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[DeltaPolarBear]

Why should they focus money and attention on an area of thier sales that is only 10% and rapidly shrinking? They aren't telling everyone what to do, they are reacting to what the customers are asking for.

Maybe you don't notice why it is shrinking, and it has to do with who buys physical. MS is losing customers and all they have left are their core audience. Sure, their core audience might be digital, but what they are doing is effectively severing the bridge to new customers.

There is no benefit to doing this "early". Just as there is no benefit installing SSDs on a PS4. No one is being "forced" to go digital, they just are playing competitor's products.

I mean, did anyone even guessed that Xbox is doing this in 2024? No one did, because we all know it is not the time. That is, unless Xbox gave up growing its audience and has resigned to coming third.

 

[Ic3man]

Sorry wrong thread

 

[Killjoy-NL]

Agreed, which is why retailers dropping physical games for any additional platform can mean only that physical media isn't that popular after all...

I do wonder what the split is between games being released as digital-only vs those with a physical release as well.

Also, this is an interesting article:

Digital Vs Physical Game Sales Hang In The Balance

GSD figures show that the percentage of game sales that were digital increased in 2021.

www.google.com

In 2022, in the UK, digital vs physical was pretty even (~50/50), tipping towards digital.

Another thing to take into account when discussing the removal of physical games from stores, is that according to the article, 70% of physical game sales were bought online.

I wouldn't be surprised if we see at least 2 more gens where we see disc-drives being available for consoles.

 

[Heisenberg007]

Whole lot of crying about nothing. Physical games are down to less than 10% and shrinking every year. This is happening if you like it or not. Welcome to 2024, don't blame Microsoft, blame consumers for thier preference of media.

Nope.

Nope.

 

[THE DUCK]

Maybe you don't notice why it is shrinking, and it has to do with who buys physical. MS is losing customers and all they have left are their core audience. Sure, their core audience might be digital, but what they are doing is effectively severing the bridge to new customers.

There is no benefit to doing this "early". Just as there is no benefit installing SSDs on a PS4. No one is being "forced" to go digital, they just are playing competitor's products.

I mean, did anyone even guessed that Xbox is doing this in 2024? No one did, because we all know it is not the time. That is, unless Xbox gave up growing its audience and has resigned to coming third.

This isn't an "xbox core audience" phenomenon, all consoles are shrinking physical sales rapidly. It's not severing much of anything, it's not going to exist soon.
So much drama, pc has been all digital for over a decade and the sky remains up in the air.

 

[DeltaPolarBear]

This isn't an "xbox core audience" phenomenon, all consoles are shrinking physical sales rapidly. It's not severing much of anything, it's not going to exist soon.
So much drama, pc has been all digital for over a decade and the sky remains up in the air.

You can act calm all you like, what is done is done.

MS made their decision and they will have to live with it. The same way they hanged all their hope on Gamepass. There will be consequences and you can't undo them.

 

[THE DUCK]

Nope.

And yet here, almost a year ago, digital sales were only 4% of total sales vs 21% for digital.

Physical Games Represented Just 4% of Sales for PlayStation Last Quarter

The only category down year-on-year

www.pushsquare.com

That's 75% digital vs 25% physical and no doubt even higher digital in the year since. 60%, get real, your throwing around ancient numbers. The industry was at closer to 90% digital overall in 2022, let alone 2023.

Digital to make 95% of video game revenues in 2023, or $174.5 billion

Digital made up 95% of total global gaming revenues for 2023, representing $174 billion in full game purchases and in-game spending across all platforms.

www.tweaktown.com

 

[MrA]

So much misinformation here in the last paragraph. Not enough games vs sega to switch to being a software only company? They have 5 times the catalog and 10 times the teams Sega had. As to gamepass vs ps+, there's actually close to the same number, if your comparing just ps plus premium vs actual gamepass and not including gold/basic or ps plus, ms has more subs. Even if you add in all the "regular" subs the MS number is surprisingly high for such a low number of hardware units sold vs sony.

Microsoft has over 200 game development teams ? Neat! Or are you just saying what you think is true.
At the time sega went third party they had about 20 studios and more individual teams within those and sega in catalog consisted of well go and see

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Sega_video_games

Ms does not have a catalog of thousands of games

 

[MacReady13]

Sadly I’ve been saying this now for about 2 years. The Xbox I grew up with and once loved is fucking dead. Going the route of all digital and subscription is what they think they need (and they’re even trying to make us all believe this is the way the world is heading) cause they’ve failed as a console manufacturer. Fuck them. Fuck Phil Spencer as well. He’s ruined Xbox. And he’s going to ruin gaming.

