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[Lunatic_Gamer]

Industry analyst Mat Piscatella has predicted that PlayStation has one more generation of physical media support, while Nintendo possibly has two.

The Executive Director and Video Game Industry Advisor at Circana (NPD) commented on a statement from Josh Fairhurst, CEO at Limited Run Games. The latter reminded fans of Tomb Raider I-III Remastered that the game’s Xbox version is not planned for release at traditional retail, and the Collector’s Edition is their only chance to get a physical version for the platform. Piscatella stated that gaming audiences should probably get used to there being no physical Xbox versions of games across the market sooner rather than later.

The analyst gave PlayStation another console generation and Nintendo two before they go all-digital like Xbox is already beginning to do. A Twitter/X user responded to him by saying that Nintendo’s audience includes casual players who pick up games in the store at a whim. As a result, its games tend to be “evergreen” long-term sellers, which is why the console maker may never abandon physical games. Piscatella didn’t agree with these views, however.

We believe it’s a fair assumption to make, considering how an increasing number of console players are making a majority of their purchases digitally. That said, Sony Interactive Entertainment may opt to offer add-on disc drives, and possibly a console SKU with a pack-in disc drive, for some time. On the other hand, Nintendo’s user base will indeed take longer to move from physical media to digital distribution. It’s also true that its first-party titles are seen as “evergreen” long-term sellers with good resale value.

PlayStation May Have One More Generation Of Physical Media Support, Nintendo Possibly Two, Analyst Says

Analyst Mat Piscatella has predicted that PlayStation has one more generation of physical media support, while Nintendo possibly has two.

twistedvoxel.com

 

[PauloRoberto]

Matt likes to portrait him self as a Oracle (he is absolutely full of himself like one...)

 

[Phobos Base]

On a related note, Microsoft just announced Forza Horizon 4 will be delisted and removed from Game Pass. Welcome to the digital future.

 

[bitbydeath]

As long as people keep buying them then there is no reason to drop them.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Games that have both a physical and digital release continue to sell well on PS5 and even more so on the Switch. However, considering that the PS7 will probably launch in 10-11 years from now and the next-next-next-gen Switch in 15-16 years from now, who actually knows what could happen since the market can change a lot in such a large amount of time.

The more alarming news, tbh, is the trend of retailer chains in North America starting to ditch physical media (this is mostly related to DVDs/Blu-Ray movies and TV shows), which leads to people having fewer options for purchasing physical.

Anyway, what I know for certain is that I'l be going back to PC once all console makers go digital only.

 

[Punished Miku]

As long as people keep buying them then there is no reason to drop them.

Except the giant +30% boost, no used sales and no competing stores or distribution costs thing.

 

[TGO]

We all know Digital will eventually take over by force

 

[March Climber]

On a related note, Microsoft just announced Forza Horizon 4 will be delisted and removed from Game Pass. Welcome to the digital future.

Nothing new for car games by the way. Even years ago during physical media’s best years, they also would stop the production of discs not long after release too.

Blame licensing.

 

[Švejk]

Physical is long dead. As soon as consoles went online, that was the beginning of the Fall. Sure, you can keep buying physical cartridges or discs for your next system, But what's to stop these corporations from implementing a governor of sorts that won't let you play them unless the system is online? You'd be silly to think they wouldn't do that. Just look at how gungho Nintendo has been going towards emulator sites with retard strength.

 

[hybrid_birth]

I prefer physical. Especially for switch games. I like that i can just put in a cartridge and play most of the time. Sometimes it asks if i want to update. But its optional, downloading doesn't take nearly as long as PS5/Xbox

I hate the slow ass disc copy systems on consoles. Why do i have to wait over an hour and a half for the 2 disc ff rebirth to install?

They need to upgrade their download servers as well. Match steams at least.

 

[Boss Mog]

Then I may have 1, maybe 2 gens left in me before I stop buying new gaming hardware. I have enough of a backlog to last me a decade at least.

 

[Deerock71]

We all know Digital will eventually take over by force

Best reference is best.

 

[bitbydeath]

Except the giant +30% boost, no used sales and no competing stores or distribution costs thing.

