@ltdraregames People who never liked collecting or cared about physical games rallying support behind daddy Sony. They don't personally care so anyone who does is an idiot, a crybaby, etc. Expect more of the inevitability arguments, the they don't care arguments, and all of that moving forward
REPORT: Jason Schreier on PlayStation’s decision to end physical game media🚀
✅Sony considers their digital player base is large enough to do without those who continue wanting physical discs
✅They won’t change their retail distribution
✅Stores sell empty boxes with only download code
✅They’re convinced that over time, players will accept a 100% digital gaming future
✅They don’t think it’s necessary to maintain contact with fans
✅They trust the strength of their brand and the loyalty of their community, and imagine they will continue to support their digital games
Regarding profitability:
✅When Sony sells a first party physical game to a retailer, the retailer gets around ~30% of the sale price
✅Digital helps them keep 100% of it
✅They expect to significantly increase their profit margins
This is absolutely disgraceful to read if true. I’m genuinely repulsed by Sony💿
It is disappointing that you have not addressed the significant issue at hand or provided further clarification. Moreover, reconsidering your decision would be a more constructive approach. Ignoring the matter will not resolve it or make it go away. Many of your partners were caught off guard; is this the way @Sony conducts its business?
@Wario64 Absolute disgrace. No plans to offload physical production so that third-party publishers could still make discs if they wanted for older hardware is also insane. There's still PS4 games being made to this day. PS5 physical games would have gone to 2035+ without this decision.
@PlayStation I'll be fully abandoning Playstation. It's despicable that you aren't even finding a way to offload the physical production of games to a third-party. It's one thing if the PS6 is digital only and another to kill physical games early.
A Statement from VGP Regarding Grand Theft Auto VI
As gamers and retailers, we recognize that Grand Theft Auto VI is poised to be one of the biggest entertainment launches in history. The excitement surrounding this release is unprecedented, and we understand why so many customers are eagerly anticipating its arrival.
For nearly 40 years, VGP has been committed to supporting physical media and preserving the value of physical game ownership. As part of that commitment, our company policy is that we do not carry physical products for video game consoles that contain only a digital download code.
Based on the information currently available, the physical release of Grand Theft Auto VI for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X is expected to be a code-in-box product. As a result, VGP will not be offering it for sale under our current company policy.
We want to be clear that this decision is not a reflection of the game itself. We have tremendous respect for Rockstar Games and the incredible achievement that Grand Theft Auto VI represents.
Should Rockstar one day release a physical edition containing a disc in the box, we would be pleased to carry and support that version for our customers.
Thank you for your continued support of physical gaming and for helping us champion game preservation and ownership for nearly four decades.
— The VGP Team