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Alanah Pearce - Sony’s Greedy Disc-Killing Move Was Inevitable: The Death of Physical Gaming (And Why Outrage Won’t Stop It)

What's sick about a Xbox that's really just a PC? I mean....unless they can come in incredibly cheap, I don't get the appeal.

If it can play steam games also, and be optimized more like a console.

That's IF it can play steam games. If it can't then there's really nothing too exceptional about it.
 
'Buy a PC instead' always makes sense. If PS gets rid of physical it makes even more sense.

It also makes sense if you don't want to play or aren't interested in Playstation exclusive games.

I'll have all platforms in case one platform has something the other doesn't.
 
If it can play steam games also, and be optimized more like a console.

That's IF it can play steam games. If it can't then there's really nothing too exceptional about it.

Doubt it could truly be optimized like a console without being a console. If it is a console that plays Steam games then what PC freedoms are we giving up in the process. Too many questions here. I think whatever they do, it will just be a "reference" device, as Asha said, and the OEMs will take over the Xbox brand, which is fine, but these are the same OEMs that put all kinds of bloatware on Windows. We will see
 
Hang on. So no longer selling discs is a blow to game preservation (guess PC has been fucked for over a decade then...), but also is closing the DIGITAL store on PS3/Vita ?

Also, bit late to this particular grift aren't we ?

My ISOs and ROMs on my HDDs or SD card is far safer then your disks. (I really need to get more drives for backup)
 
Doubt it could truly be optimized like a console without being a console. If it is a console that plays Steam games then what PC freedoms are we giving up in the process. Too many questions here. I think whatever they do, it will just be a "reference" device, as Asha said, and the OEMs will take over the Xbox brand, which is fine, but these are the same OEMs that put all kinds of bloatware on Windows. We will see

Good question. I don't know. I was thinking they can have two separate boot options. I mean fundamentally, a console is not different than a PC hardware-wise. So, I don't see why we couldn't have 2 boot options. Systems have OS's of their own, but extremely light compared to windows. There probably would be compromises, maybe with mods and such, but if we're talking a decent amount of optimization, that's a big win imo. I can't stand how PC has to power through bad optimization. I'm a PC gamer through and through, but I have to admit, if they make the correct decisions with Helix, and make a user friendly hybrid PC system. I probably will get that for my living room.

I can be a bit of a dreamer, but at least it's optimistic.
 
I'll just repost what I already posted in another thread:

Sony gave the numbers: 80% of game sales are digital. People just don't want to believe the data, even when companies like Circana are corroborating it.

Yes, there are still people buying physical games, but clearly not enough, at least not on PlayStation. That's the whole point. The number of physical game sales on PlayStation simply isn't high enough to make this decision unviable for Sony. If it were, we wouldn't even be having this discussion.

People can flood Sony's social media forever and complain on GAF about how evil Sony is, but the decision has already been made. If Sony made this decision, it's simply because the company believes it can do so without taking significant losses. And the only reason it believes that is because, whether people want to accept it or not, the number of people buying physical games just isn't large enough to put meaningful pressure on Sony.

I love physical games, and I'll really, really miss them. But I actually buy physical games on PlayStation. I actually support that format. If more people bought physical games consistently, maybe the story would have turned out differently.

I dislike Sony's decision, but they did what almost any company in their position would have done. Consumer habits made this possible. At this point, it's too late, you should have bought more physical games.

Shitposting on GAF is easy. Buying physical games, apparently, wasn't. Now everyone will pay the price. :messenger_ok:
 
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We do. We can get the files, crack, mod, and ever burn them on physical discs.
So there is no DRM on Steam games? They are not tied to your account that can be banned instantly by Valve? Why isn't everyone doing this right now and freely distributing game files amongst each other?
With GOG you actually do. You can burn them into physical and keep them. That's not even the point. The point is with PC it's multiple stores competing. On consoles it'll be only one store soon and no other option. Prices will go and stay high because you can't do anything about it.
This whole "multiple stores competing" is a bunch of nonsense. Publishers determine pricing and discounts for both their physical and digital products, not the retailers or platforms. This is a large part of why so many console gamers gravitated towards digital in the first place, since there was no price difference outside of buying used. The PS3 was the last console I bought physical games and there was no price competition between amazon and big box stores for new games, which were $60 everywhere.
I'll just repost what I already posted in another thread:



I dislike Sony's decision, but they did what almost any company in their position would have done. Consumer habits made this possible. At this point, it's too late, you should have bought more physical games.

