- Video game retailers have expressed concern over Sony’s move to phase out physical PlayStation game copies by 2028
- Game has stated that it ‘will not sit still’ and fully supports physical game ownership
- The move by Sony puts several video game retailers at risk of closure
Sony has dropped an absolute bombshell on the gaming industry with the announcement that PlayStation will no longer produce discs for physical game copies starting in 2028, and it hasn’t gone down well with consumers or retailers.
Several video game retailers have reacted to Sony’s elimination of PlayStation discs, condemning the move in support of consumers and physical game ownership. Notably, video game retailer Game released a statement on X (translated from Spanish) highlighting its frustration over the matter.
“Regarding the latest news: our silence is over. Video game lovers, it’s time to stand up for what matters to us,” a pertinent statement from Game that comes amid the Stop Killing Games movement, which coincides with the question of game ownership as multiplayer games go offline.
“The recent decisions we’re seeing in the industry deeply concern us because they affect everyone who understands video games as more than a downloadable file. We’re not going to sit idly by. Digital and physical [games] can coexist; in fact, they’ve been doing it for years.”
Another video game retailer, Loot Box Gaming, has taken to X, stating: “Should we start PS+ cancellations today? It’s just voting with your wallet. These companies will feel the pressure if their finances go down.”
It doesn’t stop there though, as yet another independent video game retailer, VGP Video Game Plus, said: “Oh f**k! To be continued”, summing up many people’s frustrations.
Sony’s decision to end physical copies not only affects consumers and the ability to own a hard copy of a video game, but it also severely affects companies such as Game, CeX (both primarily in the UK) and Gamestop.
It’s PlayStation only for now, but the likelihood of Microsoft following suit is very high, especially with rumors suggesting that the next Xbox console will effectively be a gaming PC. This is a very serious situation for retailers and consumers, and if Sony does not reverse its decision, it could drastically change the game forever.
Without access to physical game copies, consumers leave their ability to access their games to PlayStation’s discretion. This is problematic as Sony can revoke user access to media (in this case games) at any time and recently did so when it removed movies from user libraries.
This move also reduces consumer options – with physical games, you can shop around, even buy a used game. Now it’s likely that Sony will be the only place to buy digital games from, allowing the company to set prices without competition.
What’s worse is that in some cases (ie game sharing) if you lose access to the internet, you can no longer play the games you bought, something that can be solved with a physical copy – and if that privilege is gone forever, any sense of video game copy ownership may be a thing of the past.
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