It’d just be lost sales if forced onto people who can only use physical.

 

[Three]

The two tweets this entire article is based on:

 

[SoloCamo]

I already am mentally struggling with supporting Nintendo but the minute they go digital only I'm definitely out. I'm not going to bother with other consoles at this point anyways let alone a digital version. We have enough annoyances on PC with digital, I can't imagine how bad it's going to be long term with consoles.

 

[cinnamonandgravy]

Sure, you can keep buying physical cartridges or discs for your next system, But what's to stop these corporations from implementing a governor of sorts that won't let you play them unless the system is online?

the community implementing an anti-governor of sorts

 

[mitch1971]

I looked into it. By that I mean I got my Crystal ball out and looked into it. Mat's lying folks.

 

[Punished Miku]

It’d just be lost sales if forced onto people who can only use physical.

Sure. Just pointing out they have lots of incentives to move digital.

 

[bitbydeath]

Sure. Just pointing out they have lots of incentives to move digital.

And more reasons not too. People have been saying since at least the PS3 days that the world will have perfect internet by “next-gen”.

 

[consoul]

An 8 word tweet, turned into a whole article.

 

[Barakov]

Industry analyst Mat Piscatella has predicted that PlayStation has one more generation of physical media support, while Nintendo possibly has two.

The Executive Director and Video Game Industry Advisor at Circana (NPD) commented on a statement from Josh Fairhurst, CEO at Limited Run Games. The latter reminded fans of Tomb Raider I-III Remastered that the game’s Xbox version is not planned for release at traditional retail, and the Collector’s Edition is their only chance to get a physical version for the platform. Piscatella stated that gaming audiences should probably get used to there being no physical Xbox versions of games across the market sooner rather than later.

The analyst gave PlayStation another console generation and Nintendo two before they go all-digital like Xbox is already beginning to do. A Twitter/X user responded to him by saying that Nintendo’s audience includes casual players who pick up games in the store at a whim. As a result, its games tend to be “evergreen” long-term sellers, which is why the console maker may never abandon physical games. Piscatella didn’t agree with these views, however.

We believe it’s a fair assumption to make, considering how an increasing number of console players are making a majority of their purchases digitally. That said, Sony Interactive Entertainment may opt to offer add-on disc drives, and possibly a console SKU with a pack-in disc drive, for some time. On the other hand, Nintendo’s user base will indeed take longer to move from physical media to digital distribution. It’s also true that its first-party titles are seen as “evergreen” long-term sellers with good resale value.

PlayStation May Have One More Generation Of Physical Media Support, Nintendo Possibly Two, Analyst Says

Analyst Mat Piscatella has predicted that PlayStation has one more generation of physical media support, while Nintendo possibly has two.

twistedvoxel.com

I've heard this one before.

 

[odhiex]

I don't think it will go away completely, but I do see physical games becoming a niche segment for enthusiasts. Just like the CD/DVD/Blu-ray/Vinyl collectors of movies and music's.

They would still be released in limited capacity and be supported title-by-title, not all games have the physical format.

 

[A.Romero]

I do digital for PC (I would even if there widely available physical releases) and physical for PS5 with some exceptions (like Dragon's Crown).

The kids still prefer physical and mi wife too (for gifting). Whenever there is an ocassion that merits getting a game for them I sometimes tell them "we can get it cheaper online" but they prefer physical, even if they don't ever touch the Switch cartridges or PS discs ever again.

Also getting pre-paid cards to gift is a huge pain in the ass. You can't gift fucking store credit which is pretty stupid and would help adoption a lot.

I hope physical releases stay around for a long time.

 

[Badlucktroll]

 

[AgatonSax]

I looked into it. By that I mean I got my Crystal ball out and looked into it. Mat's lying folks.

It’s a statement of opinion that is either right or wrong.

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

Matt likes to portrait him self as a Oracle (he is absolutely full of himself like one...)

Literally his entire job is collecting *data and reporting on it.

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

It’s a statement of opinion that is either right or wrong.

His guess is as good as anyone’s

He looks at and collects game console and software data for a living.