Shitposting on GAF is easy. Buying physical games, apparently, wasn't. Now everyone will pay the price. :messenger_ok:
100%.

It's just like with paid online multiplayer. The consumers (specifically the xbox ones) made that happen.
 
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Doubt it could truly be optimized like a console without being a console. If it is a console that plays Steam games then what PC freedoms are we giving up in the process. Too many questions here. I think whatever they do, it will just be a "reference" device, as Asha said, and the OEMs will take over the Xbox brand, which is fine, but these are the same OEMs that put all kinds of bloatware on Windows. We will see

It's the boobs fault.

It's a PC these guys are coping. The current Xbox is a handheld PC. The next Xbox is a SFF PC for the living with whatever Xbox mode looks like come the day 1 patch for it's release. Based on the Xbox Allys doing well I can see MS abandoning helix and just leaving Xbox PCs to OEM machines. Sony and Nintendo don't have better programmers then MS. MS' peers are Google, Apple etc. Windows is intentionally shit because it's user base is in decline but SteamOS has kinda forced them. They are super lucky Valve is doing this and not say a Chinese software giant. Valve being so small gives them time to prepare. Plus their OEM reach allows them to launch Xbox PCs more or less over the whole world while Valve takes a really limited approach.
I'll just repost what I already posted in another thread:



I dislike Sony's decision, but they did what almost any company in their position would have done. Consumer habits made this possible. At this point, it's too late, you should have bought more physical games.

Shitposting on GAF is easy. Buying physical games, apparently, wasn't. Now everyone will pay the price. :messenger_ok:

Son can only fuck with you if you let them.
 
This whole "multiple stores competing" is a bunch of nonsense. Publishers determine pricing and discounts for both their physical and digital products, not the retailers or platforms. This is a large part of why so many console gamers gravitated towards digital in the first place, since there was no price difference outside of buying used. The PS3 was the last console I bought physical games and there was no price competition between amazon and big box stores for new games, which were $60 everywhere.
Go to Amazon and compare games digital to physical then come back.
 




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post this
 
I dislike Sony's decision, but they did what almost any company in their position would have done. Consumer habits made this possible. At this point, it's too late, you should have bought more physical games.

Shitposting on GAF is easy. Buying physical games, apparently, wasn't. Now everyone will pay the price. :messenger_ok:
I'm assuming GAF would have a high density of disc purchasers. I have like 40 disc games on PS5 and I'm not even a primary PS5 player.

I think a more proactive approach is better. Even if you bought digital, now is the time to sign the petition, cancel your PS+, and spam the fuck out of their social media posts: Twitter | Youtube. It only takes a minute or 2 to leave 4-5 posts on there and downvote their videos. Do it while you're taking a dump and thinking about how shitty Sony is for killing games.

Because the next logical step for them is killing local play, so that way there's no way at all to backup or preserve games. They will try to go after all emulation at some point, too. Now is the time to fight.
 
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It's a PC these guys are coping. The current Xbox is a handheld PC. The next Xbox is a SFF PC for the living with whatever Xbox mode looks like come the day 1 patch for it's release. Based on the Xbox Allys doing well I can see MS abandoning helix and just leaving Xbox PCs to OEM machines. Sony and Nintendo don't have better programmers then MS. MS' peers are Google, Apple etc. Windows is intentionally shit because it's user base is in decline but SteamOS has kinda forced them. They are super lucky Valve is doing this and not say a Chinese software giant. Valve being so small gives them time to prepare. Plus their OEM reach allows them to launch Xbox PCs more or less over the whole world while Valve takes a really limited approach.

We'll see how this plays out. When I use Xbox mode on my PC, I can sort of get an idea of what they may be going for with Helix. Though Idk, purely speculation here. Would Xbox want to have competing markets? Idk, how much do they actually lose when an xbox esclusive game sells on steam vs their own marketplace? Is it negligable? If so, then I don't see what would be the big deal. They can offer gamepass (they really need to change that name), and perhaps offer some benefits that would make it worth it. Tbh even an Xbox only with windows as well is better than nothing, and the thing is a PC, it's probably going to be hacked, and emulators will be used. So, still way better than just an Xbox.
 
