- One of the original Xbox founders, Laura Fryer, suggests that Sony remove game ownership via an all-digital future
- It comes after PlayStation announced that physical game discs will not be produced from January 2028
- Fryer claims Sony let Rockstar ‘take the heat’ by announcing a digital-only GTA 6 first
Sony is still under fire after its recent announcement of an all-digital future for PlayStation games as physical copies of games are to be phased out – and it’s not just consumers who are furious, some veterans of the gaming industry are too.
As reported by Notebookcheck, Laura Fryer, one of the original founding members of Xbox, recently condemned Sony’s announcement to end physical game discs for future PlayStation games, highlighting the threat the move poses to game ownership.
The announcement from Sony has since resulted in major backlash regarding game ownership from thousands of online games, including a small pushback (or support for physical media) from indie game developers like Astrolabe Games.
In this case, Fryer has not been shy to note how dangerous the end of physical game discs will be when 2028 arrives, especially since rumors suggest that Microsoft may follow in a similar direction with its next Xbox console.
“Digital is convenient until someone else decides you’ve had enough, and there are some games and movies I’ll never get enough of,” Fryer stated, which is no doubt a valid statement since Sony recently removed over 500 purchased movies from users’ libraries.
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It is worth noting that Rockstar Games recently opened GTA 6 pre-orders, with the announcement that there won’t be a physical copy of the game, which Fryer highlights as an important step for Sony’s latest plans, saying, “Sony waited for Rockstar to make the first move, to take the heat, and now they’re going all in to make this the new normal.”
Fryer even references Don Mattrick’s infamous statement about an ‘always online’ Xbox One console experience as she suggests that’s what Sony, Microsoft and frankly Hollywood are doing today.
“When was the last time you put a disc in and the game just worked without a big download? All the big players, Sony, Microsoft, even Hollywood, they’re all here. Digital is killing the second-hand market and it stops your old library from competing with new games on the next console.”
The ‘always online’ future is closer than it’s ever been, and with Sony also shutting down its PS3 and PS Vita stores in 2027. This means that whenever the PS6 (or future PlayStation consoles) eventually become a retro console like the PS3, there will be no way to play games on the system unless it’s through digital means – eliminating game ownership altogether.
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