We Will NEVER Own Games Again…
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Is this the end of physical gaming? Sony recently announced that they will be ending the production of physical games in 2028.
Is Sony really ending physical game production by 2028 and why does it matter?
This has sparked an outcry from gamers the world over and suspicious silence from other gaming companies. So how did we get here? Why do they think they can get away with this? And what is the real reason it's happening now? Hello Internet! Welcome to Game Theory, the show that sometimes appears physically in the flesh rather than as a digital cutout, which means it's time for us to talk about the wider gaming world. And yes, I have been keeping up with the news. I mean, how could I not? It is all over my Twitter page. Practically every other post has been about it. The news that by 2028, Sony will no longer be making physical games. Everything will be digital only. And like I said, the internet did not take this news lying down.
They were mad about this.
How did the industry quietly shift toward digital sales over the last decade?
People were claiming that this was the final trigger towards the end of gaming ownership as we know it. And while they are absolutely not wrong, I too have been incredibly frustrated and disappointed by this news, this issue goes much deeper and much further back than you'd initially think. Sony is the one under heavy fire right now, but this isn't just a Sony problem, this is an industry issue. Although gaming companies like Nintendo and Xbox have remained suspiciously quiet during the whole ordeal, which seems strange when Xbox has been posting a lot recently, and one tweet dunking on Sony could easily have won them the next generation of the console war before it even began. But they haven't, and that's because this is something that all of them have been plotting towards for a while.
Nintendo started selling physical copies of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and 4, Skyrim and Fallout 4, with just a paper code in the box. Or for games like Sonic X Shadow Generations and Procopia, they technically have a cartridge, but it's really just a license. Reports from The Verge have mentioned that Xbox is looking into how to turn your current physical disc collection into digital versions in time for the next console generation. The caveat, though, is that if you were to then give that disc to your friend and they create a digital copy, your digital version would stop. But with so much new information appearing all over the place all of the time, I wanted to compile all of the facts in one place, along with some theorizing because, well, duh, so that you guys would have the whole picture.
We're going to look back at the history of digital-first gaming, user ownership and licensing, and the reasons being given for this decision in order to figure out how we got here, why it's happening now, and how this ties into a business strategy that I don't think anyone has really noticed yet. So crack open whatever box you have because Lord knows it might be the last time you can as we look inside to figure out the secrets of this physical vs digital debate. The first thing to look at is where this decision has come from. A lot of fans have been feeling like this announcement was just dropped out of nowhere, but when you take a step back and look at the last decade or so, you start to see that this push actually started a long time ago.
The year was 2013, GTA V was just released, Breaking Bad had just wrapped, and Kingdom Hearts 3 had been announced to be in development, so it should just be right around the corner, right? right? But that same year, Xbox unveiled the Xbox One, and their new strategy involving a digital-first ecosystem. What that meant was that your console required a constant connection to the internet in order that they could check that you had a license for the game and access the game via the cloud, instead of on the disc. What that meant was Xbox essentially made your gaming discs a license key. Putting it into the console gave you permission to download the game and you actually wouldn't need the disc after that moment other than to prove your purchase.
You wouldn't own the game physically.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:06
2
Is Sony really ending physical game production by 2028 and why does it matter?
0:06–0:58
3
How did the industry quietly shift toward digital sales over the last decade?
0:58–3:54
4
What evidence shows players still prefer physical copies for major PS5 titles?
3:54–7:25
5
How have discs become more like license keys rather than true ownership?
7:25–16:58
6
When did mandatory downloads and day-one patches change the physical game experience?
16:58–23:51
7
Why are companies financially motivated to remove discs and push digital-only models?
23:51–27:53