Because the next logical step for them is killing local play, that way there's no way at all to backup or preserve games. They will try to go after all emulation at some point, too. Now is the time to fight.
I don't know why people keep saying this. Game streaming is a massive expense that has completely failed as a business despite over a decade of attempts. It's not getting any cheaper or easier to do. Where are all these people claiming this is what Valve or Epic or GOG or Apple or Google are doing next with their digital storefronts? It's the logical next step right?
 
I'm assuming GAF would have a high density of disc purchasers. I have like 40 disc games on PS5 and I'm not even a primary PS5 player.

I think a more proactive approach is better. Even if you bought digital, now is the time to sign the petition, cancel your PS+, and spam the fuck out of their social media posts: Twitter | Youtube. It only takes a minute or 2 to leave 4-5 posts on there and downvote their videos. Do it while you're taking a dump and thinking about how shitty Sony is for killing games.

Because the next logical step for them is killing local play, so that way there's no way at all to backup or preserve games. They will try to go after all emulation at some point, too. Now is the time to fight.
I signed the petition on July 1 and have made dozens of posts on Sony's socials. I appreciate the people who genuinely love physical games and are still fighting for them, but I'm not going to spend any more of my time or mental energy on it. I'll enjoy buying physical games for as long as I can.

I won't say it's impossible to turn things around, but it's an uphill battle. I'll keep buying physical games until they disappear, if this helps.
 
I actually learned something from that. I didn't know Sony was selling off disc plants so they could make AI, and this was part of what stockholders liked.

Plus, boobies.
 
Isn't this what they did with earphones. Now Bluetooth is THE normal. your considered a weirdo for having cable on your phone.
It happened fast as well.
 
Saying physical games is what made playstation a "name in the industry " makes no sense since 85% of sales are digital. Sony is just following the market not killing a thriving business. By 2028 those 15% are probably less than 10%.

Also "buy a pc instead that also doesn't have physical games" makes no sense for obvious reasons.

There are like 195 countries in the whole ass world, yet PSN doesn't reach even a quarter of that, back in 2009 I had to make a US account with some random address from Florida to be able to purchase shit, it took them 4 years to expand PSN and reach my country, you're going to tell me ROTW will just have to steal US addresses in order to purchase games?

Winning formula right there, LMAO...

Also, they're shutting down the PS3 store next year and there is no access to those games anymore, what do you think it's gonna happen when PS7 arrives (if they survive this shitstrom) and they don't see a reason to keep the current PS4+PS5 stores alive?

I know you're the kind of Pony that loves spreadsheets with big numbers on them every new quarter, but goddamn, way to defend a corporation that has no problem trying to screw you up good...
 
I don't know why people keep saying this. Game streaming is a massive expense that has completely failed as a business despite over a decade of attempts. It's not getting any cheaper or easier to do. Where are all these people claiming this is what Valve or Epic or GOG or Apple or Google are doing next with their digital storefronts? It's the logical next step right?
Steam, too?
 
I'm assuming GAF would have a high density of disc purchasers. I have like 40 disc games on PS5 and I'm not even a primary PS5 player.
Do it while you're taking a dump and thinking about how shitty Sony is for killing games.
Got to love some of the bandwagoning fake outrage. "Killing games", give me a break man:

I don't buy physical games. I don't want them around I like having a digital library. I mostly play PS+ and GP games on consoles, and buy most of my games on PC. I buy the occasional exclusive at release on PS5 like FFXVI and Helldivers 2. I don't see those as being much cheaper at retail to justify having games cluttering my life. On PC you get games cheap as hell. Like 17% off at release through Fanatical and GmG, and even cheaper from gray key resellers.

P.S.- 2K24 digital edition was just on sale for $20.99. I know because I bought the X|S version for my son on Feb. 8th.
 
Gamers prefer digital because they don't really have a choice. Games aren't even fully stored on the disc anymore, so why buy a physical copy when the disc is basically just an activation key

People say, "Well, on PC…" Yeah, but on PC, you aren't restricted to buying your games from only one platform.
 