 

[THE DUCK]

Microsoft has over 200 game development teams ? Neat! Or are you just saying what you think is true.
At the time sega went third party they had about 20 studios and more individual teams within those and sega in catalog consisted of well go and see

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Sega_video_games

Ms does not have a catalog of thousands of games

What? Sega has like 5-10 games anyone really cared about. The teams were tiny compared to modern day teams, it's not even in the stratosphere. They had like 8 guys make a game. For instance, studio 128 was 5-10 people and made these games:

• Hang-On (1985)
• Space Harrier (1985)
• Enduro Racer (1986)
• OutRun (1986)
• Super Hang-On (1987)
• After Burner/After Burner II (1987)

And also your list includes a ton of games they published from other companies. (Develoment teams and games not owned by sega)

 

[Killjoy-NL]

And yet here, almost a year ago, digital sales were only 4% of total sales vs 21% for digital.

Physical Games Represented Just 4% of Sales for PlayStation Last Quarter

The only category down year-on-year

www.pushsquare.com

You're talking revenue.

The same article mentions a 67/33 split in sales between digital and physical.

 

[MrA]

And yet here, almost a year ago, digital sales were only 4% of total sales vs 21% for digital.

Physical Games Represented Just 4% of Sales for PlayStation Last Quarter

The only category down year-on-year

www.pushsquare.com

That's 75% digital vs 25% physical and no doubt even higher digital in the year since. 60%, get real, your throwing around ancient numbers. The industry was at closer to 90% digital overall in 2022, let alone 2023.

Digital to make 95% of video game revenues in 2023, or $174.5 billion

Digital made up 95% of total global gaming revenues for 2023, representing $174 billion in full game purchases and in-game spending across all platforms.

www.tweaktown.com

Ah I see you're a head line reader, fist that was one quarter, by the end of the year it was like 5% to 18% and a few other points
The digital includes 100% of revenue from first and third party games
Physical only includes sony's royalty on third party games and what sony is paid whole sale for first party
3rd party varies year per year but are usually 80 to 90% of games sold on Playstation,
So after sony pays out what they owe to third parties the digital will around 7 or 8% of sonys revenue,
And digital encouragement has been done every quarter in 2023,

 

[MacReady13]

Perfectly said and these are my sentiments exactly. Xbox will not be getting any more money from me. I don’t subscribe to game pass ultimate and I never will. I like to buy physical and Microsoft abandoning that sector means they’ve lost me.

Honestly Its getting harder and harder to care about Microsoft/Xbox.

-Xbox one kinect bundle + drm fiasco.
-Series S all digital underpowered console. - - Propietary storage expansion.
- Subpar game output.
- Borked app on PC.
- PC versions of games on xbox app outdated vs steam .
- Starting to drop physical game support and going for digital only releases.
- Microsoft rewards nerf.
- Gold conversion nerf.

To think I was more excited about the Series X than the PS5 in 2020, but as someone who prefers physical media I can safely say that my money spending on the xbox ecosystem is coming to an end.


The series X is a great console hardware wise, good performance and silent, it’s great for emulation too. Just sad that xbox leadership is moving away from the things I care about.

 

[Heisenberg007]

And yet here, almost a year ago, digital sales were only 4% of total sales vs 21% for digital.

Physical Games Represented Just 4% of Sales for PlayStation Last Quarter

The only category down year-on-year

www.pushsquare.com

That's 75% digital vs 25% physical and no doubt even higher digital in the year since. 60%, get real, your throwing around ancient numbers. The industry was at closer to 90% digital overall in 2022, let alone 2023.

Digital to make 95% of video game revenues in 2023, or $174.5 billion

Digital made up 95% of total global gaming revenues for 2023, representing $174 billion in full game purchases and in-game spending across all platforms.

www.tweaktown.com

It seems like you have not even read the article you're sharing.

It says 33% were physical game sales. How is a company fucking over 1/3rd of its consumer base a good thing that should be defended?

