONLY the PLAYISM official website that will cease the sale of games/content, and that we will continue our game/content distribution on Steam and for home game consoles such as the Nintendo Switch, etc.
Additionally, the PLAYISM official website will begin large-scale renovations from 13:00 on May 19th, 2021 (Wed.)(JST), from which time both the PLAYISM Store and the My Page feature (Registered Member Services) will be terminated. With the termination of the My Page feature, redownloading of previously purchased content and reacquisition of Steam keys will no longer be possible, so please be sure to properly make any necessary purchases and save any purchased content/post-purchase data/etc. as required before the above-listed dates.
Furthermore, customer support inquiries for registered members will be accepted up through August 18th, 2021 (Wed.)(JST). After this date, confirmation of membership information and reacquisition of previously purchased content will no longer be possible, so please make any necessary preparations beforehand. Please feel free to contact us with any inquiries or opinions you may have via the form at the below address. https://playism.com/contact We will be updating this article with answers to frequently asked questions and schedule changes, so please be sure to check back again.
The PLAYISM Store opened in May 2011, in hopes of furthering the expansion of the indie games industry and supporting indie developers. As an indie game publisher, we feel extremely fortunate and grateful to have received all the invaluable support of our users over the ten-plus years since, and it’s thanks to all you that we were able to come this far.
In order to continue to contribute to the indie games industry from here on out, we have plans to renovate the PLAYISM official website and update some of our services, which led us to this point today. We deeply apologize to all of our users and supporters for any inconvenience or trouble this may cause for you, and we hope you continue to show your support and continue on this journey together with us.
PLAYISM Team
As of February 2021 the marketplace offered almost 200 titles, 11 of which were free-to-own, as well as 54 soundtracks and bundles. A handful of short film and documentary videos were also available. Some of the notable titles that the PLAYISM Store offered, and helped localize or publish, included:
- 2064: Read Only Memories
- Armello
- Assault Android Cactus
- Blocks That Matter
- Cities in Motion
- D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die
- DreadOut
- Europa Universalis III
- Futuridium EP Deluxe
- Half-Minute Hero
- I Am Bread
- Kero Blaster
- La-Mulana
- Machinarium
- Mini Metro
- Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight
- NightCry
- Night in the Woods
- Omori
- Pixel Game Maker MV
- Screencheat
- They Bleed Pixels
- VA-11 Hall-A
- Victor Vran
- Yume Nikki
Although most titles on the PLAYISM Store made it to other digital stores, some of the earlier, smaller indie releases appear to have been exclusive to the platform and may now be lost. A few examples spotted through announcements over the years on the PLAYISM blog include:
About the Service
PLAYISM is a PC gaming platform used to distribute original and creative works from all over the world to Japan. PLAYISM, part of Active Gaming Media Inc., focuses on the localization and distribution of video games. PLAYISM provides you – the developer – with the opportunity to transcend borders and release your own original works to Japan, as well as enhance your presence in the worldwide gaming market. Our website is currently the only digital platform in the world to provide such services to independent developers.
INDIE GAMES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Playism specializes in localizing and publishing indie games from all over the world, bringing the best indie games that Japan, America and the rest of the world have to offer.
DRM-FREE
Playism prides itself on DRM-free game purchases, so you can play what you purchase wherever you are, whether you’re connected to the internet or in the middle of nowhere.
UNLIMITED DOWNLOADS
When you buy a game from Playism, you only pay once. Download any game from your Playism library as many times as you want, because you should always have access to your games.