The interesting take from this video, for me, is that Sony first party studios are under extremely strict social media guidelines about the decision. They knew it would get a lot of backlash and be unpopular, they just didn't care because $$$
 
Got to love some of the bandwagoning fake outrage. "Killing games", give me a break man:
That was 15 months ago. I started to understand and agree with people on the damage GP did and switched to physical ownership on consoles. Got a drawer to organize my games. I own a Pro and regular PS5 with disc drives. Purchased these games over the past 18 months. Didn't renew 3x GP subs after they ran out. Cancelled my PS+. Started buying way more games on GoG up to almost 200 now. Nothing fake about it.
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That was 15 months ago. I started to understand and agree with people on the damage GP did and switched to physical ownership on consoles. Got a drawer to organize my games. I own a Pro and regular PS5 with disc drives. Purchased these games over the past 18 months. Didn't renew 3x GP subs after they ran out. Cancelled my PS+. Started buying way more games on GoG up to almost 200 now. Nothing fake about it.
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That's interesting if it was a recent change. what made you change your mind? You were always pushing digital and cloud in every pro-physical thread, you even sold your disc PS5 for a DE PS5 and bought a Series S, buying digital switch/2 games too. That's a complete overhaul in your buying habits. How are you finding it?
 
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That's interesting if it was a recent change. what made you change your mind? You were always pushing digital and cloud in every pro-physical thread, you even sold your disc PS5 for a DE PS5 and bought a Series S, buying digital switch/2 games too. That's a complete overhaul in your buying habits. How are you finding it?
A big part of it was the release of the Pro. Sold my DE and Series X and bought a Pro with disc drive. Kind of got me back into old school feel of console gaming. I've talked about this a bit in other threads, but I really enjoy the aesthetic of console gaming with physical copies. Having a tangible collection of games, selecting a title to focus on, and putting it the system. Good vibes. Don't get me wrong I've always had a pretty decent retro collection with carts and discs of everything from GBA to Saturn, PSX, SNES, GEN, ect. GP and PS+ were altering how I perceived the value of modern games. It doesn't help either that they do shit like key cards and key discs where the game isn't even on the disc.

GP was basically giving games away at it's old price, and having 3 kids it was extremely convenient and cost effective to have a 3-4 GP accounts and be able to play every game on there together with my kids since we all had the same matching library. Once MS bought Activision I knew the writing was on the wall and just like the naysayers had said the price rocketed to $29.99/month, so it went from $60/yr per sub to $360/yr. It was impractical to continue like that since it more affordable to just buy the games we wanted on Steam rather than spend $1K/year on renting games.

I experienced the "trap" and that's why I'm so adamant about pushing back on all this shit now. Once they have you in the trap they can just jack the prices up on you like a drug dealer. Sony does this with people's PS+ "free games libraries". Once you stop subscribing, your accumulated library goes up in smoke. And that's where I believe it's all heading with not only game ownership, but hardware too: Compute as a Service.
 
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My ISOs and ROMs on my HDDs or SD card is far safer then your disks. (I really need to get more drives for backup)

Exactly why the "preservation" argument is horse-shit. Everything is dumpable. Self-destructing Capcom coin-op boards (!) have been preserved, so frankly I find the idea that anything available publicly sold is going to get "lost to time" somewhat hard to believe anymore.
 
Its pretty sad to read people pretending to be cool with megacorps taking their money and their rights . This digital cuckoldery is embarrassing to watch.

Or maybe this is some "how to grow a billionaire mindset" thing?

I experienced the "trap" and that's why I'm so adamant about pushing back on all this shit now. Once they have you in the trap they can just jack the prices up on you like a drug dealer. Sony does this with people's PS+ "free games libraries". Once you stop subscribing, your accumulated library goes up in smoked. And that's where I believe it's all heading with not only game ownership, but hardware too: Compute as a Service.


This is so incredibly obvious that it hurts me that people with a decent IQ don't get it. They are unable to see beyond their fucking noses.

This is just one step in a long ladder that leads to a very dystopian future, not only in videogames but also in more important industries. And you can see how gullible many are. When their favorite brand or political party ask them to open their mouth and swallow whatever they are given, they do obediently, no question asked.
 
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Sony does this with people's PS+ "free games libraries". Once you stop subscribing, your accumulated library goes up in smoked.
In my experience it's even worse than that. I wouldn't mind just simply having all my old PS+ games disappear - but instead when I go to my digital library now I've gotta sift through all these games I redeemed for years on PS+ to find the ones without the padlock on them that I actually "own".

I realized there is like zero real benefit to even logging in to PS+ anymore so I wiped my console and now just use it to play my disc games on a local account.
 
This is so incredibly obvious that it hurts me that people with a decent IQ don't get it. They are unable to see beyond their fucking noses.

This is just one step in a long ladder that leads to a very dystopian future, not only in videogames but also in more important industries. And you can see how gullible many are. When their favorite brand or political party ask them to open their mouth and swallow whatever they are given, they do obediently, no question asked.
I have an example for these people you mentioned:

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