 

[MrA]

What? Sega has like 5-10 games anyone really cared about. The teams were tiny compared to modern day teams, it's not even in the stratosphere. They had like 8 guys make a game. For instance, studio 128 was 5-10 people and made these games:

• Hang-On (1985)
• Space Harrier (1985)
• Enduro Racer (1986)
• OutRun (1986)
• Super Hang-On (1987)
• After Burner/After Burner II (1987)

And also your list includes a ton of games they published from other companies. (Develoment teams and games not owned by sega)

You said catalog and you said teams, but moving goal posts and all that
and funny how you jump to 1985 development opposed to 2001 when sega went third party
And even with Bethesda and activison blizzard how many franchises so ms have people care about?
As far as stuff not developed by sega. The vast majority is by sega, and owned by sega, some quick spreadsheet work show about 90% are segas properties
But math seems hard for you so ill leave you alone in your unpaid corporate shilling

 

[bitbydeath]

Why should they focus money and attention on an area of thier sales that is only 10% and rapidly shrinking? They aren't telling everyone what to do, they are reacting to what the customers are asking for.

That’s why they’re going third party.

 

[THE DUCK]

It seems like you have not even read the article you're sharing.

It says 33% were physical game sales. How is a company fucking over 1/3rd of its consumer base a good thing that should be defended?

Well based on the 4% and 21% totals, which are also jn that article, that's 75%, so don't blame me. So that 1/4 as of a year ago, on a different platform, no doubt the digital numbers are higher on xbox since one of thier 2 consoles is already digital only. Ms is likely in the 90% range easily already.

 

[THE DUCK]

You said catalog and you said teams, but moving goal posts and all that
and funny how you jump to 1985 development opposed to 2001 when sega went third party
And even with Bethesda and activison blizzard how many franchises so ms have people care about?
As far as stuff not developed by sega. The vast majority is by sega, and owned by sega, some quick spreadsheet work show about 90% are segas properties
But math seems hard for you so ill leave you alone in your unpaid corporate shilling

It's not goalposts shifting at all, it's not the same thing at all. Talking about a bunch of games that took weeks to make, not years. Ms has far more proven selling ips than sega had, get real.

You can shove your unpaid Corp shilling bullshit, that the crutch of way too many gaf members who face anyone who dates to defend ms in any way. It's fucking stupidity.

 

[Heisenberg007]

Well based on the 4% and 21% totals, which are also jn that article, that's 75%, so don't blame me. So that 1/4 as of a year ago, on a different platform, no doubt the digital numbers are higher on xbox since one of thier 2 consoles is already digital only. Ms is likely in the 90% range eaily already.

"likely 90%"

1. We don't know if it is indeed 90% or lower.
2. Xbox has a digital Series S that would inflate that number.

But industry-wide, Xbox is a small player.

Nintendo and PS have a much larger userbase, and they have a relatively higher physical sales ratio. So if you combine, Nintendo, PS, and Xbox (the entire industry), physical is doing pretty good and, therefore, must not be propelled to its death.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

Well based on the 4% and 21% totals, which are also jn that article, that's 75%, so don't blame me. So that 1/4 as of a year ago, on a different platform, no doubt the digital numbers are higher on xbox since one of thier 2 consoles is already digital only. Ms is likely in the 90% range easily already.

Dude, you're talking about something completely different.

You're using revenue and mistake it for copies sold.

 

[THE DUCK]

Regardless of 75%, 85%, or whatever it is, the writing is on the wall. With best buy moving out of physical tv and movie discs, games are not far behind. Every year that goes more young people enter the market, and they have zero interest in physical. Like none.
So this happening next year, the year after or whenever, but it won't be long.

If ms steps out of the console market or releases only a digital console, sony will not release a disk version of ps6. No reason to, more profit for them not sharing any revenue with stores. Switch 2 won't be enough of a reason to.

 

[Astray]

Lol at people defending the removal of choice, something that Microsoft has been specifically trying to do for over a decade now.

That company deserves last place, hell, if Meta or Apple or whoever tries to jumpstart their own gaming endeavors I'll support them out of of principle just to fuck over Phil Spencer and his army of ass lockers a little more.

 

[KURDISTAN YPG]

Consolidation is good... Nobody wants good English speaking customer support.

i agree hhhh i always go off topic with with over sea customer service people just to see how long they last.

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

If ms steps out of the console market or releases only a digital console, sony will not release a disk version of ps6. No reason to, more profit for them not sharing any revenue with stores. Switch 2 won't be enough of a reason to.

If ms steps out of the console market sony will

- kill physical
- $120 for games
- $800 console
- Oh, and there won't be a pro because apparently that was also because of xbox

Can you guys just not be retarded for one day lol

 

[Kokoloko85]

Such weirdos.

We're about to be told why this is a good thing.