 

[Kagoshima_Luke]

The day a console manufacturer goes all digital is the day I no longer support that platform. I'm fine if they don't want my money; my backlog is such that I can't finish it in this lifetime anyway.

 

[PauloRoberto]

Literally his entire job is collecting *data and reporting on it.

Not exactly. His job SHOULD be collect data and reporting... his public job is collect data and twisting it to generate flame war, and block whoever questions his public methods.

 

[TwiztidElf]

Wait. They're using the fact that Xbox sells no physical copies as leverage for this argument?
lol.

 

[Shifty1897]

All these guys also said this console generation was gonna be the last four years ago, remember that?
Now Microsoft is hard at work on the next generation console with a rumored 2026 target, the Switch 2 is going to be announced in the next 9 months, and the PS5 Pro is supposed to drop this holiday.

So maybe these analysts are full of shit.

 

[Mobilemofo]

I'll either move to handhelds or mobile.

 

[UltimaKilo]

Sounds about right.

 

[RCU005]

On a related note, Microsoft just announced Forza Horizon 4 will be delisted and removed from Game Pass. Welcome to the digital future.

Does delisting the game mean that you won't be able to download your PURCHASED copy? If so, they are giving an advanced notice so that you can download it to your hard drive and keep it.

People act as if that doesn't happen to physical games. Every game gets discontinued.

You can argue that there's a used market with physical games, and it's true, but of course that's something it can't happen with digital games, but that doesn't have anything to do with a game getting delisted.

The problem would be, if they wouldn't let you play the game after it's delisted even if you've downloaded it.

People need to start getting used to backup their games into a hard drive to keep them safe, even if they get delisted. I don't think it's a major issue. And there are other issues that need to be solved first. Like stupid Sony and Nintendo (don't know if Xbox) don't let you have your game save into an external drive anymore to add artificial value to their online services (and force you to buy them).

 

[Loomy]

This is not up to Playstation, thankfully.

 

[Hudo]

Yeah, good luck with that in Germany. We're just discovering that there's something else besides DSL.

 

[lh032]

my question here is.

If they stop physical copies, how is BC going to work for us physical collectors? i would assume there is no more disc drives?

 

[BlackTron]

my question here is.

If they stop physical copies, how is BC going to work for us physical collectors? i would assume there is no more disc drives?

Same way it works for PS2. An old console.

 

[Rocco Schiavone]

If Sony goes digital only I'm switching to PC.

 

[midnightAI]

my question here is.

If they stop physical copies, how is BC going to work for us physical collectors? i would assume there is no more disc drives?

I would assume (with Sony at least) that they could use the new PS5 philosophy of a detachable drive, at least until it stops selling completely. But I just don't think there is any truth in the article, not for a long time yet.

 

[StueyDuck]

Fat guy on the internet has an opinion on gaming.

What's new?

 

[lh032]

I would assume (with Sony at least) that they could use the new PS5 philosophy of a detachable drive, at least until it stops selling completely. But I just don't think there is any truth in the article, not for a long time yet.

i was thinking that as well.
Sony could drop out the physical distribution but they still product the detachable disc drive for us physical peasants.

 

[TrebleShot]

Oh its coming.

Ps5 Pro last disc based console in my opinion (from sony)

Steam deck and steam on PC has shown that discs are no longer needed.

I think they'll go that way and eventually be hammered by EU law for having a walled garden and you'll get keys sold on sites and rival store fronts on the system.


They seriously need to sort out the refund policy though it's 2024 ffs

I'm currently going through the escalation service for dragons dogma 2 as I got is digitally barely played it then got it 20 quid cheaper on disc just now. Doubt I'll be successful and will have to return the disc.

 

[Audiophile]

See no point in doing this. For PS6 Sony could offload the optical disc drive from the main package entirely and make it a readily available add-on; then they could release a revised universal one for a Pro/Slim halfway through the gen.

That'll knock ~$20 off the BoM of the main console giving them room to make the core hardware a little better and/or make a bit more profit. Then they can sell the add-on for a ~$30 markup which after additional costs would probably net them ~$20 profit per drive sold.

