Sony’s Vib Ribbon Finally Makes North American Debut 15 Years Later

As gamers entered the digital era, there was much trepidation about game ownership and always-connected experiences. We sometimes forget that our push into the new frontier also brings opportunities otherwise infeasible for a variety of reasons.

A classic PlayStation One game that never made it to North American shores will be available tomorrow on the PlayStation Network for PS3 and Vita. Vib Ribbon is a music-based action game in which players must navigate a ribbon filled with obstacles. 

Sony Computer Entertainment America president Shawn Layden was a supporter of bringing the game to North America when it was first released, but couldn’t get the marketing team on board. Now, nearly 15 years later, he’s bringing the title over as a digital PS One classic after dropping its name at E3 at the Sony press conference.

On PS3, the game will retain the feature to create levels based on your CD audio. It will be available for download tomorrow, October 7.

[Source: PlayStation Blog]

Our Take
While I have no particular attachment to this game, I do admire the effort in bringing an oft-requested classic game to its audience. I don’t see this making a lot of money, but it certainly demonstrates responsiveness to the audience. If addressing consumer feedback is the battleground for this generation, then gamers are the real winners.