And how if Sony and Nintendo don’t copy they are Anti Gamer

 

[Banjo64]

Always love the mathematically challenged

 

[Kokoloko85]

Well it's coming for everyone. Just look at that new detachable disc drive on the PS5 and tell me Sony wont make a play for +30% on all software sales. We'll see. Wal Mart stopped carrying blu ray movies too.

"You'll own nothing and you'll be happy"
Supposedly this is a real quote?

 

[Bojji]

Whole lot of crying about nothing. Physical games are down to less than 10% and shrinking every year. This is happening if you like it or not. Welcome to 2024, don't blame Microsoft, blame consumers for thier preference of media.

This shit is artificially forced, it's not about consumers choice that much. MS had only XSS in stores for quite a while and this console was digital only, they were also the first to produce digital only console with X1 revision. We see more and more games released only in digital form, no "choice" here.

Both Sony and MS love to have 100% control over software and prices, they also don't want you to have the ability to sell your purchases. Sony is also releasing false claims about % of digital sales (Insomniac leak showed us this).

Consoles going digital only will be a one big scam and consumers ass penetration without lube. PC market is digital but at least there are many different options, on consoles you are forced to one storefront and mercy od MS and Sony.

Once consoles go full digital I will just abandon them.

 

[bender]

Regardless of what the real numbers are, I have feelings. Also, Mark Cerny stole my lunch money.

 

[Skifi28]

Always love the mathematically challenged

 

[THE DUCK]

If ms steps out of the console market sony will

- kill physical
- $120 for games
- $800 console
- Oh, and there won't be a pro because apparently that was also because of xbox

Can you guys just not be retarded for one day lol

Just because you are blind doesn't mean everyone else has to be. Hey, weren't you banned? Surprised you were let back in.

I mean seriously, why would sony release a pro? To compete with itself? To compete with switch 2? Nope.

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

I mean seriously, why would sony release a pro? To compete with itself?

You're quackers

 

[THE DUCK]

This shit is artificially forced, it's not about consumers choice that much. MS had only XSS in stores for quite a while and this console was digital only, they were also the first to produce digital only console with X1 revision. We see more and more games released only in digital form, no "choice" here.

Both Sony and MS love to have 100% control over software and prices, they also don't want you to have the ability to sell your purchases. Sony is also releasing false claims about % of digital sales (Insomniac leak showed us this).

Consoles going digital only will be a one big scam and consumers ass penetration without lube. PC market is digital but at least there are many different options, on consoles you are forced to one storefront and mercy od MS and Sony.

Once consoles go full digital I will just abandon them.

Not sure how that will help, if sony and ms start releasing thier games only on thier own launchers. You know they both want 100% of revenue there too if they can pull it off.

 

[THE DUCK]

You're quackers

That's true but I'd love hear an actual argument as to why Sony would releaae a mid gen machine against.......nothing. The ps5 will already trounce the switch 2 and the ps5 is cheaper to sell and sticking to just it would prevent having to develope 2 versions of every game.

 

[RoboFu]

Digital is the majority now. But hey maybe you will be able to buy your limited run physical and card games along side vinyl records in some mall boutique in 5 years. Oh malls are dying to... IDK what to tell you guys then.

 

[Ass of Can Whooping]

That's true but I'd love hear an actual argument as to why Sony would releaae a mid gen machine against.......nothing. The ps5 will already trounce the switch 2 and the ps5 is cheaper to sell and doesn't force 2 versions of every game.

Premium consoles are higher margin machines you muppet. It's not competing against yourself

 

[Belthazar]

Man, this looks so bad. At least the Series X managed to have a personality design-wise... This just looks so sterile.

Like, I get the PS5 looks like a giant router... So their counter was to make a console that looks like a giant air purifier?

 

[T-0800]

That's true but I'd love hear an actual argument as to why Sony would releaae a mid gen machine against.......nothing. The ps5 will already trounce the switch 2 and the ps5 is cheaper to sell and sticking to just it would prevent having to develope 2 versions of every game.

Sony themselves said they released the PS4 Pro to stop people switching to PC. It's for those people. You want people to accept the death of physical when it is you that needs to accept the death of Xbox.

 

[kruis]

This isn't an "xbox core audience" phenomenon, all consoles are shrinking physical sales rapidly. It's not severing much of anything, it's not going to exist soon.
So much drama, pc has been all digital for over a decade and the sky remains up in the air.