Disc games may end up produced at a lower volume, but overall the trend of switching from physical to digital seems to have plateaued where we are in recent years. Then there's physical special editions which are heavily marked up and pretty much always sell out; leaving the door open to that makes sense.

With Sony (& Nintendo), removing the option for physical would be a largely abritrary move based on misconceptions that one thing must always replace another. You can maintain multiple approaches as long as you address each market with the appropriate quality and premiums/pricing.

Sony are also doubling down on Blu-ray & 4K Blu-ray with new distribution agreements not just for themselves but other big studios like Disney -- when the market is addressed properly, physical is still largely profitable (people just see a smaller market and a push by larger studios towards a walled garden of control; and assume it's not). That relatively cheap add-on will be an easy option to keep people in the market for Blu-ray/4K Blu-ray too while retaining the option for physical discs.

It's quite apparent that even if people buy most games digitally, the majority still choose a more expensive option to retain the possibility of using physical.

PC is an open platform, so that comparison doesn't hold weight; and Xbox is more conditioned towards digital mainly due to Gamepass and how synonymous it's become with PC.

 

[midnightAI]

Oh its coming.

Ps5 Pro last disc based console in my opinion (from sony)

Steam deck and steam on PC has shown that discs are no longer needed.

I think they'll go that way and eventually be hammered by EU law for having a walled garden and you'll get keys sold on sites and rival store fronts on the system.


They seriously need to sort out the refund policy though it's 2024 ffs

I'm currently going through the escalation service for dragons dogma 2 as I got is digitally barely played it then got it 20 quid cheaper on disc just now. Doubt I'll be successful and will have to return the disc.

I would be massively shocked if PS6 wasn't disc based or at least a disc option (detachable drive). Outside of the US disc sales are still a very large part of total sales and I much prefer it simply because buying on disc is cheaper (and sometimes I get games a day or two earlier)

 

[MALpractice311]

Then I may have 1, maybe 2 gens left in me before I stop buying new gaming hardware. I have enough of a backlog to last me a decade at least.

The day a console manufacturer goes all digital is the day I no longer support that platform. I'm fine if they don't want my money; my backlog is such that I can't finish it in this lifetime anyway.

My brothers. The second a manufacturer says no more physical copies is the second I dip out. I have so many good games I could replay multiple times and such a big backlog that I don't need their adorably all digital future.

The all digital future is no benefit to me. It's anti-consumer bullshit. It just creates walled gardens that are always more expensive than physical, it eliminates possibility for resale or trading or sharing, it requires Internet connections, and allows for games to delisted at a moment's notice.

You want to strip me of my rights as a consumer? Well, fuck you. I'll take my consoles offline, jailbreak them, and do whatever the fuck I want.

 

[Lucifers Beard]

That'll be the day I stop buying day one on console and wait for deep sales. I'll probably completely dip out of multiplayer games too at that point as I'm not paying £70 for them. At least with PC I can get games cheaper from GMG and other authorised retailers.

I also have a ton of games I can work my way through, some of which I haven't even booted up. No problem for me.

 

[Gojiira]

My gawd these people are stupid…The majority only SOMETIMES buy their games digitally, most of the time its a even split. But with digital libraries increasingly having issues…Forza 4 getting delisted thus robbing people if the game…Yeah issues like that will keep happening and push people back to physical. Playstation and Nintendo would be stupid to abandon them completely.

 

[manzo]

We kind of are there already. Most of the games ship incomplete and some are downright unplayable without any patches.

This ended the collection of physical discs to me. Why even bother getting some release candidate version on disc that you really cannot as-is anyway?

Nintendo's games are an exception to this, their cart versions are always at least properly playable.

 

[Punished Miku]

my question here is.

If they stop physical copies, how is BC going to work for us physical collectors? i would assume there is no more disc drives?

Well that's what some of us have tried to warn you guys about. Not even Xbox is giving a physical to digital pathway and they typically are a little more consumer friendly on some of the BC / dual entitlement stuff. If there's no disc drive, there will be no BC for physical media.