Digital is the majority now. But hey maybe you will be able to buy your limited run physical and card games along side vinyl records in some mall boutique in 5 years. Oh malls are dying to... IDK what to tell you guys then.

Physical media are still very important. The only reason why the physcial-digital ratio is skewed so much towards digital, is because digital revenues include not just the sales of digital retail releases, but also indie games that aren't available as physical releases, expansion packs, paid upgrades, micro transactions like virtual coins and loot boxes, etc.

 

[Skifi28]

Sony themselves said they released the PS4 Pro to stop people switching to PC.

 

[Belthazar]

This isn't an "xbox core audience" phenomenon, all consoles are shrinking physical sales rapidly. It's not severing much of anything, it's not going to exist soon.
So much drama, pc has been all digital for over a decade and the sky remains up in the air.

That's not true for the other 2 console makers or the bigger publishers in general. AAA titles skew heavily physical, as shown by the Insomniac leak... With Sony's titles having around 60% physical split. So no, physical isn't going away any time soon.

People see "70%+ digital share" on yearly reports, but forget that this proportion is driven by digital only releases, like the hundreds of indies that are released yearly.

 

[meatsauce]

If MS is focused on a digital future, I really hope they add more backwards compatibility support. There's still a substantial amount of OG XBox/360 titles to add.

 

[RoboFu]

That's not true for the other 2 console makers or the bigger publishers in general. AAA titles skew heavily physical, as shown by the Insomniac leak... With Sony's titles having around 60% physical split. So no, physical isn't going away any time soon.

People see those 70% digital share on yearly reports, but forget that this proportion is driven by digital only releases, like the hundreds of indies that are released yearly.

Driven by digital only is right. It shows people will buy digital only games so why spend money on physical releases?
Physical is going bye bye. PC sales keep going up with no physical releases.

 

[Killjoy-NL]

That's not true for the other 2 console makers or the bigger publishers in general. AAA titles skew heavily physical, as shown by the Insomniac leak... With Sony's titles having around 60% physical split. So no, physical isn't going away any time soon.

People see "70%+ digital share" on yearly reports, but forget that this proportion is driven by digital only releases, like the hundreds of indies that are released yearly.

This.

There's a reason why PS5 Disc is massively outselling PS5 Digital.
Whereas Series S is outselling Series X.
This boils down to both companies' strategies.

Taking that into consideration, it's also clear what the market's reaction is, looking at which company is successful and which one isn't.

 

[DJ12]

So Hellblade 2 has already been announced as a digital-only game?

What do y'all think? Will Avowed, Indiana Jones, etc. also not have a physical release?

Xbox versions won't.

 

[Daneel Elijah]

That's true but I'd love hear an actual argument as to why Sony would releaae a mid gen machine against.......nothing. The ps5 will already trounce the switch 2 and the ps5 is cheaper to sell and sticking to just it would prevent having to develope 2 versions of every game.

This is part of the mentality that caused the Boeing 737 Max debacle. Some companies want to have new products, and not just selling the same thing forever.
Selling products like the PSVR 2 and the Portal have reasons and it don't have to be making profits with huge margins. Why can't you see the Pro consoles with the same eye? It don't hurt Sony to sell another console if they can see the effect on enthusiast gamers and the competition( Nintendo, Steam, Xbox, GOG etc). Same with Nintendo with some of their accessories like Labo or the Amiibo.

 

[Portugeezer]

Activate quote 2.

Let's not forget the environment. Xbox takes sustainability seriously.

 

[Belthazar]

This is part of the mentality that caused the Boeing 737 Max debacle. Some companies want to have new products, and not just selling the same thing forever.
Selling products like the PSVR 2 and the Portal have reasons and it don't have to be making profits with huge margins. Why can't you see the Pro consoles with the same eye? It don't hurt Sony to sell another console if they can see the effect on enthusiast gamers and the competition( Nintendo, Steam, Xbox, GOG etc). Same with Nintendo with some of their accessories like Labo or the Amiibo.

A mid-gen refresh also has the benefit of making the transition to a next generation go more smoothly... Last gen it helped training devs to make assets to render at 4k, now maybe it'll help the development of better/faster ray tracing pipelines.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Hey guys...I guess the only positive is we aren't using plastics anymore.....and own nothing.

 

[bitbydeath]

Driven by digital only is right. It shows people will buy digital only games so why spend money on physical releases?
Physical is going bye bye. PC sales keep going up with no physical releases.

Does MS leaving digital behind mean digital is dying?